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Loading... Queen's Ransom (1999)by Fiona Buckley
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Readable but, as the kids say, "mid." I did like that the main character, Ursula, is a bit reckless and cavalier about what she does without suffering too much of a case of the stupids. But while this is marketed as a mystery, there's not really much of a mystery here—if I had to come up with a category for it, I'd say Queen's Ransom belongs to something like "cosy thriller." It was fine, but the constant undercurrent of "rational English Protestants who understand that God is love" versus "the swarthy French Catholic zealots who want to burn all heretics at the stake" got old quick. ( ) I had liked the first couple of books in this series - on the plus side, these are very rich in their historical content. They could qualify as historical novels in addition to mysteries. This novel contains some wonderful story-telling, which is almost enough to make me overlook some of the doubtful plotting. The "Ransom" part of this book seems almost perversely written for the express purpose of being anachronistic - in the author's eagerness to show how democratic Ursula, the protagonist is, she also makes her rather naively simple and open. Ursula is supposed to be a shrewd woman and a clever secret agent. The main problem is with Ursula. She is a little too contemporary. I can understand her chafing at the restrictions on women during this period, but she does not try deal with them in an intelligent, realistic way. The rest of the review is something of a spoiler, so you may want to skip it if you haven't read the book. What has really ended my interest in this series is her on-again, off-again interest in her second husband. Even today I would find her vacillating incredibly selfish - if she isn't going to work on her marriage, why didn't she work harder to end it by an annullment! In its time period, it's even worse - she can't fly off somewhere and get a quickie divorce if she changes her mind. Initially, she & Matthew were very attracted to one another, but he forced her into marriage, thinking that he was doing her a favor; she fled. I could understand if she never wanted to see him again, but now that she has voluntarily gone to live with him, there is no hope of an annullment. What does she mean that she hasn't decided if she is going to stay with her husband? Does it seem likely that this 16th century man is going to tamely let her leave after all this, particularly given that he might not be able to end the marriage and remarry? This book portrays Matthew in a particularly favorable light, and I find myself thinking that he deserves better than Ursula. no reviews | add a review
Belongs to Series
Fiction.
Mystery.
Historical Fiction.
HTML: Lady-in-waiting Ursula Blanchard has a mandate from the secretary of state to spy on behalf of Queen Elizabeth I. Although she has already proven herself worthy of the Queen's gratitude, Ursula now must travel to France, where civil war may break out at any moment, to hand carry a letter from Elizabeth to the Queen Mother and Regent, Catherine. The mission to mediate peace between warring Protestant and Catholic French factions seems clear, but there are hidden forces at work. Whom can Ursula trust? What will happen to her daughter if she fails? And what are the chancesâ??and consequencesâ??of a reunion with her second husband, a Frenchman and an enemy of Elizabeth's? This tale of murder, treasure, and passion effortlessly and accurately conveys the high treason in the court of young Queen Elizabeth I No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.914Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Modern Period 1901-1999 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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