Queen's Bounty

Ursula Blanchard #10

by Fiona Buckley

The tenth gripping mystery to feature Ursula Blanchard, special aide to Queen Elizabeth I.

Happily married to her third husband, Ursula Blanchard is rudely shaken on receipt of a threatening letter from the exiled Anne Percy, Countess of Northumberland, whose treasonous plot against Elizabeth I, Ursula helped foil a few months previously. Ursula dismisses the Countess's letter as idle threats, but then a series of strange events rocks Ursula's household, and Ursula herself is accused of witchcraft. Could Anne Percy really be orchestrating a plot against Ursula from her exile in the Netherlands? And, if so, how can Ursula prove it before she is hanged as a witch?

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Historical Mystery, British Literature, Tudor Period

240 pages, Hardcover

First published April 27, 2012

About the author

Valerie Anand is a British author of historical fiction. Under the pen name Fiona Buckley she writes the series of historical mysteries, set in the reign of Elizabeth I of England, featuring "Ursula Blanchard" (whose full name is Ursula Faldene Blanchard de la Roche Stannard). Under her own name she writes historical fiction based on the royalty of England and the Bridges over Time series which follows a family from the eleventh century through the nineteenth century.

Series:
* Ursula Blanchard

Reviews

[William]

I had a difficult time finishing this book - the first half was boring and the second half just dragged on and on. I've struggled through other books in this series, but this was the worst.

[J. Kirsch]

This is another strong showing in the Ursula Blanchard mystery series set in the time of Elizabeth I. That said, I have to admit, in the series it's the first book where I felt genuinely frustrated by Ursula's choices and overall approach.

As the title implies, in this book both Ursula and her manservant, Roger Brockley, have a bounty put on their heads by an old arch-nemesis. This aspect of the book adds an intriguing element not present in the previous books, and to me this was the strongest part of the book because it ratcheted up the excitement, mystery (who exactly is targeting her and why?), and suspense.

However, Ursula's way of handling it to me seemed uncharacteristically obtuse. For example, when one of the main villains gives her 2 cloaks as a 'gift' after insulting her and accusing her of heinous crimes in front of all her daughter's wedding guests, she blithely allows the 2 cloaks to be added to her collection rather than questioning *why* he would give her such things. Especially in light of attempts on the life of her manservant, this lack of awareness on Ursula's part seems outrageously out of character.

Yes, this is a compelling read and I still highly recommend it. It also delves into how charges of witchcraft were dealt with in England in the late 1500's and shows just how easily people could subvert or hijack the rule of law to target women deemed as other or social nonconformists. Nonetheless, there are times where you will want to tear your hair out due to Ursula choosing the worst times to be passive, overconfident, or even downright naive about events unfolding around her. By the end of the book, you may well identify and empathize with Gladys Morgan's desperate methods to aid Ursula in getting out of a predicament largely of her own making.

[Michelle]

(3.5 stars) This is the 10th book in the series. Ursula is shocked to receive a threatening letter from the Netherlands from Anne Perry who is in exile after plotting against the Queen. Ursula brushes off the threat and has acquiesced to her daughter getting married and is busy with the preparations. But strange occurrences and near misses make Ursula wonder if Anne Perry’s reach is farther than she expected. Ursula and her family are at risk as a web of lies threatens to take them down. She, her friends, and family must work together to save them from imprisonment or death.

[Becky Durstenfeld]

I enjoyed this story. I didn't realize it was the 10th in a series and didn't read any of the previous ones. I didn't like this one enough to want to read the previous ones. It seems like they would have similar plots. A few of the scenarios seemed a bit implausible, but it is nice reading a book with no profanity or sex. I liked the main characters. Of course the ending was no surprise, but that was OK.

[Kimberly Ann]

Very little if anything inclusive of Elizabeth, Lord Burghley, Walsingham...

Mostly about Anne Percy: Countess of Northumberland & her plotted revenge against Ursula Blanchard-Stannard for foiling her previous plot to put Mary Scots on the throne.

Ursula & her household are thrust into turmoil as Ursula & her maid Sybill are framed for witchcraft.

[Jane Irish Nelson]

3.5 stars. Weddings feature prominently in this story. First, Ursula and her husband Hugh attend the wedding of Alice Cobbold, daughter of friends and neighbors. Then Ursula's daughter, Meg, recently turned fifteen, and her betrothed wish to marry sooner rather than later — Ursula had intended to wait till Meg turned sixteen. But everyone advises going ahead now, so she agrees. The other theme involves feuds. The Cobbold and Ferris families have been at daggers drawn for three generations, and the feud shows no likelihood of ending soon. In addition, there is Anne Percy's vendetta against Ursula, revealed in a letter she sends to Ursula. Fascinating period detail along with a dash of real people amongst the fictional makes this book a very enjoyable read, though some parts can be difficult to stomach.

[BRT]

Another good book in this series about Queen Elizabeth's illegitimate half sister. In this book, she doesn't do any spying for the Queen but the drama hits closer to home. Someone she thwarted in the past manages to make trouble for her family and endanger her life.

