Three times previously married and once a forced lover for the sake of alliances, recently widowed Ursula Blanchard takes a fourth husband in yet another politically arranged marriage. Spain is the enemy of Elizabethian England, and the ill-suited Count Gilbert Renard is brought forth by Sir Francis Walsingham as part of a treaty with France. Without a choice in the matter, Ursula attempts to make the best of a less than favorable situation…until a murder, ruled as accidental, occurs in her own home. From there, she sets out on a perilous journey to find answers, all while the stability of both her position and that of England hangs in the balance.
Fiona Buckley's A Perilous Alliance is a quality mystery, made even more compelling by an eloquently detailed armchair tour of Tudor England, chock-full of beautiful imagery and vivid descriptions. I received an advance review copy, and am rating this on the assumption that its issues with regard to awkward and loquacious sentences will be ironed out for the final product. A great deal of attention has been paid to the painting of her characters and they, along with the landscape, really do come to life. With that being said, this absorbing tale is occasionally let down by farfetched scenarios and inauthentic character interaction that do detract from the story's believability—but not enough to make you want to set the book aside. Buckley is an amazing storyteller, and A Perilous Alliance is a wonderful read with fantastic Tudor detailing, a riveting plot, and a strong, descriptive story line.
I'd like to thank Net Galley and the publisher Severn House for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion, which this is.
FOUR STARS
Amazon Link: A Perilous Alliance: A Tudor mystery featuring Ursula Blanchard (An Ursula Blanchard Elizabethan Mystery)
This post contains an affiliate link, which means that if you click on the Amazon link and buy the book, I may receive a commission.
No comments:
Post a Comment