Why would a woman marry a serial killer? Because she cannot refuse…

Kateryn Parr, a 30-year-old widow with a secret new lover, has no choice when Henry VIII --- a man who has buried four wives --- commands her to marry him.

Kateryn knows the danger she faces: The previous queen lasted 16 months, the one before barely half a year. But Henry adores his new bride, and Kateryn’s trust in him grows as she unites the royal family, creates a radical study circle at the heart of the court, and rules as regent.

But is this enough to keep her safe? Kateryn stands out as an independent woman with a mind of her own. As a leader of religious reform and the first woman to publish under her own name in English, she is an easy target for the traditional churchmen and rivals for power who accuse her of heresy --- the punishment is death by fire and the king’s name is on the warrant.

From an author who has illuminated all of Henry’s queens comes a deeply intimate portrayal of the last: a woman who longed for passion, power, and enlightenment at the court of a medieval killer.