About the Author

Edward Charles's was born in South Wales in 1941. His first novel, In the Shadow of Lady Jane was published by Macmillan New Writing in May 2006. Since then, he has written three more novels in the Richard Stocker series, following Richard from Tudor England to Renaissance Padua and Venice. A change of direction took him to Florence in the 1400's and the rise and subsequent fall of the Medici clan. This is his first book to be released by Pen and Sword, and will be followed by The House of Medici: Seeds of Decline later this year. Edward lives in Devon with his wife, and is currently at work on his third Medici novel.