Customer Reviews

A Murder for Her Majesty

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

You travel back to the time of Queen Elizabeth I. Alice Tuckfield witnesses her father's murder and is now in fear for her own life. Where can a young girl alone in the 16th century hide? How can she disappear? I just love this book and plan to reread it this summer. This story is full of music and history and sends you back to another place and time. An interesting look at life in the cathedral choirs. It makes me want to visit York someday. If you get hooked on the time period you can go on and read King of Shadows by Susan Cooper (love it) and The Shakespeare Stealer series by Gary Blackwell.

'A Murder For Her Majesty', deals with a young girl who witnesses the murder of her father and must deal with men who conspire to murder her in turn. The novel is a wonderful combination of suspense and heart; Alice Tuckfield's journey in discovering who she is and where she belongs as well as all the people she encounters along the way will appeal to all readers of all ages. The book is well-written and extremely fast-paced, a great solution for boredom and leaving readers wishing for a sequel.

Alice Tuckfield has a real problem- her father is dead- murdered by agents of the queen and she needs a safe place to hide. Luckily, she stumbles onto some boys who sing in the cathederal choir. Communal life suits hiding her among them- even the choirmaster doesn't notice her for a week. But Alice overhears conversations and knows that her father's murderers are connected to the catherderal. This book is great for introducing students to life in the 16th century- the school work, the ways of church and society. Also Alice is a fine heroine- the action is slow at first but it picks up quickly.

The book was an engrossing and enjoyable read, with sympathetic characters and, as discussed by previous reviewers, a lovely depiction of the joys of making and listening to music. However, if you're looking for historical fiction to illuminate Elizabethan England, this is most definitely not the book for you. There is so little of the period in it that it could be happening any time from the late Middle Ages to the Victorian era. As a most basic example, Alice is referred to throughout as a "girl", rather than a "maid"! (At least the author avoids the pitfall of having her characters speak in modern slang.) If you're looking for a good book that will give you a feel of life in Elizabethan times, I'd recommend A Traveller in Time, by Alison Uttley. So enjoy -- but don't expect a history lesson along with your enjoyment.

I first read this book in fifth grade (now I'm a college student), and the next year I signed up for choir. I've been singing ever since! The descriptions of music opened up a whole other world I'd never particularly thought about, and without which my life would be immeasurably poorer. And if you're a kid reading this, please don't dismiss it because I make it sound boring and educational--it's really exciting!

A Murder for Her Majesty is exciting but completely unreliable as a historical novel. It is full of major and minor anachronisms: the choir sings carols that weren't written till the 19th century; York Minster uses an order of service appropriate to late 20th century American Episcopal churches but totally inaccurate for Elizabethan ritual; the political organization of the church ("the Queen could not appoint bishops herself") is completely backwards--bishops WERE, in fact, appointed by the Queen--Alice is portrayed as eating a potato and drinking tea, both of which were not in the English diet till 100 or more years later; there are house numbers (a 19th century invention) and on and on and on. It's outrageous not only that the author's own research was so sloppy but that nobody anywhere along the editorial process caught any of this. What's the use of a historical novel if the history it teaches is so utterly inaccurate?

When I started reading this book I found it hard to put down. I found it so exciting with lots of things happening. At the beginning of the story Alice Tuckfield after seeing her father's death runs into a few choirboys who give her food and a place to stay for the night. The boys then think that it would be a good prank to hide her in the choir and she soon gets used to the boys and tries not to reveal that she is a girl. The rest of the book is now your turn to read and I am positive you will enjoy it.

And I keep rereading it (I'm 25 now)!

Alice's father has been killed in a not-so-accidental hunting accident, and she overhears someone saying the Queen will be pleased. Fleeing for her life to the only person who may help her, Alice is stumbled upon (literally) by two choristers at the York cathedral. They take her in and turn her into Alister and get her enrolled in the choir school. Little do they know how near danger is...

I just read that there may be a prequel...if so, how exciting! This is a delightful book, and I highly recommend it.

I Love the story of a little girl hiding with the choir boys! I found the story to be beautifuly touching and real. I checked it out of the library for the first time when I was about 10. Sinse then, I have read it numerous times. I even bought it! I found it absolutly fasinating unlike any other book I've ever read!

This was a well-writtren and enjoyable novel in which several children have intriguing adventures. While reading my fingers were always poised, ready to turn the pages and read on. Murder for her Majesty takes your mind on a journey to England. As you read this book, you will delight in a mystery that casts suspicions on the queen herself and a race against time to try to prevent yet another murder.