An ingenious and brilliantly realised historical novel by a million-selling author writing with a different voice, but the same trusty keyboard.

Tread Softly tells the story behind the cloak Sir Walter Raleigh famously sacrificed to protect the shoes of his Queen.

Mary Devereux and her father, John, have been appointed to embroider a precious cloak for Walter Raleigh, ready for an invitation to Queen Elizabeth I's court.

Each stitch carries Mary's dreams and longings as she gets to know the world of high society.

Silently she observes gossip, ambition, dark secrets and high vanity and - on one fateful day - murder.

Now Mary is being watched - a dangerous traitor suspects she knows more than she should...