Murder in the Queen's Wardrobe

As someone who studied European History in a former life, I am drawn to books written in my favorite historical period. This book touched on all my interests. Elizabethan era, spies, a murder mystery... There were so few ways women could be independent during this time, it was interesting to read about Rosamond and the ways she found to take charge of her own life. Despite herself, she gets pulled into this web of political machinations and finds that she is beginning to care about the people forced into her life.

Her unusual upbringing and exposure to typically male pursuits makes Rosamond the ideal spy. However reluctant she was at first, she seems to relish using her above average intelligence and education. Rosamond guarded her independence so carefully, not wanting to answer to anyone. Not only did she help solve the mystery at the center of this novel, she learned that being her own woman didn't have to mean being cut off from the ones she loves. A very enjoyable historical mystery!

Murder in the Queen's Wardrobe

Years ago, I read several of Kathy Lynn Emerson's Susanna Appleton series which were also set during the Elizabethan period.

Here is a little bookish biographical info on Emerson:

Kathy Lynn Emerson is the author of over fifty works of fiction and nonfiction written under the names Kathy Lynn Emerson, Kaitlyn Dunnett, Kate Emerson, and Kaitlyn Gorton. Many of them reflect her interest in life in sixteenth-century England and she maintains a series of mini-biographies online as "A Who's Who of Tudor Women." She won the Agatha award for mystery nonfiction for How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries: The Art and Adventure of Sleuthing Through the Past. Currently she writes the Liss MacCrimmon Scottish-American Heritage Mystery series (Ho-Ho-Homicide, 2014) as Kaitlyn Dunnett and as Kathy Lynn Emerson writes the Mistress Jaffrey Mysteries (Murder in the Queen's Wardrobe, 2015), featuring Elizabethan gentlewoman, sleuth, and spy Rosamond Jaffrey. For more information, visit Kathy's webpages at KathyLynnEmerson.com

Wow, I had no idea she wrote so prolifically or under so many names!

At any rate, Mistress Rosamund Jaffrey, who made an appearance in the "Face Down" mystery series featuring Susannah Appleton, now has a series of her own. Recruited by Queen Elizabeth's spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham (any mention of Walsingham always interests me as Christopher Marlowe may have been one of his spies or intelligencers), Mistress Jaffrey has been tasked to spy on and protect Lady Mary, one of the queen's cousins who is being courted by Tsar Ivan (the Terrible) of Russia.

Rosamund needs to protect Mary, gather intelligence, and hopefully, protect her estranged husband.

Read Oct., 2014; review scheduled for Feb. 15, 2015

NetGalley/Severn House

Historic Mystery. March 1, 2015. Print length: 256 pages.

Murder in the Queen’s Wardrobe (A Mistress Jaffrey Mystery) by Kathy Lynn Emerson is an excellent historical mystery. Throughout the years that I have been a fan of reading historical fiction from the time of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine to the years of Queen Elizabeth of England, I have read several different mysteries that involved real people from that very long ago past. I believe it’s Michelle Diener that has an entire historical mystery series set during the time of King Henry VIII, and it is excellent! So, I was excited to read this novel. Plus, this author also goes by the name Kate Emerson, and I have read several great historical fiction novels under that name which I have really enjoyed. This novel was no different. Great characters that you really were able to connect with, the ability that she has to write descriptions with enable to you envision everything that is going on, in this case you were able to see historical London clearly through the eyes of the characters. Easy to read with smooth flowing sentences and dialogue that feels natural and in no way stilted or fake. I like that she chose a character that is completely unexpected to be the spy in this novel. She is simply a merchant’s wife, who was doing well financially, then she is put in the position of playing lady in waiting to a titled young woman. If you like mysteries or thrillers set in the middle ages or during Elizabeth’s time, then this is the perfect book for you. Great author, great book. I give this book a FIVE out of FIVE stars!

Hands down one of the best Historical Mystery Thrillers I have read this year by far. Where do I begin? This story captured my attention from the first page and that is a rare thing indeed. Emerson’s main character, Mistress Rosemond Jaffrey is and extremely educated, independent and strong women of her time. At first I wasn’t sure how her role as lady-in-waiting was going to work in this story but it was brilliantly played. All of the central characters in this story was written strong and even the behind the scene characters play an important role. Often times I read stories where there are characters that don’t add to the story one bit and this is not the case in this one. I don’t often say this because it’s a cliché but I was at the edge of my seat reading this story pretty much the whole time and I got annoyed when people would interrupt me from reading….*laughing* One of the other things I find extremely important in a story is to leave the reader guessing who done it. Most times I guess the murderer right off the bat and that annoys me to no end. It wasn’t like that for this book. And the title and premise for this story is excellent! When I read a book I want strong characters, dialogue, plot, setting, and intelligent writing. I found all this in Murder in The Queens Wardrobe. I am patiently waiting for more stories like this from Emerson and I want to read more adventure with Mistress Rosemond Jaffrey. She is my new favorite female character. Who am I kidding….I hope that the author comes out with another story and soon! Highly recommend!