Face Down Upon An Herbal [Mass Market Paperback]

Kathy Lynn Emerson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2000

Large print edition of Book 2 in Emerson's popular history/mystery series; "Wonderfully enhanced by herbal lore" (Publishers Weekly); CIP data; Seal of Approval from the National Association for the Visually Handicapped (NAVH).

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Treason, conspiracy and political scheming in Elizabethan England form a complex and sinister background for Lady Susanna Appleton's latest foray into sleuthing. The self-assured and feisty herbalist and author of A Cautionary Herbal, who was last seen in Face Down in the Marrow-bone Pie (1997), is bid by the queen to visit Madderly Castle, ostensibly to help Lady Madderly complete her own book on herbs. But a series of murders at the castle puts that project on hold. Lord Glenelg, an arrogant and irritating houseguest, is stabbed with his own knife. Lady Madderly is bludgeoned with a silver candlestick, and her sister-in-law is strangled. Susanna summons her husband, Sir Robert, back from Scotland, where he was happily combining a serious errand for the queen with his own wenching and quaffing. Their joint detection efforts, though acrimonious, are productive. Is treason in the works? The story is wonderfully enhanced by herbal lore (decoctions, potions and balms) and a heated and forbidden romance: Susanna's impressionable young sister-in-law is smitten with someone entirely unsuitable. There is always someone lurking behind an arras or scuttling along a secret passage, and codes and ciphers play a key role. At times, the conspiracies seem unreasonably complex, but Lady Appleton's keen logic and insight prove bracing.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

A second adventure for Elizabethan herbalist Susanna, wife of Sir Robert Appleton, an emissary to Queen Elizabeth (Face Down in the Marrow-Bone Pie, 1989). While Sir Robert is on the Queen's business in Scotland (with a little dalliance on the side), Susanna, accompanied by young Catherine Denholm, her husband's unacknowledged half-sister, is sent to Madderly Castle in Gloucester. Ostensibly there to help Lady Eleanor Madderly with her herbal manuscript, Susanna learns of the recent killing of Lord Glenelyan obnoxious Scots visitor found in the library where Magdalen Harleigh oversees Lord Madderly's collection while her burly husband, Otto, serves as the Castle's Horse Master. Others in the household are schoolmaster John Wheelwright, tutor of the Lord's young sons; handsome Gilbert Russell, gentleman usher; and Lord Madderly's sister Beatrice, who looks on Susanna's presence with sour-faced disapproval. Before long Eleanor becomes a second murder victim and Russellincreasingly attractive to Catherineis revealed as Lord Glenely's heir. A visit from her husband and yet another killing slowly uncover the driving force behind the mayhem. Far-fetched incidents, fussily drawn characters, and stilted conversations keep the pace soporific and the suspense meager here; but herbal enthusiasts and fans of historical romances may find some mild entertainment. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Kensington Books (October 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575666200
• ISBN-13: 978-1575666204
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #583,130 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery > Historical

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful reading, full of period atmosphere and mystery., January 10, 1999

By 

Lynn Manley "catslady" (Maine, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Face Down Upon an Herbal (Elizabethan Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Even better than the first of the "Face Down" series, Face Down Upon an Herbal an outstanding example of the historical mystery genre. Susanna, Lady Appleton, is an intelligent and engaging sleuth. The plot never hurries yet has definite direction, always leading toward the eagerly anticipated denouement. And the secondary characters are well-drawn and equally engaging. I can't wait for future entries in this series and hope there will be many more.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderfully authentic mystery - engrossing & involving!, January 18, 1999

By 

Stobie Piel - See all my reviews

This review is from: Face Down Upon an Herbal (Elizabethan Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Every time I read an Elizabethan mystery by Kathy Lynn Emerson, I feel like I've been transported back in time. I hear the sounds of carriages passing by, smell the smells of the herbs in their kitchen, & feel I've met the most authentic characters I've ever encountered in a historical novel. This is a 'feel like you've been there' read - Susanna deals with her falling from grace husband in a way that makes me long for the next installment in the series. An incredible read!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars not as good as the first entry in this historical series, January 12, 2003

By 

audrey (white mtns) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Face Down Upon An Herbal (Mass Market Paperback)

Lord Glenelg is an odious man. He is also a traitor. Now, a guest in Lord and Lady Madderly's castle, he has been murdered, though no one seems terribly upset about his loss. Enter Susanna, Lady Appleton, and her half-sister-in-law Catherine, enjoined by the Queen to visit Madderly Castle to assist its Lady with her herbal. Coincidence? Susanna thinks not, but that does not keep her from trying to solve this, and subsequent, murders.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first novel in this series, but did not like this one so well. The mystery was not as interesting, and the fact that Susanna was not at home hurt the entertainment value, I thought, particularly since it meant that her companion and confidante became half-sister Catherine rather than the feisty, outspoken Jennet from that first outing.

The author writes well about herbs and the times, informing us effortlessly of things we might not otherwise know, but while this was a pleasant read, it was a letdown from the first, though I'll probably try another in the series.