[Sarah Schattman]

Bewitching adventure

Ursula Blanchard accused of Witchcraft? You’d best believe it. An implacable enemy has plotted to destroy Ursula and Brockley. Mixed in are weddings, a romance of star crossed lovers and a triple hanging.

[Amy]

A shorter tightly written mystery. Excellent plot. Enjoyed it.

[Karen]

Um... on one hand, I kind of really liked this book. On the other hand, I knew it was ridiculously improbable and historically inaccurate. It was bit like high-brow chick-lit.

[Michell Karnes]

Ursula works to solve another mystery right in her own home. I love these mysteries set in Elizabethan times.

[Michelle]

3.5
Found myself a little irritated with the filler paragraphs that recapped all that happened in the last 9 books. I also wasn't too excited by the premise to start. But I enjoyed the ending!

[Ann]

Liked the characters and historical context. A time when women were property and a woman was queen.

[Kristina Deluise]

please see the deluise book series channel in march on you tube for my review

[San]

I fear that this series has gone the way of so many others with serious longevity: repetitive stories with uneven reliance on previous books to keep the storyline going. While the Catholic/Protestant conflict has provided a great basis for much of the series, things are just getting a bit odd. This story was completely reliant on a previous story for plot advancement yet there wasn't enough important information from the previous book to be helpful. Multiple mentions of how a previous antagonist was foiled by pepper was not enough to be helpful in understanding the Countesses venom. Multiple mentions of Ursula and Brockley's non-affair were not necessary. I fear that this series will join Janet Evanovich and Diane Mott Davidson as to tired to continue.

[Jenni]

Queen's Bounty is a great sequel to the last book in the Ursula Blanchard series...I liked that. The events that created the mystery all came together nicely at the end of the story, as the author often does well. The characters continue to develop, so it's not just about the mystery. It was a little predictable for me, but I'm not always great at solving mysteries so it was fun to be able to feel as though I was figuring this out.

Another reviewer mentioned needing to read this series in order - yes, I would definitely recommend doing so. The series is worth it - very good historical detail and great plot lines.

[Wynne]

I wonder if the writer is losing interest in the series. The best part of the book was her description of a wedding for an upper middle class family during Elizabethan England. Since it is #9 in a series there is a lot of "memory of adventures past", and the story seems to have much "sameness" to it. How many times do we need to know that Dale gets her feelings hurt when Brockley goes on an adventure with Ursula? Despite my complaints, I will probably keep reading. Go figure.
There was quite a bit in this book about the fear of witches and the hysteria surrounding it. I might decide to do some reading about this later.

[Jane Bigelow]

This a wonderful series, and Queen's Bounty is a worthy addition to it. The historical detail is solid as ever; the plot is clever; I love Ursula Blanchard.

There's a remarkable balance in these books. I think it's the only time I have ever seen a witch hunter portrayed as a person with a conscience and rigorous intellectual honesty.

My only sorrow is that I'm now completely up to date on the series and will have to wait for the next one. Well, maybe I regret picking it up late at night. I should know better. I had to finish reading!

[Joanna]

The sparkle of the earlier installments of this series is absent in this particular book. The characters have gotten older, which is to be expected, but most unfortunately they also seem to have become less introspective, observant, and intelligent overall. The introduction of new characters, essentially so that they can be killed off as plot line cannon fodder, is particularly strange and distressing. I love Ursula, but this is far from Blanchard's best work.

[Lalla]

While this story is filled with all the familiar characters from previous novels in this series, Ursula is much the focus of the plot and not Queen Elizabeth. I enjoyed the description of wedding preparations and found some of them similar to ones we do now as well as some very different. The story is filled with drama, excitement, and insight into the beliefs of the common and upper class people of the times. The conclusion is exciting and satisfying of all readers.

[Carol]

A continuation of a series that seems to be losing steam. Ursula ( the protagonist) once again finds herself stuck where she doesn't belong after her daughter 's wedding and so continues her usual machinations to get out of her dilemma. I hope the author returns to her previous form with more sleuthing and adventure or this could become a rather humdrum series.

[Paula]

I want to like this series and i have read them all so far but i am giving up. For some reason I have never connected with Ursula and I don't think I even like her. The books are kind of boring and I just don't care enough to continue. I feel bad about it though because I should like this series.

[Dena]

Elizabethan England could be a very dangerous place to live in if you were a strong, intelligent and capable female. Ms. Buckley provides a deep understanding of the time through this series. Ursula and cast are characters you are able to relate to no matter what century you live in.

[Kate]

Very enjoyable historical novel in this well-researched and personable series.

[Susan Moore]

Love these books. This one bogged down to the end but was well worth getting through.

[Becky]

Best one yet!

[Julie]

Buckley kills off two characters in pretty horrifying circumstances and everyone just seems to think it's kind of a shame, shrug, and go on.

[Liz]

Gladys with that Olenna Tyrrell move at the end.

[Georgia]

Really good. Kept you guessing right to the last.

[Lana Glover]

Meh. This one wasn't nearly as good as the previous books in the series.