To Ruin a Queen

December 4, 2000
Readers with a taste for melodramatic suspense will relish this solid historical, the fourth in the Ursula Blanchard series from the pseudonymous Buckley. Upon learning that her daughter has been kidnapped, Ursula hastens home from France to England. The kidnapping, however, proves to have been a ruse. A plot is afoot in Wales to blackmail Queen Elizabeth, and Ursula must go undercover to learn the particulars and prevent a scandal--or worse. Aided by her manservant Brockley, Ursula contends with such challenges as her near-death during childbirth, a haunted watchtower, an attempted rape, a menacing witch and repeated instances of sexism. (The oppression of women is vividly--if rather insistently--portrayed.) Buckley (Queen's Ransom) fills the plot with harrowing twists: Ursula and Brockley are accused of murder and thrown in a musty dungeon; Ursula and two comrades face what appears certain death, trapped in an abandoned lodge high in the Welsh mountains. Ursula's steely nerves, keen intuition and abiding devotion to the queen see her through it all. Buckley takes a Chaucerian interest in characters from all social strata, their garments, physical distinctions and manners. At times, such pedantic details stop the plot cold. In addition, some readers will be put off by the author's habit of withholding key information from them while revealing it to the characters. Buckley's loyal following, however, should make this as much a success as previous books in the series.

Losing a baby in childbirth prompts Ursula Blanchard to return to her duties as special agent for Queen Elizabeth I, this time uncovering a plot to cast doubt on the queen's parentage. Nadia May's flawless diction and lively performance suit the lightweight story. May's always-perfect characterizations encompass royalty and an aging hag, loyal servants and scruffy children, smarmy nobles and star-crossed lovers, all with skill and insight. Her enthusiasm for the story keeps her energy high as Ursula and her cohorts battle murderers, swindlers, and the urgings of lust. As a stand-alone volume, or part of the Mystery at Queen Elizabeth I's Court series, TO RUIN A QUEEN offers a entertaining fun. R.P.L. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine