Murder in the Queen's Wardrobe

January 26, 2015
Fans of Emerson’s historical mysteries will be intrigued by the debut of grown-up Mistress Rosamond Jaffrey as “intelligence gatherer” in this first in a new Tudor series. Negotiations for an English princess to marry Russia’s Ivan the Terrible ensnare Rosamond and several other characters from the author’s Face Down series. High-spirited, educated, and independent, Rosamond is apparently ill suited to the position of gentlewoman to Lady Mary Hastings, cousin to Queen Elizabeth, a role Rosamond reluctantly accepts in order to protect her estranged husband, who has accompanied an English trading company to Russia. Planted in Lady Mary’s household to report conversations in Russian, Rosamond struggles first with boredom, then with growing concern as a death and subsequent attacks on members of the household lure her to investigate who and why someone would want to commit murder. Emerson draws on her solid knowledge of the period to evoke vividly daily life in late 16th-century England. Agent: Christina Hogrebe, Jane Rotrosen Agency.

February 15, 2015
If Rosamund Jaffrey were living today, she might be CEO of a global company. Since she lived in the sixteenth century, however, she is relegated to serving as an agent for Queen Elizabeth I's spymaster, Francis Walsingham. Her mission: to protect Lady Mary Hastings, who's being offered to Russia's Czar Ivan in the hopes of forging a political alliance between Russia and England. Behind the scenes, there are factions in the queen's court who want their own candidate to marry the czar and who pose a threat to the vulnerable Lady Mary. The carrot to get Rosamund to take on the risky mission? Her husband is in Russia and may be in terrible danger, especially if the alliance between the two countries doesn't happen. But even someone as tough as Rosamund faces terrible danger from those at court who see her as an impediment who should be eliminated. First-rate storytelling, eye-opening details of the politics and customs of the time, a taut and riveting plot, unexpected humor, and a charming and admirable heroine make this a fine choice for historical-mystery fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)