1399: Constance of York, Lady Despenser, proves herself more than a mere observer in the devious intrigues of her magnificently dysfunctional family, The House of York.
Surrounded by power-hungry men, including her aggressively self-centred husband Thomas and ruthless siblings Edward and Richard, Constance places herself at the heart of two treasonous plots against King Henry IV. Will it be possible for this Plantagenet family to safeguard its own political power by restoring either King Richard II to the throne, or the precarious Mortimer claimant?
Although the execution of these conspiracies will place them all in jeopardy, Constance is not deterred, even when the cost of her ambition threatens to overwhelm her. Even when it endangers her new-found happiness.
With treason, tragedy, heartbreak and betrayal, this is the story of a woman ahead of her time, fighting for herself and what she believes to be right in a world of men.
Praise for A Tapestry of Treason
âOâBrienâs page-turner vividly brings to life the restriction of women, and the compassion and strength of this real-life figure from medieval timesâ Woman
âAnne OâBrien does not disappoint . . . there are so many twists and turns . . . If you love Philippa Gregory or Alison Weir, you will love Anne OâBrien tooâ My Weekly
âA wonderful novel . . . a rich, gripping, enchanting read. Anneâs vivid writing took me straight to the year 1400 and kept me wonderfully lost there throughoutâ Joanna Courtney
âA detailed portrayal of a fascinating characterâ Womanâs Weekly
âAn engaging novel of political intrigueâ Choice
Praise for Anne OâBrien
âOâBrien cleverly intertwines the personal and political in this enjoyable, gripping taleâ The Times
âOâBrien is a terrific storytellerâ Daily Telegraph
âA gripping story of love, heartache and political intrigueâ Woman & Home
âPacked with drama, danger, romance and history ... the perfect reading choice for the long winter nightsâ The Press Association
âA gripping historical dramaâ Bella
Anne OâBrien was born in the West Riding of Yorkshire. After gaining a BA Honours degree in History at Manchester University and a Masterâs in Education at Hull, she lived in the East Riding for many years as a teacher of history.
She now lives with her husband in an eighteenth-century timber-framed cottage in depths of the Welsh Marches in Herefordshire on the borders between England and Wales.