In Honour of the King

The little boy who will grow up to be King Louis XIV of France is only four years old when he meets Nicolas Fouquet, his senior by more than twenty years - a gifted young man from a wealthy family with a brilliant career ahead of him…

Time and again, their paths cross. While Louis, who is plagued with insecurity, envy and fear of being challenged, develops into a hedonistic materialist, sophisticated and successful Nicolas becomes the much-admired centre of attention at court and in society at large. When he builds Vaux-le-Vicomte, a magnificent chateau, and holds an unprecedented celebration in honour of the King, everyone says he is France's real king. Soon after, Nicolas Fouquet is arrested and brought before a special tribunal. Louis wants to see him dead.  

The author has meticulously researched one of the most fascinating chapters of French history, interweaving fact and fiction with remarkable deftness to craft an utterly compelling novel.