Rating: 
Summary: THE TIDAL POOLE
Review: This is one of the worst books I have ever read. The Tidal Poole is so impossibly crowded with character references/relationships the reader is lucky to recognize and become invested in any one, let alone the (30? 40?) you are asked to keep in order. But it's worse than that -- this is a poorly crafted novel from the standpoint of both the dialogue and the use of modern day slang which -- even if it was in use during the reign of Elizabeth I -- sounds out of place. The "voice" of Elizabeth is the voice of . . . a woman in her 50's, not her mid-20's. Others have mentioned that the premise of the book is, itself, ludicrous: That Elizabeth I could even be suffered to tolerate let alone physically examine the rotting corpse of a murder victim is a tall order. I tell you even now I have no idea, really, who did what in this 5:15 pm subway car of a book. I read this book only because it was on the heels of Kate Ross' "Julian Kestrel" series, a series so exquisitely written, and the character development so real, I hungered for another historical murder mystery. Drop this implausible, forgettable and poorly crafted story, and start a journey with deliciously crafted characters. Pick up Kate Ross' "Cut to the Quick" and then proceed in chronological order to best appreciate Julian's development and unpeel him, one layer at a time (er, his character too, heh heh). The dialogue, and slang, is so fast-paced and authentic that you develop an ear for each of the characters and know intuitively which one is speaking just by the "color" of their voice. Really, really good writing. I'd love to see Kate Ross' novels adapted to a PBS series, they are so colorful. Skye
Rating: 
Summary: Simply Wonderful Reading
Review: This is the second in a series of Elizabeth I Mysteries written by Karen Harper (the first was "The Poyson Garden"). The story starts with the coronation of Elizabeth I and the murder of one of her subjects. As she and her "Privy Council" investigate the crime they find a number of the queens family and friends are suspects and that she had been targeted for assassination. A very good story and much more complicated and detailed than the first story. The most interesting part about this book is that the author included several visual aids at the beginning to help you. There is a timeline showing all the important historical events between Elizabeth's birth and her coronation, a family tree chart of the House of Tudor, the Seymours and the Dudleys, as well as a map of London from 1550. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and happily recommend it to all.
Rating: 
Summary: While this is an easy read
Review: with what I think is well researched background and good atmosphere, it really strained my ability to "suspend disbelief". The idea that Elizabeth I would be so free to assume another identity and go wandering around London just was too much a stretch for me. Not that she would necessarily be recognized--as most of her subjects had no idea what she looked like. The kingdom was in such turmoil at the time with disaffected Catholics, duplicitous nobles and general lawlessness, I don't think she'd ever risk falling into unfriendly hands. Elizabeth was notoriously (and justifiably) suspicious of everyone, so the idea that she might be fooled by such a transparent villain was not at all believable. That being said, the characters were well drawn, and the Tudor atmosphere seemed authentic.
Rating:
Summary: While this is an easy read
Review: with what I think is well researched background and good atmosphere, it really strained my ability to "suspend disbelief". The idea that Elizabeth I would be so free to assume another identity and go wandering around London just was too much a stretch for me. Not that she would necessarily be recognized--as most of her subjects had no idea what she looked like. The kingdom was in such turmoil at the time with disaffected Catholics, duplicitous nobles and general lawlessness, I don't think she'd ever risk falling into unfriendly hands. Elizabeth was notoriously (and justifiably) suspicious of everyone, so the idea that she might be fooled by such a transparent villain was not at all believable. That being said, the characters were well drawn, and the Tudor atmosphere seemed authentic.
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