The Tsars Locket by Ken Czech

Publisher: Fireship Press (April 30, 2020)

Category: Action/Adventure, Historical Romance, and Historical Thriller

Synopsis

When Duty, Honor, and Love Collide

Julian Blunt, a former sea captain and a despised Catholic, is stunned when Queen Elizabeth proposes that he help carry a betrothal locket to Tsar Ivan the Terrible in Moscow. It means an alliance between England and Russia is brewing, and the queen warns that should the locket fall into the hands of the Pope or his minions, it could mean war.

Julian joins the queen’s messenger, the lofty and spirited Jessandra Calcross, in a perilous voyage across the Baltic Sea and into the very heart of Russia. When a papal assassin determined to prevent the royal marriage strikes, Jess turns to Julian as the only man she can trust. Although at odds over religion and station, a slender emotional bond grows. Stalked by the relentless murderer, Julian is soon torn between abandoning his mission so he can better safeguard Jess, and fulfilling his vow to the queen. If he fails the queen he’ll never captain a ship again. But if he and Jess continue on to Moscow, they face a darker peril in the mercurial and sinister Tsar Ivan–a peril that will drive courage and dawning love to the breaking point.

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Praise

“The vivid descriptions of the European cities, including Moscow and the Tsar’s palace, transport us to that era. An exciting and informative novel. Highly recommended.”–Waheed Rabbani, Historical Novel Society

“There were twists and turns throughout, but the climactic twist at the end really caught me off guard. If you love a really good story with action, suspense and romance, then I recommend this novel.” —Lesley Jones for Reades’ Favorite

“The historical backdrop to the tale is … fleshed out with gorgeous details and cinematic style descriptive work, enabling author Ken Czech to show off some real knowledge and a true sense of atmosphere about the period. Add to this the real excitement of a perilous journey across the sea, well-developed villains, a political versus religious thematic arc and some authentic yet accessible dialogue, and you have a truly excellent novel that readers will simply devour.” —K. C. Finn, author of the Caecilius Rex series

“I enjoyed the setting, the play-by-play of action, and the chemistry between Jess and Julian was off the charts. This is an astonishing story that had me hooked from the beginning …” —Rabia Tanveer for Readers’ Favorite

Excerpt

In this excerpt, Jess Calcross is aboard a ship somewhere in the Baltic Sea on her way to deliver a betrothal locket to Tsar Ivan the Terrible in Moscow.

***

A noise woke Jess, panting, from a scabrous netherworld where nightmares scratched bony fingers inside her skull. Shadowy images of walking a London alleyway; of knives spinning out of the night slicing her open until the pale-hued ropes of her innards spilled out; of the knife thrower, ribs protruding whitely through decaying flesh and red hair coiling snake-like, laughing as she hurled another blade. She? Was that wraith Katie seeking vengeance against her for wanting Julian to be close?

Jess jolted upright, the dregs of her black dream loitering in her belly like cheese-gone-bad. The disturbing image of knife-throwing Katie nearly made her puke. She poured a measure of water from an earthenware bottle into a rinsing bowl and dashed the liquid across her face. It didn’t help.

The thumping of feet running across the deck drew her more awake. Voices, muffled at first, became louder. A knock on her door made her flinch. She didn’t even have time to say ‘come in’ when the door banged open and Julian entered. The look on his face told her something was wrong.

“Have the Swedes found us?” she asked, holding the blanket to cover her bosom,

“Not the Swedes, but the Reaper himself,” he replied.

“The Grim Reaper?”

“Aye, the one and only. You’d best get dressed and come to Captain Blackman’s quarters.”

She closed the door after he left and flattened herself against it. God! Now what? If not the Swedes had the Spanish found them? Had Bill Pollard gone berserk? Heart racing, she hurriedly dressed, throwing on a shirt and not even bothering to bind her breasts. She eased into the companionway.

Blackman’s cabin door was closed. Red Michael stood outside, his arms crossed. Furrows troubled his brow and he did not meet her gaze. She shivered.

Michael opened the door. Huddled in a corner, Stryker, the drooling steward, sobbed and hid his face in his hands. Julian stood next to Abel Blackman who laid on his bed, unmoving, his arms at his sides, a blanket pulled to his chin. Blackman’s face looked composed, yet his chest did not rise and fall. Julian shook him. There was no response. He pulled the blanket down and searched above the collar of the nightshirt for a pulse. “Not a beat,” he whispered.

