To Ruin a Queen (Ursula Blanchard Mystery at Queen Elizabeth I's Court) [Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Fiona Buckley (Author), Nadia May (Narrator)

Book Description

Series: Ursula Blanchard Mystery at Queen Elizabeth I's Court | Publication Date: April 2002

The fourth novel in the fascinating series featuring Ursula Blanchard, loyal subject of Queen Elizabeth I and sleuth extraordinaire, finds our heroine torn between love and duty as she investigates treason of the highest order.

"To Ruin a Queen

Desperately missing her young daughter and bitterly homesick for England, Ursula Blanchard is struggling to build a new life in France with her husband, Matthew de la Roche. Ursula is devastated when she learns her beloved Meg has disappeared from the family that has fostered her since the French civil war forced Ursula to leave her behind. A wanted man in England, Matthew is unable to accompany her as she frantically journeys home.

Upon her arrival, Ursula is stunned to learn that Meg is not missing, but has been sent at the Queen's behest to Vetch Castle. It is home of Philip Mortimer, descendant of Roger Mortimer, who was executed long ago for his part in the murder of Edward II.

Ursula treads carefully as she seeks the truth about Philip Mortimer's schemes to force the Queen to restore his family's fortunes. But when a murderer strikes, she is quickly ensnared in a web of blackmail and treason that could topple the crown -- and cost Ursula her life.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Readers with a taste for melodramatic suspense will relish this solid historical, the fourth in the Ursula Blanchard series from the pseudonymous Buckley. Upon learning that her daughter has been kidnapped, Ursula hastens home from France to England. The kidnapping, however, proves to have been a ruse. A plot is afoot in Wales to blackmail Queen Elizabeth, and Ursula must go undercover to learn the particulars and prevent a scandalAor worse. Aided by her manservant Brockley, Ursula contends with such challenges as her near-death during childbirth, a haunted watchtower, an attempted rape, a menacing witch and repeated instances of sexism. (The oppression of women is vividlyAif rather insistentlyAportrayed.) Buckley (Queen's Ransom) fills the plot with harrowing twists: Ursula and Brockley are accused of murder and thrown in a musty dungeon; Ursula and two comrades face what appears certain death, trapped in an abandoned lodge high in the Welsh mountains. Ursula's steely nerves, keen intuition and abiding devotion to the queen see her through it all. Buckley takes a Chaucerian interest in characters from all social strata, their garments, physical distinctions and manners. At times, such pedantic details stop the plot cold. In addition, some readers will be put off by the author's habit of withholding key information from them while revealing it to the characters. Buckley's loyal following, however, should make this as much a success as previous books in the series. (Dec. 4)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Ursula Blanchard has been a "huntress" for Elizabeth I, searching out clandestine information for the crown. But now she's in France, despondent over the stillborn death of her son with her French husband, Mathew, and longing for Meg, the daughter of her first marriage. When she's brought under false pretenses back to England, however, she discovers that she's also despondent as a dependent wife. Elizabeth calls on her subject's huntress skills again, and Ursula rises to the occasion. The case involves Vetch castle; the family Mortimer, to which Ursula is distantly related; and hints of a plot to ruin the queen. What follows is an absorbing page-turner: there's a romantic ghost legend and accusations of witchcraft, Ursula's complicated relationships with her husband and with her retainer of many years, sodden nighttime journeys and star-crossed lovers of several generations, murder and suicide. Reunited with Meg, Ursula delays her return to France and to Mathew at the end, waiting for the plague to subside and leaving the door open for her next adventure. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks; Unabridged edition (April 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786195444
• ISBN-13: 978-0786195442
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 6.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,470,257 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent series-fantastic mystery, November 11, 2000

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: To Ruin A Queen : An Ursula Blanchard Mystery at Queen Elizabeth I's Court (Hardcover)

Ursula Blanchard is living at the Chateau Blanchpierre in France with her husband Matthew de la Roche. She loves her spouse, but misses England. Because he supports Mary of Scotland, Matthew cannot enter England for fear of hanging. After a miscarriage, Ursula becomes melancholy. She sends her two servants home to England to retrieve her daughter Meg. They return to inform their mistress that Meg vanished just when they were ready to depart for the continent.

A concerned Ursula travels to England seeking Meg. At her daughter's residence, Queen Elizabeth and Sir Cecil meet her. They demand she go to Vetch Castle near the Welsh border to learn what Sir Phillip Mortimer is planning since he apparently has something on Her Highness. When someone murders Phillip's ward, everyone blames Ursula. Barely escaping the castle, Ursula seeks the evidence that will stop Mortimer from blackmailing the Queen. Ursula wants nothing more than to return to France with Meg. First however, she has to make sure England's queen is safe and the throne secure.

Fiona Buckley has written a colorful Elizabethan mystery that describes the culture, beliefs, and practices of the sixteenth century English nobility. TO RUIN A QUEEN is an excellent historical tale that contains a strong plot and powerful characters 5that keep the story line moving at a rapid pace. This novel is so complex and deep, that fans of a complex puzzle will appreciate it.

Harriet Klausner

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A VERY pleasant surprise!!, December 15, 2000

By 

John Briggs - See all my reviews

This review is from: To Ruin A Queen : An Ursula Blanchard Mystery at Queen Elizabeth I's Court (Hardcover)

Knowing nothing about this series, I picked up this book while trapped in an airport, and got an early Christmas present! I've now finished all four books and I can say that this is a tremendously entertaining series. You can learn the plot of this one from another reviewer, so I'll praise the quality of the writing, the wonderful sense of time and place, and above all, the outstanding storytelling. The characters are real and fascinating, and you like them easily and quickly. This isn't in the masterpiece category of a Jamie Harrison, Robert Crais, or James Lee Burke, but it's excellent, pleasant entertainment, professionally done with good plots and mysteries worth solving. As an added tidbit, the history is scholarly, well-handled, and deftly used. A very enjoyable book and a series that's well worth trying.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ursula shines again!, March 25, 2001

By 

"sukiyaki02" - See all my reviews

This review is from: To Ruin A Queen : An Ursula Blanchard Mystery at Queen Elizabeth I's Court (Hardcover)

When I first became enamored of the entire historical mystery genre almost three years ago, Fiona Buckley's first Ursula Blanchard mystery (To Shield the Queen) was one of the books that helped make me into a hopelessly devoted mystery fan. Since then, I've kept an eye out for, and read, all of the Ursula Blanchard novels; they have been consistently excellent in period detail and in their development of the delightful sleuth, the clever and indomitable Ursula.

This latest entry in the series is, like the others, a pleasant and fulfilling mystery. I appreciated Buckley's returning Ursula to England, and the Welsh twist added some interesting new flavor. Once again, Ursula sets out to solve a "cozy" mystery that, upon closer scrutiny, turns out to have potentially thunderous ramifications for Queen and country. The whodunit aspect of the novel is tightly constructed, with some shocking twists and bits of pure cleverness. I was a bit disappointed with the fact that I was able to identify the killer long before the denouement, but that only detracted slightly from the mystery.

Most of all, I appreciate Buckley's fine flair for characterization. Ursula and all her facets are unfolding and developing beautifully; she seems more and more of a real person with each successive book. Her husband, Matthew, has deepened significantly beyond the suave courtier he was in the first book; Brockley is also becoming an intriguing character! There are some wonderfully poignant moments to be found in this book, which elevate it far above the conventional mystery.

All in all, an enjoyable read, with depth of character compensating for a slightly predictable air.