The Thorne Maze (Elizabeth I Mysteries, Book 5) [Mass Market Paperback]

Ms. Karen Harper (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 19, 2003

The vibrant pageant of Elizabethan England comes vividly alive in Karen Harper's fifth novel in her acclaimed Elizabeth I mystery series. In the gardens of Hampton Court, Elizabeth proudly shows a famed visitor her huge maze. But the intricate labyrinth soon becomes a scene of horror as Elizabeth herself is attacked and the visitor is murdered within its leafy dead ends. Undaunted, the queen sets a trap to snare a ghostly murderer before he or she strikes again...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Tudor England's answer to V. I. Warshawski, Elizabeth I, must as usual take on a murder case or two in Harper's fifth well-researched, intrigue-filled historical (after 2002's The Queene's Cure). The royal sleuth is surprised by a deadly assault in the Hampton Court maze one night after making an appointment to meet old flame Robin Dudley. Did the attacker mean to kill her, or was she mistaken for someone else? Disturbing clues suggest that someone near to the queen wants her dead. A confrontation in a highly unusual maze makes for a thrilling conclusion. Harper's portrait of the Virgin Queen as sleuth is illuminating, but readers familiar with Elizabethan history will spot the villain much too soon.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Harper reaches back into Elizabethan history to construct another intriguing whodunit involving the court of Queen Elizabeth I. After a clumsy attempt on her life, the queen summons her most trusted advisors and servants to help her investigate the crime. Led by her chief counselor, William Cecil, and her resourceful herbalist, Meg Milligrew, this loyal band of amateur detectives scurries to protect the queen and expose a cold-blooded killer after two bodies are discovered in thickets of the royal maze at Hampton Court. Sensing a whiff of treason in the air, the queen must determine which member of the royal household may have a connection to her cousin and bitter rival, Mary, Queen of Scots. Another brilliantly plotted and authentically detailed entry in a series celebrated for its vigorous characterization of the Virgin Queen. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (October 19, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312993498
• ISBN-13: 978-0312993498
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #958,618 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a good read, March 24, 2003

By 

tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Thorne Maze (Elizabeth I Mysteries, Book 5) (Hardcover)

Forget the improbability of Elizabeth I and William Cecil (Elizabeth's chief advisor) actually having the time and inclination to play detective, and surrender yourself to enjoying a historical mystery novel is packed with intrigue, suspense and wonderful historical detail, for "The Thorne Maze" is definitely not a treat to be missed!

It's the summer of 1564, and in order to escape the threat of the plague, Elizabeth has moved her court (which currently also includes Templar Sutton, a famed lawyer, and his half-Italian wife, Bettina; Mary Sidney, the Countess of Pembrooke and the queen's closest friend and Robert Dudley, a gentleman that Elizabeth is drawn to even if she doesn't totally trust him) to Hampton. Of course there a variety of entertainments to amuse and pass the time, but when Elizabeth uses the cover of a masque to slip out in order to meet Dudley, little does she expect to be attacked either. Fortunately, the arrival of Bettina Sutton on the scene stops the attacker from completing his attack. Elizabeth quickly summons her Privy Plot Council in order to ferret out the would-be murderer. But are they looking for a 'plain' murderer who had mistaken the queen for someone else, or are they in the middle of yet another treasonous plot? Before long, Elizabeth and investigators are in the middle of another perplexing mystery, and one that yields some unexpected suspects...

What made this novel so very enjoyable for me to read was the manner in which the authour managed to keep the level of suspense relatively high. The pacing was truly brilliant. There were enough red herring suspects together with some rather nifty plot twists -- enough anyway to keep to me engrossed. And, best of all, there was also enough historical and biographical detail to make the book interesting and fascinating. All in all, "The Thorne Maze" proved to be a truly worthwhile read. And although I'm not a Tudor fan and that I rather wished that Karen Harper had been a tad more critical of Elizabeth I, I have to admit that "The Thorne Maze" was a truly good mystery novel and that the entire series is worth becoming addicted to.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elizabethan Mysteries, January 4, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Thorne Maze (Elizabeth I Mysteries, Book 5) (Mass Market Paperback)

Once I discovered these intriguing Elizabethan mysteries by Karen Harper, I couldn't stop reading until I had read all the books of the series. They offer a fascinating glimpse into Queen Elizabeth's character and court life, and are rich enough in detail to read again and again.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Series gets better, August 18, 2003

By 

Valerie Adolph "Coast Journal" (Pacific Northwest) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Thorne Maze (Elizabeth I Mysteries, Book 5) (Hardcover)

The Thorne Maze is the fifth in Karen Harper's Elizabethan mystery series, and one of the best. The series had a rather slow start, with a really interesting concept - the first Queen Elizabeth and a small band of loyal friends solving mysteries - but initially rather forgettable characters. Now the writer has hit her stride and the characters are much more believable and the dialogue both truer and livelier.

With each new book the characters have developed depth and have moved in a natural life progression. The setting is as accurate as it can be 500 years later (and I'm from England, I can spot an American writers' innaccuracies right away). Most of all, it's a tale well told.

I can see the writer's difficulty. She strives to include historical characters, locations, time frames and still come up with a strong and workable plot. To be honest, there are times when the plot is a bit contrived, in the effort to include all the other elements. Personally, I can accept this. I'd rather have the accuracy and the depth of research. And this writer is a great story teller, she is working with a fascinating period in history and she has peopled it with, by now, strong and likeable characters.

This is a good read. I can recommend this book to anyone who likes history and mystery.