“Let me try,” Jess said. She leaned over him, placing her cheek above his nose and mouth. No breath warmed her flesh. She felt his hands. They were cold to the touch. With a little gasp, she stepped back. Acerbic, bellicose, obstinate Abel Blackman was quite dead.

“Stop bleating, man,” Red Michael snapped at the sniveling Stryker. The steward moaned.

Dark suspicions twisted in Jess’s mind. “When did you find him?”

“The captain missed the dawn bell; that’s when I take over the helm,” Michael replied. “Then Stryker told me that there was something wrong with the captain. This is how I found him.”

Stryker wiped his nose on his sleeve. “Died in his sleep, he did. He … he was fine at supper.”

Together, Jess and Julian bent over the corpse. There was something macabre about the peaceful look to Blackman’s features. Julian pinched the captain’s nose with one hand and opened the stiffened jaws with the other. Jess hesitated and then sniffed, searching for the tart odor of belladonna. There was none.

Michael leaned closer to the corpse. “Did you smell poison? We all heard what had happened to Lady Harcourt.”

“Does any of the wine remain from his last meal?” Jess asked without answering.

Stryker let out a groan. Michael spun toward him. “Damn you, quit your blubbering. Move your bloated arse and bring me any wine left from the captain’s mess.”

Snuffling, Stryker shuffled away. He reappeared a minute later, a corked jug cradled in his hands. Jess took the jug and shook it. It sounded about half-full. After removing the cork she sniffed deeply, but detected none of the lingering taint as she remembered from Rosalind Harcourt’s wine.

“I don’t think it’s the wine,” she said, scratching her head in doubt.

“Now what do we do?” Michael asked.

Julian placed a hand on his shoulder. “Wake the first mate. He’s next to command this ship.”

The Highlander winced. “Crofutt will be hard to wake. He was up during the night, but I don’t know the reason. Besides, he’s new to this ship and I doubt the crew will readily follow him, especially with the mess we’re sailing into. You should take over. You have more experience.”

“I’m a Catholic and cannot command,” Julian said, fixing him with a sardonic smile.

Guest Review

Guest Review by Bookgirl Katy

Absolutely riveting and beautifully written historical novel from Ken Czech about a man’s drive to be free and a thrilling journey across the ocean to a foreign land.

Julian Blunt is a former sea captain who lost his wife unexpectedly while he was at sea. The grief is overpowering for Julian and it is compounded by the fact that he recently converted to Catholicism and is now potentially going to be arrested by the guards of the notably Protestant Queen Elizabeth. But, out of the blue, he is ambushed by the queen’s men and taken to meet her, where she offers him a deal. If Julian agrees to ferry a special betrothal locket to the Tsar of Russia, she will not only agree to ignore his religion but allow him to return to his life of captaining ships.

The journey is fraught with peril, Julian must not only face dangerous seas but individuals who are determined to stop him from delivering the locket, thus preventing the royal alliance between England and Russia.

Right from the start, this novel pulled me in. The atmosphere of the sixteenth century setting was perfectly described and well executed. Julian’s grief for his wife, his singular desire to be at sea again, and his fear of being imprisoned or killed were ever present and heart wrenching. The historical detail shone through even in the more subtle scenes. It’s obvious from reading this book that Ken Czech is very knowledgeable about history and his use of that knowledge was evident without being overbearing.

This is both an intricate and complex story that also contains a lot of understated themes. This is a definite must read for anyone that enjoys historical novels or adventure stories. This book will not only keep you on the edge of your seat but it will teach you things along the way.

About the Author

History has been his passion since award winning author, Ken Czech was a wee lad. After retiring from a career of teaching history at both secondary and higher education levels, He turned that passion to writing historical novels. His stories combine fiction with actual events and actors taken from the past. He lives with his wife Mary on an abandoned granite quarry in Minnesota where they enjoy the wildlife and the changing seasons. That’s where his writing happens.

His latest book THE TSAR’S LOCKET has received Five Stars from Reader’s Favorite. His previous novels BEYOND THE RIVER OF SHAME and LAST DANCE IN KABUL have also received very favorable reviews.

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