TO SHIELD THE QUEEN (Mystery at Queen Elizabeth I's Court) [Hardcover]

Fiona Buckley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 12, 1997 | Series: Mystery at Queen Elizabeth I's Court

With the glamour and intrigue of the court of Queen Elizabeth I as its backdrop, and an entrancing new heroine--widow Ursula Blanchard--sniffing out clandestine conspiracies, this enthralling new historical mystery series will have appeal for fans of Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael novels.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In order to quell widespread rumors about their supposed murderous intentions, Elizabeth I and Sir Robert Dudley dispatch one of her ladies-in-waiting, young widowed mother Ursula Blanchard, to help tend Lord Dudley's sickly wife, Amy. Despite Ursula's friendly attentions, Amy dies violently. Ursula's subsequent search for the murderer of a trusted retainer uncovers evidence of Catholic scheming and tests her love for a dashing Frenchman. Buckley's tantalizing re-creation of Elizabethan life and manners is told with intelligence and gentle wit. A noteworthy debut and first of a series.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

An accomplished debut set in 1560 at the Court of Queen Elizabeth I. Impoverished young widow Ursula Blanchard, whose mother had served Queen Elizabeth's mother, has agreed to join Elizabeth's Ladies of the Presence Chamber. Estranged from her own and her late husband's families, she leaves behind her faithful groom John Wilton and puts small daughter Meg in the care of nursemaid Bridget. Once at Court, Ursula grows quickly aware of gossip about the young, unmarried Queen and her Master of the Horse, Robin Dudley. Dudley's wife Amy is said to be dying (amid rumors of poisoning) at Cumnor Place, some miles away. Her death, of course, would free Dudley to marry the Queen--an unpopular idea in many high places. Meanwhile, Ursula has acquired a suitor of her own--the wealthy Frenchman Matthew de la Roche--but when Dudley asks her to move to Cumnor Place, to comfort Amy (and perhaps to stop the rumors), she readily agrees. The handsome salary will help to pay Bridget, her own maid Fran Dale, and newly rehired John Wilton. Ursula finds Cumnor Place a strange household where steward Forster rules with tightfisted authority, and she comes to believe that there is a plot on Amy's life. Events prove her right, but other plots are also afoot, one of them setting Ursula on a slippery path of self-denial and discovery. The pseudonymous Buckley, a British author who's written other nonmystery fiction, maintains high suspense throughout a lively debut that's filled with vivid characters, religious conflict, subplots, and power plays. Ursula is the essence of iron cloaked in velvet--a heroine to reckon with. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Scribner; First edition. edition (November 12, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684838419
• ISBN-13: 978-0684838410
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,942,018 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Historical Mystery, January 8, 2002

By 

Megan (Okemos, MI - Brit Lit) - See all my reviews

This review is from: To Shield the Queen (Mystery at Queen Elizabeth I's Court) (Mass Market Paperback)

Coming from the perspective of a junior in high school taking British Literature, To Shield The Queen by Fiona Buckley was a fascinating as well as enlightening novel. The book is set in 1560 England under the reign of Queen Elizabeth. The story focuses on Ursula Blanchard, a recently widowed young mother who accepts employment in the Queen's court as a Lady of the Presence chamber. It quickly becomes apparent to her, as well as to the rest of the court, that the Queen is romantically interested in her Master of Horse, Sir Robin Dudley. Unfortunately, Sir Robin is still married, although Lady Dudley is very ill. To terminate any rumors that may be circulating around court, Ursula is sent by the Queen to take care of Lady Dudley. As events play out, Lady Dudley is mysteriously found dead at the bottom of the stairs after she sent all her servants away for the day. The ensuing chase by Ursula to find out the true circumstances surrounding Lady Dudley's death (murder?) leads her on a pursuit all over England. To complicate matters further, during her stay with Lady Dudley Ursula has fallen for a man who very well may be supporting the removal of Queen Elizabeth from the throne to replace her with a Catholic monarch.
As this novel progressed, I became more and more impressed with the unusual strength of character that Ursula embodied. I was very surprised to read a novel set in the 16th century with a woman as a main character who was strong-willed, determined, making her own decisions, and taking care of herself; this view of women presented by Fiona Buckley was very refreshing and appreciated. For someone who usually doesn't enjoy historical literature, To Shield The Queen was a welcome exception; as opposed to dry, monotonous writing, this novel had a plot with twists at every corner and an ending that I would never have expected. Fiona Buckley never let historical inaccuracies slip into the story while creating her novel, and that extra touch shines through in her writing. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries or historical novels - it is a great story!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Mystery, June 16, 2000

By 

Heather L. Williams "Heather" (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: To Shield the Queen (Mystery at Queen Elizabeth I's Court) (Mass Market Paperback)

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It was an interesting account of the events of that time and it was nice that a historical fiction novel actually expected you to know a little bit of history in order to fully understand the book. Ursula was a highly likable character who proved to be interesting as well. This was a fun story and I can definitely allow Ms. Buckley a few liberties and imaginings of the true accounts of this bit of history. I can't wait to read further books in the series.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First in an Intriguing Elizabethan Mystery series, December 1, 2003

By 

Chrissy1018 (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: To Shield the Queen (Mystery at Queen Elizabeth I's Court) (Mass Market Paperback)

The first in a series of mysteries by British author Fiona Buckley, set in the time of Queen Elizabeth I. If you loved the movie ELIZABETH, you'll love this series.
Ursula Blanchard, a recently widowed woman, must leave her young daughter in the care of a servant and make her own way in the world as a lady in waiting to young Queen Elizabeth I. At court she finds herself encountering intrigue at every turn and is soon offered an opportunity to serve the Queen and earn some extra funds which she can use to support her young daughter. Rumors abound that nobleman Robin Dudley is having an affair with the Queen, and that he is poisoning his wife to free him from his marriage. Ursula must go to his home to protect Dudley's name, and through him the Queen's. But once Ursula arrives, she begins to have doubts, especially after the warnings she receives. Is there something to the rumors? And if so, is Dudley the one behind them, or is there something even more dangerous and sinister afoot?

If you know your Tudor history, you're going to love this series. It's full of people, places and customs of the period, very well researched. Even the central mystery of the plot is based on fact, like all of Fiona Buckley's books. There's a subtlety to the plot, and a great deal of political and religious intrigue mixed in. It's quite rich and pleasantly complex.

What I most enjoyed was the detailed account of the daily life of a gentlewoman. There seem to be a lot of books about daily life of the working class and peasants, many more on the life of the nobles. What you don't often see are the middle class, which is what makes Ursula Blanchard such an interesting heroine. She is caught between the two classes, at the mercy of the nobles and trapped in their plots and games, yet high enough that she can be a player (or pawn) in those same games.

This is a great start to a very intriguing series.