Not yet published/Expected Publish date Nov 17, 2026 by Bethany House Publishers

This post is both a cover reveal and cover crush.

My Thoughts: Two days ago, Tessa Afshar posted a cover reveal at Instagram about her upcoming book “The Palace Spy: Ancient Historical Fiction in Biblical Times Set in the Royal Courts of Queen Esther,” and the stunning colors of the lady’s dress and the background. The background has so much detail that draws you into the scene and gives you a sense of time and place.

Are you looking for clean romance with an ancient historical setting? This one may be for you! I am definitely pre-ordering a copy of this book and I do have many of Afshar’s books on my wish-list!

Stephanie

About the Book:

Homeless after the sudden death of her master, Danna is traveling in search of work when a runaway horse takes off with its royal rider. Bringing the wild mare under and I was control, she discovers that its occupant is none other than Queen Esther of Persia. When they realize the horse bolting was no accident, Esther secretly employs Danna to find out who is behind the attempt on her life.

Allon tends his expansive apple orchards, determined to spend the rest of his days as a simple farmer. But when Esther summons him for one final task, he cannot refuse the queen he once served, even if this new assignment threatens to resurrect the ghosts of his past. As Danna and Allon are tasked with establishing Esther’s safety, they learn that working together is enough to tie even the steadiest of hearts into knots. With more at stake than either suspected, they find themselves in a race against time to save the life of their queen.

This gripping finale to the Queen Esther’s Court series unveils a fascinating glimpse into Esther’s life beyond the well-known biblical story.

You can pre-order this book on Amazon

About the Author:

Tessa Afshar’s books have been translated into 11 languages, and been on Publishers Weekly and CBA bestseller lists. Her novel, Pearl in the Sand is the recipient of ECPA’s Bronze Milestone Sales Award. Tessa’s novels have won a number of awards including the Christy and INSPY, and been finalists for the Carol and the ECPA Christian Book Awards. Land of Silence was chosen as one of top five Christian fiction titles of the year by Library Journal. The Way Home, God’s Invitation to New Beginnings, is the winner of the Christian Book Award in the Bible Study category.

Tessa was born in the Middle East and lived there the first fourteen years of her life before attending boarding school for girls in England. She fell in love with Jesus after moving to the United States. Tessa and her husband live in New England where they tend their mediocre garden.