Hal had seen it coming. It was all a plot, a wicked plot. Lady Jane was being snared in a plot. Suddenly he found himself thinking of a spider’s web that he had seen up in the rafters when he had broken his leg. He remembered how the helpless fly was trapped in the fine silken threads. Was Lady Jane caught like that fly in a web woven by the cruelty of ambitious men and women?

Using a narrative form in which some of the characters are fictitious, Faith Cook brings to life for the modern reader a period of English history which was marked by great suffering for Christians who sought to remain faithful to the truths of the Bible. The account is based first of all on the life of young Lady Jane Grey, nine-day Queen of England, who found herself caught up in a web of intrigue and political ambition, and then on the frightening cruelties which followed during the reign of Mary Tudor. With a network of spies and informers seeking to entrap them and betray them to the authorities, men and women from all walks of life, young and old alike, faced imprisonment, torture and death at the stake merely for owning and reading a Bible or for daring to question the Roman Catholic teaching on the mass.

Set against a background of actual historical events, the narrative introduces the reader to many authentic historical figures, often using their own recorded words. This vivid and often moving picture of life in the sixteenth century not only serves to commemorate the faith and endurance of Christians in those troubled times, but provides a challenge and encouragement to readers today.
 

Ø A historical novel for all ages, adults, teenagers and youngsters alike – for those who like reading a novel instead of historical texts

Ø By best selling author Faith Cook – her second historical novel, drawing on her expertise as an historical biographer

Ø Enables the reader to gain an appreciation of the courage of this young lady and will be an inspiration – would make an excellent gift for a young Christian

Faith Cook was born in China, the daughter of OMF missionaries, and now lives in Derbyshire. She is married to Paul, who served as a pastor in churches in Northallerton, Shepshed and Hull. They have five children and ten grandchildren. She is also the author of Lives Turned Upside Down, The Nine-Day Queen of England, Our Hymn-writers and their Hymns, Seeing the Invisible and Under the Scaffold.

'Like her first historical novel, Under the Scaffold, this is a great gift for teenagers and adults alike who might prefer reading a novel rather than an historical texts. One cannot fail to be stirred by the young queen’s commitment to her godly, biblical, Protestant beliefs. We live in an age where we are told that compromise and working together is more important than standing up for our biblical beliefs. This book reminds us that many of our brothers and sisters have died for their faith and we must be ready to as well.'
Review from New Life (30 December 2006)

'This is another excellent book from Faith Cook. Revolving around the life and faith of the young Lady Jane Grey, it follows the story of a fictitious character called Hal living in this turbulent Tudor period of English history. Many of the characters in the book are historical and the events that happen are based on known facts and records.'
Review from Evangelical Times (April 2007)

'Faith Cook’s books published by Evangelical Press meet a great need in our generation when history is gradually being rewritten to water down the facts of our country’s great Christian heritage. She is able to write in a way that compels her readers to acknowledge the grace and goodness of God in the lives of his people and our nation.'
Review from Grace Magazine (April 2007)

'A very readable historical novel focusing on the life of Lady Jane Grey, who was Queen of England for just nine days, and the cruelties which followed during the reign of Mary Tudor.'
Review from Woman Alive (May 2007)

'This book tells the story of a fictional Leicestershire village boy, Hal Tylney, who becomes page boy to Lady Jane Gray at Bradgate Park. Most of the other characters are actual historical ones. Hal lives through the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I, when the Reformation was bringing about profound changes, and attitudes towards it were polarising.'
Review from Evangelicals Now (June 2007)

'Recommended for reading by those deprived of real history at school or those who feel a need to refresh their memories.'
Review from The Gospel Magazine (July-August 2007)

'The author has taken great care to deal accurately with historical events, so that despite the book's fictional framework a faithful picture emerges of the triumphs and setbacks of the Gospel during that crucial time in our nation’s history.'
Review from Peace and Truth (2007:3)

'As a mother of three unfortunately I seem to find very little time for reading books. However, once I started reading this story I just didn’t want to put it down.'
Review from Congregational Concern (Summer 2007)

'Like her first historical novel, Under the Scaffold, this is a great gift for teenagers and adults alike who might prefer reading a novel rather than a historical text. One cannot fail to be stirred by the young queen’s commitment to her godly, biblical, Protestant beliefs.'
Review from Australian Presbyterian (July 2007)

'This is a well-told tale spanning from the end of the reign of Henry V11 to the death of Queen Mary. and centring around Lady Jane Grey. Her pageboy had rural peasant origins and it is his story. He is taught to read and becomes a committed protestant possessing an English bible. The reader gets the basics of the gospel and the catholic/protestant doctrines as we see him and others, high and low, in danger upon Mary's accession. The spiritual, physical, mental and psychological consequences of persecution are vividly shown, yet there is romance and travel together with plague, intrigue and imprisonment. The illustrations add to the atmosphere of the book.'
Review taken from www.thegoodbookstall.co.uk