Product Description

In the autumn of 1615 the Earl and Countess of Somerset were detained on suspicion of having murdered Sir Thomas Overbury. The arrest of these leading court figures created a sensation. The Countess was both young and beautiful: the Earl was one of the richest and most powerful men in the kingdom, having risen to prominence as the male 'favourite' of the monarch James I. In a vivid narrative, Anne Somerset unravels these extraordinary events, which were widely regarded as an extreme manifestation of the corruption and vice which disfigured the court during this period. It is at once a story rich in passion and intrigue and a murder mystery, for, despite the guilty verdicts, there is much about Overbury's death that remains enigmatic. The Overbury murder case profoundly damaged the monarchy, and constituted the greatest court scandal in English history.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #272602 in Books
• Published on: 1998-01-12
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 448 pages

About the Author
Anne Somerset was born in 1955 and read History at King's College London.Her first book, published in 1980, was The Life and Times of William IV.This was followed by Ladies-in-Waiting: From the Tudors to the Present Day and an acclaimed biography, Elizabeth I. Her most recent work was the bestselling Unnatural Murder, an account of the sensational Overbury murder which was shortlisted fro the Crime Writers Association Gold Dagger award for non-fiction. Anne Somerset is married and lives in London with her husband and daughter.

Customer Reviews

Anne Somerset captures the essence of the 1600's in detail.
Unnatural Murder captures the essence of the 1600's with such fascinating detail that I can't put it down! I'm about 3/4 of the way through at the moment and I'm amazed at the information I'm learning about the history of the period - a topic that I am familiar with anyway.

History books can sometimes be a collection of well researched facts and little else. They can be dry to read and easy to forget. Anne Somerset has included so much everyday detail in with the facts of this murder enquiry that I feel as if I'm there in the court room with them all.

The book has given me so much more insight into our past as a Nation. It's not quite 400 years ago, which seems a long time in one way, but hardly anytime at all when you read the case. The medical knowledge of the time was extremely limited, the treatments barbaric, yet the practicing of law, although very different then from now, has recognisable threads that will come forward into our own times. We always think that our time is the most advanced. We think we work harder than ever before and longer hours with greater inventions. Yet reading about Lord Coke, the Lord Chief Justice, made me realise that striving to be the best in your choosen career and being ruthless along the way is not a recent thing.

For information about the court life of King James 1 of England, for everyday details, the way courtiers sought to better themselves at the expense of the King, this book is a valuable source. For realising that greed, power and unauthorised spending are not a sign of our times the details contained in the pages are facinating. For detective process and law and order, this book is an eye opener which closes the gap of the years between us. For medical treatment detail, it turns your stomach and for the shear wonder of the letters, so many and preserved so long, that give us the perfect picture of life in the court, this book is a delight to read.

If you are interested in history, you will almost certainly enjoy this thoroughly good detective case.

Excellent for historical readers
I am fascinated by history and especially historical kings and queens. However, I had never delved very much into James Ist and his court so this book really caught my eye. I was not disappointed by Anne Somerset's work. Initially she lays down a very good foundation with great descriptions and insights into all the characters involved in the affair of Thomas Overbury's death and the subsequent trials that followed. Each character becomes so alive and one really feels that you are living alongside them at court, in London, and in the Tower. I would recommend Anne's book to anyone who, like me, enjoys a good historical read, whether fiction or non-fiction as she forgets no detail whatsoever but provides a feast where her characters are concerned. I hope to read her book on William IV next as this is one of the Kings that I do not know too well. I am sure I will feel very close to him and his court though once I get my teeth into her meaty meal.

A fantastic read
This is a totally gripping book, bringing to life an intriguing period in English history and combining that detail with a thriller-like narrative. I'd never heard of the Overbury murder before, nor had I heard of the historian Anne Somerset... I'm glad to have remedied both situations. I certainly hope to read more of Ms Somerset's work.