A review by bethany_t
To Shield the Queen by Fiona Buckley
3.0
I'm a sucker for historical murder mysteries. This ranks up there with the Canterbury Tales mysteries by Paul Doherty. The best parts of the book are when Ursula Blanchard, a member of Queen Elizabeth I's court, actually starts sleuthing and piecing together the circumstances surrounding the murder of a servant, John. (Unfortunately, I found the first death in the book, that of Robert Dudley's wife, Amy, to be a bit uninteresting.)
Ursula is such a brilliant, driven, and capable character. I best liked the moments in which she was able to utilize her skills for more than being a well-mannered member of the court and declaring fealty to Queen Elizabeth I. Her interactions with William Cecil in the end of the book and his admiration of her were just wonderful.
Here are some of my critiques...
1. Let’s talk about those sex scenes.
The post-marriage sex scene was not as laughable as most, but it was pretty ridiculous and unnecessary. (Let me explain: I’m not prudish about sex scenes. I just don’t find them highly enjoyable or interesting, and authors have a tendency to describe sex and sex drive in ways that aren’t true to real life.) I wish the book had nixed the romance between Matthew and Ursula because it seemed inconsequential in the end.
2. A bit too long.
The book seemed too long. I was starting to lose interest around the time of the wedding between Matthew and Ursula. However, the moments near the end in which Ursula speaks with Cecil and later Lady Katherine Grey were the best parts of the book. Ursula confronting Lady Katherine answered a lot of questions regarding Amy (Robstart) Dudley and offered an interesting insight into how people in the queen’s court likely did act and handle emotions.
Verdict
It's a solid start to a series and an enjoyable book. I'll likely read more in this series.
So, who would enjoy this book?
Anyone who has read and enjoyed books by Paul Doherty (I found the writing styles to be similar) or anyone who likes works of fiction set in the Elizabethan era. The murders are fairly tame, so this won't be too intense for those who aren't quite fans of murder mysteries. I might not recommend it for those who are used to the bodice-ripping drama of some Tudor period fiction -- this story is more cozy than titillating.
Ursula is such a brilliant, driven, and capable character. I best liked the moments in which she was able to utilize her skills for more than being a well-mannered member of the court and declaring fealty to Queen Elizabeth I. Her interactions with William Cecil in the end of the book and his admiration of her were just wonderful.
Here are some of my critiques...
1. Let’s talk about those sex scenes.
The post-marriage sex scene was not as laughable as most, but it was pretty ridiculous and unnecessary. (Let me explain: I’m not prudish about sex scenes. I just don’t find them highly enjoyable or interesting, and authors have a tendency to describe sex and sex drive in ways that aren’t true to real life.) I wish the book had nixed the romance between Matthew and Ursula because it seemed inconsequential in the end.
2. A bit too long.
The book seemed too long. I was starting to lose interest around the time of the wedding between Matthew and Ursula. However, the moments near the end in which Ursula speaks with Cecil and later Lady Katherine Grey were the best parts of the book. Ursula confronting Lady Katherine answered a lot of questions regarding Amy (Robstart) Dudley and offered an interesting insight into how people in the queen’s court likely did act and handle emotions.
Verdict
It's a solid start to a series and an enjoyable book. I'll likely read more in this series.
So, who would enjoy this book?
Anyone who has read and enjoyed books by Paul Doherty (I found the writing styles to be similar) or anyone who likes works of fiction set in the Elizabethan era. The murders are fairly tame, so this won't be too intense for those who aren't quite fans of murder mysteries. I might not recommend it for those who are used to the bodice-ripping drama of some Tudor period fiction -- this story is more cozy than titillating.