An Inconvenient Wife: A Modern Tudor Mystery

In this clever riff on the saga of Henry VIII, Olson (the Annie Seymour mysteries) introduces executive assistant Kate Parker, who’s just become billionaire Hank Tudor’s sixth wife. Kate’s knowledge of her husband’s many divorces has prepared her for the possibility that their marital bliss might be short-lived, but not for the discovery of the headless body of Hanks’s fifth wife, Caitlyn Howard, near their honeymoon villa in Tuscany. Caitlyn’s corpse is found in the same condition as Hank’s late second wife, Nan, who died eight years earlier, raising the possibility of a serial killer or copycat (Hank had strong alibis for both murders). Worried her head may be next on the chopping block, Kate sets out to solve Caitlyn’s death, zeroing in on a series of suspects including Hank’s three children, his first and fourth wives, and his ruthless business partner. Some readers may balk at the conclusion’s loose ends, but Olson’s intelligent plotting—in which she recasts Tudor dynastic maneuverings through the lens of 21st-century ultra-wealth—make this much more than a simple in-joke for history buffs. Those willing to go along for the ride will be happy they did. Agent: Josh Getzler, HG Literary. (Apr.)