Devil’s Gambit by Jeri Westerson - Review
I got to read Devil's Gambit through Netgalley. The book will be published on 1. January 2026
I managed to completely read over the fact that this was the 4th novel in a series and only realized when I was at least 50 pages in. I can therefore confidently say that Jeri Westerson wrote one of those rare mystery series that you can read completely out of order, having not read or forgotten the previous books, and still follow along without any issues.
Devil’s Gambit is a Whodunit set in 1540 at the court of Henry VIII. When stumbling upon a body, Will, the court jester, immediately starts both helping and investigating. While juggling his own relationships and trying to help ignite the love in Henry VIII’s and Anna von Kleve’s marriage, he uncovers the misgivings and machinations at court that led to a death.
The story was a ⭐⭐⭐ read for me. The characters were fun and likable moving through a story as light-hearted as can be for a murder mystery. However, I kept wishing for higher stakes, for the (perceived) threat of another murder, of someone trying to stop Will from finding the murderer. Obviously, there were red herrings and difficulties, Will’s responsibilities as a court jester or the wishes of other people at court getting in the way, but I wouldn’t have minded a bit more suspense, a bit more focus on the mystery and less on Will’s personal life.
The language and writing were probably what I liked most about the book. It was just flowery and “old-fashioned” enough, for lack of better words, to immerse me in the setting without making it hard to read.
I would recommend Devil’s Gambit to readers who like light-hearted historical fiction and Whodunits with witty characters.
Thank you, Netgalley and Jeri Westerson, for the opportunity of reading Devil's Gambit in advance.
