A Rescue for a Queen

April 8, 2013
An appealing heroine makes up for some choppy pacing in Buckley’s well-constructed 11th Tudor mystery (after 2012’s Queen’s Bounty). In 1571, Ursula Blanchard, half-sister to the queen, is planning a quiet country life after the death of her devoted husband of six years, Hugh Stannard. But Sir William Cecil, England’s secretary of state, wants her to undertake a dangerous mission on Elizabeth’s behalf. Ursula is to escort Margaret Emory, who of late has been a surrogate daughter to Ursula (whose grown daughter has left home), to the Netherlands to marry a well-to-do cattle farmer, Antonio van Weede, who’s half Italian and half Flemish. Antonio’s Catholicism recommends him highly to Margaret’s Catholic parents. Cecil wants Ursula to learn whatever she can about conspiracies against Elizabeth during her extended stay in the Low Countries. Ursula, a reluctant servant of the Crown, soon finds herself immersed in political intrigue. Buckley (the pen name of Valerie Anand) once again delivers a tale sure to please fans of Elizabethan historicals.

The eleventh book in Buckley's Ursula Blanchard series has the heroine being tricked into infiltrating the household of Italian banker Roberto Ridalfi. Sir William Cecil believes Ridalfi may be conspiring to overthrow Queen Elizabeth and put Mary, Queen of Scots on the throne. Narrator Wanda McCaddon's dignified style of narration is particularly effective in Ursula's imperious moments. McCaddon makes her character extremely believable as the illegitimate half-sister of Queen Elizabeth. Ursula is not a woman to suffer fools, and McCaddon highlights that character trait beautifully. She also masterfully conveys the urgency of many of the situations Ursula finds herself in, creating an engaging listening experience. J.L.K. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine