Book Recommendation - The Palace Spy

 

Tessa Afshar is easily one of my favorite authors when it comes to Biblical fiction. Her ability to bring the ancient culture to life is amazing! I have loved every story she has written and her upcoming release is no different. This one ends the Queen Esther's Court series. Though the story stands alone, I would recommend reading the series in order (or at least reading The Queen's Cook) as the characters from the previous books do show up in this one. This story speculates on what happens to Esther between the time of the book in the Bible bearing her name and the where the Greek histories pick up. Here's a bit about the book:

Homeless after the sudden death of her master, Danna is traveling in search of work when a runaway horse takes off with its royal rider. Bringing the wild mare under control, she discovers that its occupant is none other than Queen Esther of Persia. When they realize the horse bolting was no accident, Esther secretly employs Danna to find out who is behind the attempt on her life.

Allon tends his expansive apple orchards, determined to spend the rest of his days as a simple farmer. But when Esther summons him for one final task, he cannot refuse the queen he once served, even if this new assignment threatens to resurrect the ghosts of his past. As Danna and Allon are tasked with establishing Esther's safety, they learn that working together is enough to tie even the steadiest of hearts into knots. With more at stake than either suspected, they find themselves in a race against time to save the life of their queen.

This gripping finale to the Queen Esther's Court series unveils a fascinating glimpse into Esther's life beyond the well-known biblical story.

I definitely recommend reading the author's note at the end to learn what pieces of this story are true to , extra-Biblical history and what elements are fictional. This book releases November 17, 2026, wherever books are sold. Be sure to check it out! For more information, check out the following links:

Tessa Afshar's website: https://tessaafshar.com/

Tessa Afshar's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTessaAfshar

My full 5-star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8981705872