The Boy, the Witch & The Queen of Scots by Barbara Henderson

No. Not the Palace. Anywhere but the Palace. 12-year-old Alexander Buchan was once content, training as a falconer at Strathbogie Castle in Huntly. But when his Earl sends him to Edinburgh to the court of the newly arrived Mary, Queen of Scots, the boy finds himself lured into a world of intrigue, terror and treachery.

Alexander knows right from wrong, but how can he hope to outwit his master’s murderous messenger? Surely no one can defy an Earl – especially one whose wife is rumoured to be a witch!