FROM THE PUBLISHER

WHEN MARGARET CAVENDISH, one of Elizabeth I's Gentlewomen of the Bedchamber, lost her life in a bungled attempt to kill the Queen, her daughter, Lady Grace, became a protegee to the monarch, who takes Grace under her wing. Now Grace, a spunky girl who romps through the gardens with the laundry maids and court tumblers and rolls her eyes at her fellow
ladies, chronicles the court intrigues that swirl around her. . . .

It's the spring of 1569 and 13-year-old Lady Grace, the youngest lady-in-waiting to the Queen, finds herself at a glittering ball choosing amongst three suitors. But the Queen's generosity turns deadly as threats, dark secrets, and even murder descend on the Tudor court. And it is up to Grace to use her intelligence, stealth, and curious nature to solve the mystery that threatens the very lifeblood of England.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

This snappily paced caper launches the Lady Grace Mysteries, a series of attractively designed and priced paper-over-board volumes written as journal entries in the "daybooke" of a young Maid of Honour to Queen Elizabeth I. On her deathbed a year earlier, Lady Grace Cavendish's mother (who was poisoned when she sipped tainted wine intended for the queen) entrusted the monarch with finding a suitable husband for her daughter. The queen has summoned three suitors to Whitehall Palace and, at a pageantry-filled St. Valentine's Day ball, Grace must chose one to wed. The girl selects bashful, stammering Lord Robert, who is then arrested for the stabbing of another suitor (an aiglet bearing Robert's family crest is discovered near the body). Realizing that it makes little sense for Robert, victorious in winning her hand, to have killed his former rival, Grace asks Queen Elizabeth to delay committing her intended to the Tower while she tries to "find out the truth of the matter." Thus the stage is set for this spunky sleuth to follow a curlicue trail of clues to crack the mystery. Peppered with Elizabethan expressions and Court titles (explained in a concluding glossary), the narrative provides an engaging look at 16th-century Court life. Readers will be encouraged to search out further intrigue in the series' second installment, Betrayal (ISBN 0-385-73152-3), due out the same month. Ages 8-12. (Sept.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature - Janet Crane Barley

Lady Grace Cavendish, Maid of Honor to Queen Elizabeth I, is a favorite of the Queen's, even though (or maybe because) she is a bit headstrong and inclined to go her own way. Now that Lady Grace is 13, she must become betrothed to one of three men chosen by the Queen. Hardly has Grace made her choice, when one of the rejected suitors turns up dead and her fiance is accused of the murder. Grace feels the clues just don't add up and decides to investigate. She turns up far more treachery and intrigue than she dreamed of. The Queen rewards her by promising that she need not become betrothed for the time being. Lady Grace secretly records the story of her adventures in her most "privy and secrete daybooke" and paints a captivating picture of life as it might really have been in the Elizabethan court. A glossary defines unfamiliar words, but the words are woven so skillfully into the text that readers will likely assume a correct meaning. End notes add background on poisons, Elizabethan clothing, and the historical facts behind this story that includes several characters taken from history. "The Lady Grace Mysteries" continue with a second adventure, Betrayal. A third, Conspiracy, is to be published in February 2005. This book was such a delight; I hope there will be a mystery for each letter of the alphabet. 2004, Delacorte Press, Ages 9 up.

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Presented in the form of "daybookes" written by Lady Grace Cavendish, and "discovered" by Patricia Finney, this mystery series engages readers from the beginning. Lady Grace, a favorite Maid of Honour to Queen Elizabeth I, is intelligent, observant, and quick thinking. At the Valentine's ball, she must choose her fianc from among three suitors. Later that evening, one of the rejected men is found with a knife in his back, and the chosen suitor is charged with murder. Something seems amiss to the protagonist, and when she shares her concerns, Queen Elizabeth allows her to investigate the situation secretly. When Lady Grace and her friends complete the daring rescue of the third suitor, who has been kidnapped, all of the answers fall into place. Action makes the story a page-turner, but Lady Grace's wit and personality are what readers will really enjoy. In Betrayal, captains Francis Drake and Hugh Derby are quite taken with another Maid of Honor and vie for her affections. Several days later, a letter arrives saying that Lady Sarah and Capt. Drake have eloped. Lady Grace is suspicious, and she and a friend go to Drake's ship to investigate. They are inadvertently locked aboard, and when the ship puts out to sea, they are discovered and pretend to be stowaways. Undercover as a boy, Lady Grace learns to use the "jakes" (outside toilets), climbs the yards and ropes, and uses her archery skills to send flaming arrows over to a pirate ship. Both stories are great fun, and Finney does a magnificent job of weaving in details of life in Elizabethan England.-Cheri Dobbs, Detroit Country Day Middle School, Beverly Hills, MI Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.