Passion, Poison and Power: The Mysterious Death of Sir Thomas Overbury

Little attention was paid at the time to the death in the Tower of London of Sir Thomas Overbury, but it was not long before foul play was suspected. Two years later six people went to the gallows for his murder in a case which was said to involve wizardry, love potions, coded letters and a poisoned enema. Following them into the dock were the most glamorous couple at the court of King James. The husband, who was widely rumoured to be the King's lover, was convicted of Overbury's murder despite his protestations of innocence; but was he actually guilty? His pretty young wife confessed to the murder; but did she actually commit the crime? And the Lord Chief Justice was convinced that the case had a far wider and more sinister significance than appeared on the surface, possibly involving the suspicious death of the Prince of Wales. Despite an exhaustive inquiry conducted by England's most feared prosecutor, the whole truth never came to light; even the official report of the trials is suspect. In this entertaining account of one of the most sensational crimes in English history, Brian Harris re-evaluates the evidence and proposes a new solution to this intriguing Jacobean mystery.

Acknowledgements Characters Prologue Act 1 The empty stage Act 2 The husband, his wife and her lovers Act 3 The annulment Act 4 Overbury in the Tower Act 5 The Gallant Masque of Lords Act 6 A new star rises Act 7 A net to catch the little fishes Act 8 The fall of the house of Somerset Act 9 The Somersets on Trial Act 10 Was justice done? Act 11 Was Carr a murderer? Act 12 The conspiracy theories Act 13 Who or what killed Overbury? Act 14 And afterwards Author's note Principal sources Index