The Assassin’s Mark

by G. J. Williams Book 4 in the The Tudor Rose Murders series.

First published 2026

Amazon

4.5(198)

March 1570. Elizabeth I’s government has only just suppressed the Northern Rebellion, which sought to replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots, when a ritualised murder near the royal palace introduces a new threat. A cloven hoof-print, poisonings and references to the figure of Baphomet lead John Dee and Margaretta from frightened London communities towards aristocratic intrigue and the possibility of an assassin operating across national borders.

The investigation moves between England and the French court against the real background of Catholic opposition to Elizabeth and the political consequences of the Northern Rebellion. Elizabeth, Mary Queen of Scots, William Cecil, Robert Dudley, Francis Walsingham and Catherine de’ Medici appear under their historical identities, while the assassin, ritual killings and central conspiracy are fictional. The supernatural imagery belongs to the mystery rather than constituting evidence of a historical cult.

Historical Periods

Northern Rebellion1569–1570 CE

Genres

Court & Political Fiction Crime & Mystery Historical Fantasy Historical Thriller

Historical people

Elizabeth I1533–1603 Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester1532–1588 Mary, Queen of Scots1542–1587 William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley1520–1598 Francis Walsingham1532–1590 Catherine de’ Medici1519–1589 John Dee1527–1609