From Publishers Weekly
The sequel to Dickinson's King and Joker brings readers back into the lives of his fictional but convincing British royal family during a crucial period: October 1987 through September 1988. The focus is on Princess Louise, her husband Piers Chandler and their infant son David. Subtly, the author hints at danger when the princess meets Mrs. Walsh, a woman claiming to be a Romanov who escaped during the Russian Revolution. At Walsh's apartment, Louise and baby David are trapped by kidnappers, and she comports herself admirably until rescue comes. But the mysterious Mrs. Walsh, and another Russian on the scene, are killed, leaving the princess determined to learn the secrets that died with them. Thus Louise accompanies Piers to Tashkent and finds out what Walsh had strived to conceal about her past. A superb stylist, the author evokes empathy for the ruling family, especially HRH and her commoner spouse--righteous, regal, and human as any real-life exponent of the arduous royal life.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
A sequel to Dickinson's King and Joker , this novel focuses on the same fictional British royal family after the death of heroine Princess Louise's grandmother, Grand Duchess Marie Romanov. Dickinson juggles several subplots--a rumor of possible terrorist action; the odd behavior of Louise's sister-in-law--but concentrates mostly on the Grand Duchess's possibly scandalous letters and the strange woman hired to translate them from Russian. This rather slight story is bolstered by a facile, intelligent prose style, well-developed characters, and some penetrating insights into how it feels to live a life where one's every action is dictated, discussed, and endlessly scrutinized. Less a suspense thriller than a "slice of life," this should please those looking for a leisurely, literate change of pace. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 9/1/89.
- William Schoell, New YorkCopyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
