A Murder By Any Name
An Elizabethan Spy Mystery
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4.7 • 6 Ratings
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
This “vivid” historical mystery series debut captures “the light and dark of Elizabethan England . . . its squalor and splendor, filth and riches, intrigues and delights” (New York Journal of Books).
When a brutal murder threatens the sanctity of Queen Elizabeth’s court, it’s up to a hot-tempered spy to save the day.
The court of Elizabeth I is no stranger to plotting and intrigue, but the royal retinue is thrown into chaos when the Queen’s youngest and sweetest lady-in-waiting is murdered, her body left on the high altar of the Chapel Royal in Whitehall Palace. Solving the murder will require the cunning and savvy possessed by only one man. Enter Nicholas Holt, younger brother of the Earl of Blackwell—spy, rake, and owner of the infamous Black Sheep tavern in the seedy district of Bankside. Nick quickly learns that working for the Queen is a mixed blessing. Elizabeth—salty-tongued, vain, and fiercely intelligent—can, with a glance, either reward Nick with a purse of gold or have his head forcibly removed.
When a second lady-in-waiting is slain at Whitehall, the court once again reels with shock and dismay. On the trail of a diabolical killer, Nick and his faithful sidekick—an enormous Irish Wolfhound named Hector—are treading on treacherous ground, and only the killer’s head on a platter can keep them in the Queen’s good graces.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The stabbing murder of Cecily Carew, a young lady-in-waiting to Elizabeth I, drives the well-crafted plot of this promising series launch from Wolfe (Unveiling), set in 1585. Nick Holt, who's "lately returned from spying for the queen on the Continent," accompanies the monarch to Whitehall Palace, where Cecily's body lies on a chapel altar. Rumor has it that the murder, a sacrifice of an innocent, was done by the Jews to mock the Eucharist, but the queen is sure that the killer is a member of her court and commands Nick to identify the miscreant and "bring him to me for, by Christ, I will not suffer such a man to live." Contrary to her Gloriana Regina image, Wolfe portrays Elizabeth as a vain, acid-tongued, and frightened woman whose grasp on power is faltering. Abundant details of London daily life shed light on the customs and mores of the time. Some surprising twists lead to a startling conclusion. Fans of Elizabethan historicals will be satisfied, despite the occasional use of such contemporary terms as "body language" and "parent issues."
