July 1660, Falkland Palace, Fife. After rescuing King James the Sixth from a runaway horse, Tam Elidor finds himself in favour. As the King’s new object of affection, Tam has become the target for jealous courtiers -- and their attentions are seriously hampering his investigation into the murder of Margaret Agnew.

Why was the Queen’s midwife killed -- was it a case of mistaken identity, is it related to secrets from James’s past and could Tam’s good friend Tansy be at risk? Dangerous forces are at work, forces that will lead the King to Gowrie House and to a mystery that remains unsolved today…

ALANNA KNIGHT was born and educated in Tyneside, and now lives in Edinburgh. Since the publication of her first book in 1969, Alanna Knight has written more than forty novels (including eleven in the successful Inspector Faro series), four works of non-fiction, numerous short stories and two plays. She is a founding member of the Scottish Association of Writers and Convener of the Scottish Chapter of the Crime Writers’ Association and gives talks through the Writers’ Register of the Scottish Book Trust.

"This was an enjoyable trip to 17th century Scotland. Knight’s characters are drawn with precision and humor.... The sense of time and place is strong and the plotting is logical." -- Deadly Pleasures

"A swiftly paced novel that never got bogged down. The historical bits were intriguing and informative, so that if you're a historical mystery buff who prefers that the history bits not be mere wallpapering, then this is definitely the book for you; and the mystery plot was an interesting and tantalizing one." -- ILoveAMsytery.com

"Tam Elidor, really a time lord . . . is sent back in time . . . to the court of King James VI of Scotland who is also known as James I of England, the son of Mary, Queen of Scots. The plot takes place near the end of Elizabeth’s reign, and rumors continue as to the legitimacy of James. . . . The mystery involves the death of the queen's midwife. The significance of this death is that Queen Anne, the wife of James, is ready to deliver their fourth child. With the fear of the accusation of witchcraft and possibly being the object of the king's affection, Tam has a balancing act while solving this mystery. . . . The realism of both the place, Falkland Palace, Fife, and the time, July 1600, is inspirational in this novel. . . . The relationships within the court are what inspire the reader in THE GOWRIE CONSPIRACY. The entire court has secrets, jealousies, and rumors. . . . For accomplished writer Alanna Knight, author of more than 50 novels, this series continues with this second historical exploration for Tam. The first book of this series was THE DAGGER IN THE CROWN which explored the court of Mary Queen of Scots." -- ReviewingtheEvidence.com