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\nPEOPLE has an exclusive first look at Jillian Laine’s new book, Henry Tudor Must DieThe novel, out July 21, 2026, puts a witchy spin on the sad fate of Henry VIII’s murdered wives as they get revenge and instead go after his headLaine’s book has been described as a creative take on John Tucker Must Die, rooted in bloody historical fact<\/p>\n
The bloody fate of Henry VIII’s wives is written in history. However, Jillian Laine is giving them a chance to seek revenge in her new novel, Henry Tudor Must Die<\/a>, and PEOPLE has an exclusive first look at the cover.\n<\/p>\n Described as a witchy spin on the true tale, the novel \u2014\u00a0out July 21, 2026 \u2014 takes inspiration from projects like John Tucker Must Die<\/a> to unite the king’s wives against him.\n<\/p>\n “Anne Boleyn is going to die, and neither her cleverness nor her witchery can save her. So when her late rival, Catalina de Arag\u00f3n, miraculously appears in her cell at the Tower of London on the eve of her execution, very much alive and offering a daring escape plan, no one is more surprised than Anne,” a synopsis of the book reads.\n<\/p>\n ‘Henry Tudor Must Die’ book cover.<\/p>\n Penguin Random House<\/p>\n The women are united as they share “just as much hate for England’s wretched king.”\n<\/p>\n “Severed from her daughter and stripped of all her influence, Lina breathes only for the Hellebore Sisterhood, a clandestine and powerful society with a vested interest in keeping both queens alive … and using their particular skills to advance womankind,” the synopsis continues.\n<\/p>\n Their common enemy brings Anna von Kleve, Kat Howard and Catherine Parr into the mix, and they set out with a plot: ” One by one, they capture their pawns, infiltrating the court and eliminating the men who plotted against them. Always inching closer to their true target \u2014 And they want his head.”\n<\/p>\n “Historically, we’ve always pitted these women against each other, thinking of them as tragic footnotes in the story of Henry VIII. With\u00a0Henry Tudor Must Die, I wanted to imagine what could have happened if the queens put aside that toxic pressure of competition and found common ground instead,” Laine tells PEOPLE of Henry Tudor Must Die<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n “Of course, there were some real executions along the way, so it helps that in my version of events, Anne Boleyn is a witch with a few gallows tricks up her sleeve,” she adds. “But beyond the magic and beheadings, for me, this story is about sisterhood, resilience and knowing who your true enemy is … and then working together to extract some sweet revenge.”\n<\/p>\n Jillian Laine.<\/p>\n Jessica Ryan<\/p>\n Laine, a journalist and published children’s author from Michigan, also worked as an acquisitions editor, book festival director and literary award judge.\n<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.\n<\/p>\n Her latest blends historical fact with fantasy, humor and revenge, providing the women a chance to get even.\n<\/p>\n