Murder in the Queen's Wardrobe: An Elizabethan Spy Thriller

As someone who studied European History in a former life, I am drawn to books written in my favorite historical period.  This book touched on all my interests.  Elizabethan era, spies, a murder mystery... There were so few ways women could be independent during this time, it was interesting to read about Rosamond and the ways she found to take charge of her own life.  Despite herself, she gets pulled into this web of political machinations and finds that she is beginning to care about the people forced into her life.  

Her unusual upbringing and exposure to typically male pursuits makes Rosamond the ideal spy. However reluctant she was at first, she seems to relish using her above average intelligence and education. Rosamond guarded her independence so carefully, not wanting to answer to anyone.  Not only did she help solve the mystery at the center of this novel, she learned that being her own woman didn't have to mean being cut off from the ones she loves.  A very enjoyable historical mystery!

Murder in the Queen's Wardrobe     

Years ago, I read several of Kathy Lynn Emerson's Susanna Appleton series which were also set during the Elizabethan period.  

Here is a little bookish biographical info on Emerson:

 Kathy Lynn Emerson is the author of over fifty works of fiction and nonfiction written under the names Kathy Lynn Emerson, Kaitlyn Dunnett, Kate Emerson, and Kaitlyn Gorton. Many of them reflect her interest in life in sixteenth-century England and she maintains a series of mini-biographies online as "A Who's Who of Tudor Women." She won the Agatha award for mystery nonfiction for How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries: The Art and Adventure of Sleuthing Through the Past. Currently she writes the Liss MacCrimmon Scottish-American Heritage Mystery series (Ho-Ho-Homicide, 2014) as Kaitlyn Dunnett and as Kathy Lynn Emerson writes the Mistress Jaffrey Mysteries (Murder in the Queen's Wardrobe, 2015), featuring Elizabethan gentlewoman, sleuth, and spy Rosamond Jaffrey. For more information, visit Kathy's webpages at KathyLynnEmerson.com

Wow, I had no idea she wrote so prolifically or under so many names!  

At any rate, Mistress Rosamund Jaffrey, who made an appearance in the "Face Down" mystery series featuring Susannah Appleton, now has a series of her own.  Recruited by Queen Elizabeth's spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham (any mention of Walsingham always interests me as Christopher Marlowe may have been one of his spies or intelligencers), Mistress Jaffrey has been tasked to spy on and protect Lady Mary, one of the queen's cousins who is being courted by Tsar Ivan (the Terrible) of Russia.

Rosamund needs to protect Mary, gather intelligence, and hopefully, protect her estranged husband.

Read Oct., 2014; review scheduled for Feb. 15, 2015

NetGalley/Severn House

Historic Mystery.  March 1, 2015.  Print length:  256 pages.

Murder in the Queen’s Wardrobe by Kathy Lynn Emerson

Murder in the Queen’s Wardrobe is the beginning of a new series from Kathy Lynn Emerson, but also a bridge from a previous series. I had never read any of her Lady Appleton/”Face Down” mysteries, but I had read her “Secrets of the Tudor Court” series, written as Kate Emerson. (Book 6 in that series, Royal Inheritance, was reviewed here.)
Murder in the Queen’s Wardrobe Front Cover (Severn House Publishers)

THE PLOT: Elizabeth I has been on the throne for 25 years when Rosamond Jaffrey is tapped to become a spy for Walsingham. She’s especially motivated when she finds out that her estranged husband, Rob, is in trouble in Russia, where he went as part of the Muscovy Company. As her cover, Rosamond is accepted as a waiting woman into the household of Lady Mary Hastings, who expects to become the bride of Ivan the Terrible.

The household is invited to the Queen’s Wardrobe of Robes in Whitehall so Lady Mary can have one of the Queen’s castoff gowns. Rosamond is planning to meet the contact assigned to her, but finds that the man has been poisoned. No one seems to believe that the man was murdered and didn’t just choke to death, but Rosamund has some knowledge of herbs and poisons. From that point, she realizes that Lady Mary may be in great danger—and Rosamond herself may be as well. But who is trying to sabotage the Russian marriage, and why?

MY TWO CENTS: I really liked the Russian connection in this story. That’s something I really don’t read about a lot in novels of the Tudor era, and I found it interesting and unusual. The point of view switches occasionally from Rosmand in England to Rob in Russia. The mystery was okay; I started to figure out who was behind it all from the clues, although the motivation wasn’t necessarily clear.

I do believe I would have enjoyed the book much more if I had read the preceding stories that include these characters. I know this is starting off a new series with this character as the lead, but I did feel that readers are somewhat dropped into something they should already be familiar with. I also felt that the end was clearly a setup for the next book in the series. Although there is a resolution to the mystery, I feel like Rosamond’s personal life is far less certain.

BOTTOM LINE: Works okay as a standalone novel, but the reading experience would probably be much enriched by reading the Lady Appleton novels first. Otherwise, an engaging enough mystery set in Elizabethan England. I’m interested enough to check out those earlier books as well as any sequel.

TEACUP RATING: Between three-and-a-half and four out of five teacups.

ON SALE DATE: The book will be on sale in hardcover on March 1, 2015. (At this time, I cannot find any information about eformats, but most books do have them nowadays. There is an ISBN listed for an e-book in my ARC.)

