Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Queen Sacrifice | 2012 | Tony Riches | Buy |
| 2 | The Shell | 2013 | Tony Riches | Buy |
| 3 | Warwick | 2014 | Tony Riches | Buy |
| 4 | The Secret Diary of Eleanor Cobham | 2014 | Tony Riches | Buy |
Tony Riches’ standalone novels were all published early in his career, between 2012 and 2014, before he began writing the Tudor series that would become his primary focus. Queen Sacrifice (2012) was his debut and is a notable outlier in his body of work: it is a contemporary thriller involving professional chess rather than historical fiction. The Shell (2013) was his second novel.
Warwick (2014) and The Secret Diary of Eleanor Cobham (2014) marked his turn toward historical subjects. Warwick deals with Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, known as “the Kingmaker” for his role in the Wars of the Roses. Eleanor Cobham tells the story of the Duchess of Gloucester, who was tried for witchcraft in 1441. Both of these books show Riches working out the approach he would refine in The Tudor Trilogy, with first-person narration and a focus on historical figures who are often overshadowed by more famous contemporaries.