Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Her Highness' First Murder-Peg Herring

Her Highness' First Murder
Peg Herring
Five Star, Jan 2010, $25.95
ISBN: 9781594148422

In 1546, Londoners are frightened as a serial killer beheads young women and dresses them in nun’s garb with rosary. The victims were all loose so no one in power cared. However, the murders come to the castle when a member of twelve years old Princess Elizabeth’s retinue is killed.

She and two friends, physician’s son Simon Maldon and Captain of the king's Welsh Guard Hugh Bellows, begin to investigate while trying to conceal the princess’ role from her father, her ailing brother and her older sister. Their inquiry works as witnesses describe a tall man wearing a decorated cloak at several crime scenes. Still they have too many suspects while struggling with a lack of motive.

The Key to this delightful royal historical amateur sleuth is readers will believe the tweener princess and her allies are credible as detectives as they investigate across sections of all social classes residing in London. Although Elizabeth has been an investigator in other series (Karen Harper comes to mind), fans will enjoy her as a mid sixteenth century Nancy Drew.

Harriet Klausner

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