Note: Review is based on an ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Murder in the Queen’s Wardrobe (A Mistress Jaffrey Mystery) by Kathy Lynn Emerson is an excellent historical mystery. Throughout the years that I have been a fan of reading historical fiction from the time of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine to the years of Queen Elizabeth of England, I have read several different mysteries that involved real people from that very long ago past. I believe it’s Michelle Diener that has an entire historical mystery series set during the time of King Henry VIII, and it is excellent! So, I was excited to read this novel. Plus, this author also goes by the name Kate Emerson, and I have read several great historical fiction novels under that name which I have really enjoyed.  This novel was no different. Great characters that you really were able to connect with, the ability that she has to write descriptions with enable to you envision everything that is going on, in this case you were able to see historical London clearly through the eyes of the characters. Easy to read with smooth flowing sentences and dialogue that feels natural and in no way stilted or fake. I like that she chose a character that is completely unexpected to be the spy in this novel. She is simply a merchant’s wife, who was doing well financially, then she is put in the position of playing lady in waiting to a titled young woman.  If you like mysteries or thrillers set in the middle ages or during Elizabeth’s time, then this is the perfect book for you. Great author, great book. I give this book a FIVE out of FIVE stars!

Rosamond Jaffrey enjoys the wealth and freedom that her husbands estate offers, as he conducts business in Russia as part of the London Muscovy company. Her freedom comes to an end as she is encouraged to serve Lady Mary Hastings, A cousin of Queen Elizabeth I, who could smooth relations between England and Russia. As a waiting gentlewoman, Rosamond could better serve her queen by spying on those who come in contact with Lady Mary. At first she is hesitant, but when she finds that her husband may be facing danger in Russia unless she assists, her new life as a spy commences. When a murder in the Queens wardrobe occurs, followed by an attempt on Lady Mary, the unraveling of the mystery becomes Rosamond’s first priority. Her knowledge of herbs and their effects and curiosity about the event makes Rosamond a target for mishaps that may be attempts on her own life.
A nicely written Elizabethian mystery, the author brings us into the period with this well researched novel. She brings in the politics between Russia and England, as well as the pecking order that occurs within the court. Lady Rosamond is a portrayed as a genuine woman of the period with a bravery combined with vulnerability. Her ultimate goal is to see her husband return to England, though they do not have a love match, she is faithful and loyal to him. A refreshing change.

Mistress Rosamond Jaffrey is married but separated from her husband and living independently.  She is wealthy, educated and intelligent as well.  While she has no problem filling her days, she is now drawn into the service of Queen Elizabeth’s cousin, Lady Mary, in London in the year 1582.  However, she’s not there to be a semi-servant to Lady Mary but to be a spy for the Queen’s chief spymaster, Sir Frances Walsingham, a man who knows everyone’s business and shares his knowledge sparingly if at all.  Now Rosamond is to be his ears and listen to the gossip of Lady Mary and her ladies in waiting,  Rosamond is not sure what she is to hear, but it doesn’t take long to realize that it seems someone is trying to arrange the marriage of Lady Mary to the Tsar of Russia, Ivan the Terrible, a tyrant whom all fear and few trust.
The mystery deepens when several murderous attempts fall on first Lady Mary and then on Rosamond herself.  Lady Mary is believed to have succumbed to a dreaded disease when in fact she is the victim of poison.  On it goes with events conspiring against Rosamond that look like accidents but occur too frequently to be coincidence.
In the meantime, Rosamond’s husband, who is living in Russia supposedly doing busy with a Muscovy merchant company, has been distracted by the widow of an Englishman who was executed as a traitor.  The Tsar will not let this woman return to England and so she lives in dire poverty and miserable conditions.  Soon Rosamond’s husband is feeling more than pity for this young, attractive woman and he will bear some very harsh consequences for his attendance upon this woman and his plan to free her to return to England.
Rosamond at first has to mentally explore who could be responsible for attempting to harm Lady Mary and why they are trying to make sure a marriage and alliance with the Tsar never comes to pass. As in any well-thought out mystery, each character has some flaw, weakness or political connection that could provide a motive for a plot to harm the Queen’s cousin.  Rosamond herself is betrayed a few times and has to come up with some very rapid reasons for explaining her presence as a lady-in-waiting to Lady Mary.
All in all, Rosamond is a clever, ingenious sleuth who keeps the reader guessing on every page and flipping the pages to relish each engaging misunderstanding, attack, clue-ridden occasional dialogue, and violent scenes occurring to Rosamond and her husband Rob.  A splendid read that is highly recommended for all lovers of well-crafted mystery fiction.

Hands down one of the best Historical Mystery Thrillers I have read this year by far. Where do I begin? This story captured my attention from the first page and that is a rare thing indeed. Emerson’s main character, Mistress Rosemond Jaffrey is and extremely educated, independent and strong women of her time. At first I wasn’t sure how her role as lady-in-waiting was going to work in this story but it was brilliantly played. All of the central characters in this story was written strong and even the behind the scene characters play an important role. Often times I read stories where there are characters that don’t add to the story one bit and this is not the case in this one. I don’t often say this because it’s a cliché but I was at the edge of my seat reading this story pretty much the whole time and I got annoyed when people would interrupt me from reading….*laughing*  One of the other things I find extremely important in a story is to leave the reader guessing who done it. Most times I guess the murderer right off the bat and that annoys me to no end. It wasn’t like that for this book. And the title and premise for this story is excellent!  When I read a book I want strong characters, dialogue, plot, setting, and intelligent writing. I found all this in Murder in The Queens Wardrobe. I am patiently waiting for more stories like this from Emerson and I want to read more adventure with Mistress Rosemond Jaffrey. She is my new favorite female character.  Who am I kidding….I hope that the author comes out with another story and soon! Highly recommend!