In the autumn of 1615, the Earl and Countess of Somerset were detained on suspicion of having murdered Sir Thomas Overbury. The young and beautiful Countess of Somerset had already achieved notoriety by divorcing her first husband, while the Earl was the male "favorite" of King James I. They were tried and found guilty, but as Anne Somerset reveals, there is much about Overbury's death that remains enigmatic, and the ensuing scandal profoundly damaged the monarchy.