The Siren Queen : An Ursula Blanchard Mystery at Queen Elizabeth I's Court

Rating:
Summary: Riveting Historical Fiction
Review: Fiona Buckley has written another winning entry in the Ursula Blanchard series. The series takes place during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Ursula is the illegitimate half-sister of the Queen and has many times been in the middle of Court intrigue. At the start of the novel, Ursula is finally able to enjoy a more sedate life with her marriage to Hugh Stannard.. Her daughter, Meg, is soon fourteen and marriageable age. The Duke of Norfolk invite the Stannards to visit him and meet his secretary as a possible suitor for Meg. From almost the moment of arrival, Ursula's quiet life is over. Men are dying under mysterious circumstances, her host may be in on a plot to overthrow the Queen, and her old retainer is in jeopardy of being accused of witchcraft.

Both primary and secondary characters are vivid, compelling, and memorable. The plot is well paced and engrossing. It beautifully entwined historical fact with fiction. A must read if you like your detective fiction with a historical twist.


Rating:
Summary: extraordinary historical mystery
Review: The Duke of Norfolk is attempting to matchmake his secretary Edmund Dean with Ursula Blanchard's daughter Meg. While Ursula isn't crazy about the idea, but she, her husband and their servants head to London to get their servant Gladys away from the villagers before she is declared a witch. While at Norfolk's home Ursula realizes that the man wants to marry Mary, former queen of Scots both for love and political power if she can win back the Scottish throne.

Two men involved in Norfolk's home are murdered and Ursula believes it has something to do with putting Mary on the Scottish throne and making her Elizabeth's heir. Sir Cecil has Ursula go to the banker Roberto Rodolfo's house to act as a companion to his wife. Rodolfo is the middleman between Norfolk and the Spanish Ambassador. While Ursula is spying she comes across encrypted papers involving a plot to put Mary on Elizabeth's throne after Elizabeth is killed. Sir Cecil uses Ursula to defuse the situation before the lords in the north make war on their sovereign by taking Norfolk and Leicester out of the equation.

Fiona Buckley weaves historical facts so seamlessly into her storyline that readers will find they are reading an extraordinary historical mystery. It comes as no surprise that the heroine makes a very good spy and her loyalty is to Elizabeth I, her queen and her half-sister. Although Mary Queen of Scotts is not present in THE SIREN QUEEN, plots and counter plots revolve around her and influence the course of politics during Elizabeth's reign. Fans of Sharon Kay Perman and Roberta Gellis are going to be very happy reading this fine work.

Harriet Klausner