From Publishers Weekly
Forget the publisher's misleading comparisons to the intellectual teasers Possession and The Name of the Rose and enjoy this highly colored historical novel on its own merits. Set in Elizabethan England, it sensuously reconstructs the era's visual pomp and splendor as well as the fetid odors and pervasive damp chill of a London winter. Finney ( A Shadow of Gulls ) endows her players with a rich language--essentially modern English lightly laced with fanciful syntax and Elizabethan vocabulary. The plot, in which members of Elizabeth's secret service ferret out would-be assassins of the Virgin Queen, is heavy with coincidence and short on actual sleuthing. These flaws, however, are camouflaged by an exotic, convincing cast of characters, among them a madman; Portuguese Jews who have found refuge behind the English throne; physicians; courtiers; teachers of swordplay; traitors and pretenders. Historical and wholly invented figures mix easily, a tribute to the author's careful research and panoramic vision. 40,000 first printing.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
In the fall of 1583, Elizabeth Tudor has been queen of England for 25 years and the target of plots to restore Catholic rule to England for about the same length of time. Tom O'Bedlam, the mad son of a prominent Catholic family, narrates this tale of one such attempt. Roaming the London streets, Tom sees the threads of an assassination plot slowly woven into an ever-tightening net by his own hated brother, a fanatical Catholic. Will Tom be able to aid those trying to destroy the conspiracy? The answer provides a suspenseful, absorbing read. Finney's ( A Shadow of Gulls , LJ 8/77) prose has a wonderful rhythm reminiscent of another age; she evokes time and place with a sure touch. The beauty of her language lifts this marvelous novel of history and political intrigue far above the ordinary. Highly recommended for any fiction collection.
-Dean James, Houston Acad. of Medicine/Texas Medical Ctr. Lib.Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
