The Unfaithful Queen by Carolly Erickson *****

I've never been able to keep the House of Tudor straight, but since reading The Unfaithful Queen by Carolly Erickson, I won't forget Catherine Howard, fifth wife of Henry VIII, and cousin to Anne Boleyn (Henry's second wife) and Elizabeth I.

The author warns,

The Unfaithful Queen is a historical entertainment, in which the authentic past and imaginative invention intertwine.

However, the main story line agrees substantially with Wikipedia. It is in the details of the everyday relationships and the inner thoughts of the innocent Catherine Howard that this often told tale comes to life into a novel that is both engaging and readable.

Historical fiction for fans of the Tudors and those who could care less.