QUEEN JEZEBEL – Jean Plaidy
A Catherine de Medici Novel
Touchstone
ISBN: 978-1-4516-8654-8
March 2013
Historical Fiction

France – 1560 to 1589

Dowager Queen Catherine de Medici has one more son to deal with before her beloved son Henry can take the throne. King Charles is far from in control of France, and at the behest of his mother, who has fed lies to him, he orders the killing of every Huguenot in France. The fact that Catherine has married off her daughter to another Henry, the King of Navarre and a Huguenot, matters not to her.

Catherine wants nothing but the throne for son Henry, but Charles stands in the way, and his growing paranoia and madness are alienating her from controlling him. Surrounding him are a cadre of women and one Huguenot physician who prevent her from dealing with the situation. Meanwhile, she has her daughter Margot and her husband to deal with. Henry, King of Navarre, knows he must keep his wits about him while dealing with Catherine. As a potential heir to the French throne, he makes sure he forms alliances with the right people, including the Catherine's youngest son.

The massacre of Huguenots is just the beginning of this powerful conclusion to the Catherine de Medici trilogy. Catherine's cruel control over her son, the king, very much concludes with the mass killings. Charles is led into the decision by her subtle hints that ignite his deep seeded fear of his mother, and the growing mental illness that eventually takes over his reign. Catherine's encouragement of her children to cheat on their spouses for France's sake, as well as her own growing paranoia are the reasons for Catherine's less than stellar historical reputation.

QUEEN JEZEBEL is a potent and, at times, horrific account of Catherine de Medici's control of France and her fragile family. As usual, Jean Plaidy's amazing portrayals of historical figures made this yet another riveting novel.

Jani Brooks