My Coffee Pot Book Tour Guest: Mary Lawrence - Fool

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About the Book

Book Title: Fool

Author Name: Mary Lawrence

Publication Date: April 14, 2026

Publisher: Red Puddle Print

Pages: 322

Genre: Historical fiction/mystery

Betrayal. Power. Perception. The most dangerous mind at court belongs to a fool. 

From the author of The Alchemist's Daughter comes a dark tale of ambition and survival.

"One of the most vibrant characters I've encountered in years."--Goodreads 

Kronos is a fool--mocked for his dwarfism, prized for his juggling, and underestimated by everyone who matters. But in a court ruled by paranoia and whispers, invisibility is its own kind of power.

When Kronos overhears a secret that could destroy Queen Katherine Howard, he becomes a liability the crown cannot afford. Silenced, mutilated, and left for dead, he survives--barely.

Rescued by an ambitious apothecary, Kronos soon realizes he has not escaped danger--he has merely changed masters. His secret is worth a fortune...and powerful men are willing to kill to control it.

But Kronos has spent his life being overlooked and he's ready to use that to his advantage.

As rival factions circle and scheme, Kronos sets a plan in motion--one that could topple the mighty, rewrite his fate, and force his foes to reconsider which of them is truly...the fool.

Perfect for fans of C.J. Sansom and Philippa Gregory

Praise for Fool:

“Vividly written and grounded in scrupulous research, Fool captures both the dark comedy and lethal danger of Henry VIII’s court.”

~ Nancy Bilyeau, author of The Crown and The Blue

“A masterclass in immersive storytelling.”

~ Tony Riches, author of the best-selling Tudor Trilogy

“A thoughtful and unsparing Tudor novel that reframes the court jester not as comic ornament but as a precarious witness to power.”

~ Megan Parker for IndieReader

Buy Links:

Author’s Universal Buy Link:

 https://www.marylawrencebooks.com/linktree 

Amazon Universal link:

 https://books2read.com/u/479KQ8 

Author Bio:

Mary Lawrence is the author of the Bianca Goddard mysteries, a 5-book series that takes place in the slums of Tudor London featuring the daughter of an infamous alchemist. Suspense Magazine named The Alchemist’s Daughter and The Alchemist of Lost Souls best historical mysteries of 2015 and 2017.

Her writing has been published in several journals, including The Daily Beast. When she is not writing, she tends a small berry farm in Maine with her husband and creates artisanal jams for sale at market.

Author Links:

Website:

  https://www.marylawrencebooks.com 

Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/marylawrence.author/ 

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/marylawrence.author 

Bluesky: 

https://bsky.app/profile/marylawrence.bsky.social 

Pinterest: 

https://www.pinterest.com/mel59lawrence 

Book Bub: 

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-lawrence 

Amazon Author Page: 

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mary-Lawrence/author/B00N7JSO5Y 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/84420.Mary_Lawrence 

read a snippet

The monks had warned me that the secular world outside the priory could be unkind. Not just to men like me, but to anyone possessing half a heart of compassion. There is a coldness that comes with age and experience. To survive means to outwit.

Never should one take advantage of another’s weakness. After all, exploitation is human nature, and it is our struggle with evil not to take advantage of those less clever, less handsome than ourselves. However, it is better to outwit oneself—to be able to suppress one’s susceptibility in taking offence and feeling wounded. How well one builds his suit of armour determines his ability to endure the barbs of insult and misfortune. I would get plenty of practise.

My visit to London helped me realise that the breadth of human experience was immeasurable and I had seen only a little piece. Where would I find my corner of existence? Viewing the king’s opulent palaces of Whitehall and St. James only made me more determined that I should find my way inside one of them.

Follow the tour:

Twitter Handle: @cathiedunn

Instagram Handles: @marylawrence.author @thecoffeepotbookclub

Hashtags: #foolthebook #TudorFiction #HistoricalFiction #TheCoffeePotBookClub #BlogTour

Tour Schedule Page:

  https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2026/03/blog-tour-fool-by-mary-lawrence.html 

Bsky: @cathiedunn.bsky.social

via https://ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com/

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