The Dance of Death

March 16, 2009
With the health of England's Edward IV in decline, potential successors jockey for position in Sedley's absorbing 18th Roger the Chapman mystery (after 2008's The Green Man
). If allegations about the monarch's suspect parentage can be substantiated, then the duke of Gloucester would be the rightful heir. Timothy Plummer, the king's spymaster general, dispatches the reluctant Roger to France to find what evidence still exists on the matter. The preparations for the trip as well as the trip itself are marked by several murders, which may be the work of forces inimical to Gloucester's ambitions. Sedley does a fine job of making 15th-century England live and breathe as well as blending action and detection. Though most readers won't be surprised by the killer's identity and some may be dismayed by the abrupt ending, Sedley shows she can more than hold her own in comparison to better known medieval historical authors.

April 15, 2009
Not even the company of a beautiful woman can turn dangerous Paris into a romantic destination for Roger the Chapman.

Just returned from a hair-raising trip to Scotland (The Green Man, 2008), Roger the Chapman is unhappy when Spymaster Timothy Plummer calls him to Beynard's Castle and insists that he travel to France in the guise of husband to manipulative Eloise Gray. His orders are to discover whether King Louis is planning on marrying his son to the daughter of the Duke of Burgundy rather than Princess Elizabeth of England. To make matters worse, Roger is tasked by Richard, Duke of Gloucester, to find an Englishman living in Paris who may have some information concerning the paternity of Richard's dying brother. Is Edward the rightful King of England or a bastard? Together with Eloise, Roger reluctantly sets off accompanied by the spy John Bradshaw, and Phillip Lamprey, a recently widowed friend, posing as servants. Aware that investigations in London have left a trail of dead bodies in their wake, Roger becomes suspicious of fellow travelers Will Lackpenny, Robert Armiger, Armiger's much younger wife and her brother, a cook at Beynard's Castle who vanishes overboard on the trip to Calais. Arriving in Paris, Roger does his best to complete his dangerous task despite his lack of French; difficulties with Eloise and Phillip; and danger lurking in every fetid alleyway.

As usual, Sedley excels at bringing the Middle Ages to life. Even though there's not much mystery here, Roger's latest adventure will certainly hold the interest of the faithful.

(COPYRIGHT (2009) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

July 1, 2009
Roger the Chapman has just returned from a dangerous mission in Scotland, and hes anxious to get home to his family. But before he can set off for Bristol and home, hes waylaid by the kings spymaster and commanded to undertake another mission. This time Roger is to go to France to determine if the Dauphin is planning to renege on his proposed betrothal to Princess Elizabeth and form an alliance instead with the Duke of Burgundys daughtera move that would threaten the fragile peace (and the lucrative trading partnership) between England and France. Roger is aghasthe doesnt speak French, hes tasked with finding an informant who is only described as a former soldier living in Paris, and as part of his disguise, he must pretend hes married to an attractive Englishwoman who will accompany him on his mission. To Roger, this seems to be a fools mission, dangerous, difficult, and possibly even treasonous. Outstanding period detail, an intriguing plot, rollicking adventure, and well-drawn characters make this an entertaining new entry in Sedleys popular series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)