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The Boleyn Secret

the spellbinding new Tudor novel by the Sunday Times bestselling author

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The Boleyn Secret

By: Alison Weir
Narrated by: Genevieve Gaunt
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From the bestselling author of SIX TUDOR QUEENS, a captivating new novel about two Boleyn cousins, close as sisters - and the truth that will change everything.

'Vivid and utterly addictive... brings to life a fascinating woman who has remained in the shadows for too long' TRACY BORMAN

'Her story is as fascinating as it is gripping... a remarkable woman who had a ring-side seat to some of the most precarious and pivotal passages of history' ELIZABETH FREMANTLE

A BOLEYN WOMAN IS NO STRANGER TO SECRETS...

At twelve years old, Kate Carey attends her aunt, Queen Anne Boleyn, to the scaffold. Horrified by what she witnesses, Kate is convinced that King Henry VIII has sent an innocent woman to a terrible death.

As the Boleyns fall from favour, Kate serves her now motherless cousin, the young Lady Elizabeth. Bound by Boleyn blood, the two girls are like sisters, until Kate marries for love - and leaves a jealous Elizabeth behind.

At court, Kate cannot ignore the sly looks thrown her way, nor the whispers behind her back. Only when her mother, Mary, lies dying, does she learn the life-shattering truth that the Boleyns have been hiding for years.

It is a secret that will haunt Kate throughout her life, as her family flee into exile, only returning home when Elizabeth becomes queen. But the bond between the Boleyn cousins will never be the same again...

PRAISE FOR ALISON WEIR'S TUDOR FICTION

'History has the best stories and they should all be told like this' CONN IGGULDEN

'As always, Alison Weir is ahead of the curve - and at the top of her game' SARAH GRISTWOOD

'Alison Weir makes history come alive as no one else' BARBARA ERSKINE

'Weir is excellent on the little details that bring a world to life' GUARDIAN

'Profoundly moving... lingers long after the last page' ELIZABETH FREMANTLE©2026 Alison Weir Biographical Fiction Europe Genre Fiction Great Britain Historical Fiction Renaissance Royalty Tudor
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Critic reviews

With her extraordinary breadth of knowledge and scrupulous attention to detail, Alison Weir has excavated, from the Tudor records, the unsung story of a remarkable woman who had a ring-side seat to some of the most precarious and pivotal passages of history. Katherine Carey learned young how to negotiate the knife-edge of court, developing deep loyalties and cautious allegiances. She had fifteen pregnancies, had to flee England and live as a fugitive for a time and carried a momentous and dangerous secret about her origins for her entire life. Her story is as fascinating as it is gripping (Elizabeth Fremantle)
In this vivid and utterly addictive novel, Alison Weir brings to life a fascinating woman who lived at the heart of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I's courts, but who has remained in the shadows for almost 500 years. In so doing, she gives us a compelling heroine and breathes new life into one of the most famous periods in English history. The immaculate period details and compelling drama transport the reader to the dazzling, often deadly world of the Tudors. Simply unmissable (Tracy Borman)
It's a rare gift for an author to be able to transport their readers to times past, but Alison Weir does so with ease. With each page of The Boleyn Secret, I felt as though I were eavesdropping on the scandalous world of the Tudors, and experiencing their world as they would have done. Full of tension, passion, jealousy and heartbreak, The Boleyn Secret is an unputdownable tale of one who might've been closer to the heart of the Tudor court than was ever acknowledged. When it comes to historical fiction, Alison Weir is unbeatable (Nicola Tallis)
Beautifully written, full of emotion, in telling the vivid, moving story of Katherine Carey, Alison Weir takes you to a front seat at the Tudor court, glittering, treacherous, terrifying. Katherine sees her aunt Anne Boleyn executed, serves her cousin, Elizabeth, and is drawn into the Tudor world of secrets. Fascinating (Kate Williams)
All stars
Most relevant
this is an excellent portrait of Tudor life with all the dangerous emotions caused by politics and religion.

love and devotion to duty

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Ive been a huge fan of Alison Weir for over a decade now, having the pleasure of meeting her on a number of occasions. When this book was first announced I was pleasantly surprised. Ive been so interesting in Katherine Carey for as long as I can remember, theres something about her which just fascinated me.
And wow did Alison not disappoint! This has got to be my favourite so far. So many interesting historical and possible points in her life vividly resold. I adored it!
Looking forward to seeing what else Alison Weir will write!

Such a vivid and fantastic telling of Katherine Carey's story

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This is my first experience of Audio and Audio is not for me. I prefer to read a book. I found the rather strange pronunciation of William Cecil's name very irritating. The story was interesting however but I wish I had read it rather than listened to it

Interesting Story

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Really enjoyed this read but have always enjoyed Alison Weir’s historical novels; she keeps her readers poised for the next page, the next chapter.

The delicate weave, as with a tapestry, of the historical facts, with part romantic fiction.

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mis pronounciations of a - often pronounced aw or au and o as in Fraunces and plawnts ! and worry and wonder pronounced wary and wander, compare this to the poem by William Wordsworth, first line. Bold is pronounced bald - makes a nonsense of some parts of the story
' I wandered lonely as a cloud, .
Various others such as the missing r in words like arms pronounced aams and other missing consonents. grass becomes grawss which i find difficult to listen to again and again! chivelry becomes chuvelry ! summond becomes salmond
i wonder if readers are taught to pronounce this
i am enjoying the story but the mispronouciations become more challenging to listen to as the reading goes on

But that said
it is not the worst i have heard.

Good except for mis pronounciations

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