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Lady Emily Ashton Mysteries #13
Uneasy Lies the Crown
In Uneasy Lies the Crown, the thrilling new mystery in Tasha Alexander's bestselling series, Lady Emily and her husband Colin must stop a serial killer whose sights may be set on the new king, Edward VII.
On her deathbed, Queen Victoria asks to speak privately with trusted agent of the Crown, Colin Hargreaves, and slips him a letter with one last command: Une sanz pluis. Sapere aude. “One and no more. Dare to know.”
The year is 1901 and the death of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch has sent the entire British Empire into mourning. But for Lady Emily and her dashing husband, Colin, the grieving is cut short as another death takes center stage. A body has been found in the Tower of London, posed to look like the murdered medieval king Henry VI. When a second dead man turns up in London's exclusive Berkeley Square, his mutilated remains staged to evoke the violent demise of Edward II, it becomes evident that the mastermind behind the crimes plans to strike again.
The race to find the killer takes Emily deep into the capital’s underbelly, teeming with secret gangs, street children, and sleazy brothels—but the clues aren’t adding up. Even more puzzling are the anonymous letters Colin has been receiving since Victoria's death, seeming to threaten her successor, Edward VII. With the killer leaving a trail of dead kings in his wake, will Edward be the next victim?
On her deathbed, Queen Victoria asks to speak privately with trusted agent of the Crown, Colin Hargreaves, and slips him a letter with one last command: Une sanz pluis. Sapere aude. “One and no more. Dare to know.”
The year is 1901 and the death of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch has sent the entire British Empire into mourning. But for Lady Emily and her dashing husband, Colin, the grieving is cut short as another death takes center stage. A body has been found in the Tower of London, posed to look like the murdered medieval king Henry VI. When a second dead man turns up in London's exclusive Berkeley Square, his mutilated remains staged to evoke the violent demise of Edward II, it becomes evident that the mastermind behind the crimes plans to strike again.
The race to find the killer takes Emily deep into the capital’s underbelly, teeming with secret gangs, street children, and sleazy brothels—but the clues aren’t adding up. Even more puzzling are the anonymous letters Colin has been receiving since Victoria's death, seeming to threaten her successor, Edward VII. With the killer leaving a trail of dead kings in his wake, will Edward be the next victim?
320 pages, Paperback
First published October 30, 2018
432 people are currently reading
1473 people want to read
About the author
Tasha Alexander
31 books2,597 followersThe daughter of two philosophy professors, I grew up surrounded by books. I was convinced from an early age that I was born in the wrong century and spent much of my childhood under the dining room table pretending it was a covered wagon. Even there, I was never without a book in hand and loved reading and history more than anything. I studied English Literature and Medieval History at the University of Notre Dame. Writing is a natural offshoot of reading, and my first novel, And Only to Deceive, was published in 2005. I'm the author of the long-running Lady Emily Series as well as the novel Elizabeth: The Golden Age. One of the best parts of being an author is seeing your books translated, and I'm currently in love with the Japanese editions of the Emily books.
I played nomad for a long time, living in Indiana, Amsterdam, London, Wyoming, Vermont, Connecticut, and Tennessee before settling down. My husband, the brilliant British novelist Andrew Grant (I may be biased but that doesn't mean I'm wrong) and I live in southeastern Wyoming. I still don't have a covered wagon, but a log house goes a long way toward fulfilling my pioneer fantasies. Andrew makes sure I get my English characters right, and I make sure his American ones sound American.
I played nomad for a long time, living in Indiana, Amsterdam, London, Wyoming, Vermont, Connecticut, and Tennessee before settling down. My husband, the brilliant British novelist Andrew Grant (I may be biased but that doesn't mean I'm wrong) and I live in southeastern Wyoming. I still don't have a covered wagon, but a log house goes a long way toward fulfilling my pioneer fantasies. Andrew makes sure I get my English characters right, and I make sure his American ones sound American.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 302 reviews
November 16, 2018
Yes, I gave it three stars. I liked it, but boy, did it have problems!
I wish the author would abandon (forever) alternating between two different storylines chapter by very short chapter. Especially when the 'past' storyline seems to have absolutely nothing to do with the 'now' storyline.
I sort of enjoyed reading about Colin's ancestor William and William's naive (and overly devout) young wife Cecily. That story would have made a fun novella. However, the constant interruption of the main mystery by these visits to the 1400s, was frustrating and distracting.
The main mystery was interesting and twisty. It is always fun for me to watch the interplay between Lady Emily and her dashing husband Colin. Colin has his hands full in this one. Before Queen Victoria died she tasked Colin with watching over Bertie (now King Edward VII). Colin soon begins receiving notes that lead him on some kind of 'scavenger hunt'--but to what end?
At the same time a series of murders in London occur, each victim dressed as a murdered English king ; the mode of death replicating the manner in which said monarch died. This is clearly a threat to the new king, isn't it? Of course Lady Emily is right there, developing her own theories about the notes and the murders.
It was nice to see Lady Emily's friend Jeremy, Duke of Bainbridge, again. He (and his new Daimler motorcar) prove to be quite useful to Lady Emily in her investigations. We also meet a charming young Scotland Yard detective who rejoices in the name of Fenimore Cooper Pickering. Det. Pickering likewise proves to be quite useful. I hope we see more of him in the future.
The murders are eventually solved, of course. Likewise, the mystery of the notes. And Finally!! at the very end of the book, we get the (to me, very weak) link between the two storylines.
I have read this series since the first book came out--and I'll probably keep reading them, even though the entries have become, IMO, a lot more uneven in quality.
I wish the author would abandon (forever) alternating between two different storylines chapter by very short chapter. Especially when the 'past' storyline seems to have absolutely nothing to do with the 'now' storyline.
I sort of enjoyed reading about Colin's ancestor William and William's naive (and overly devout) young wife Cecily. That story would have made a fun novella. However, the constant interruption of the main mystery by these visits to the 1400s, was frustrating and distracting.
The main mystery was interesting and twisty. It is always fun for me to watch the interplay between Lady Emily and her dashing husband Colin. Colin has his hands full in this one. Before Queen Victoria died she tasked Colin with watching over Bertie (now King Edward VII). Colin soon begins receiving notes that lead him on some kind of 'scavenger hunt'--but to what end?
At the same time a series of murders in London occur, each victim dressed as a murdered English king ; the mode of death replicating the manner in which said monarch died. This is clearly a threat to the new king, isn't it? Of course Lady Emily is right there, developing her own theories about the notes and the murders.
It was nice to see Lady Emily's friend Jeremy, Duke of Bainbridge, again. He (and his new Daimler motorcar) prove to be quite useful to Lady Emily in her investigations. We also meet a charming young Scotland Yard detective who rejoices in the name of Fenimore Cooper Pickering. Det. Pickering likewise proves to be quite useful. I hope we see more of him in the future.
The murders are eventually solved, of course. Likewise, the mystery of the notes. And Finally!! at the very end of the book, we get the (to me, very weak) link between the two storylines.
I have read this series since the first book came out--and I'll probably keep reading them, even though the entries have become, IMO, a lot more uneven in quality.
August 9, 2018
Thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book for review.
Oh, dear. My relationship with this series may be coming to an end. The last couple have been decidedly average, and this book fell below that, in my opinion.
The first two chapters actually had me excited for the rest of the book. First, Queen Victoria dies- the book is set in 1901. Both Emily and her husband Colin have had her as queen for their entire lives, much as we have Queen Elizabeth II today. Two things of import happen: first, Colin is given a letter by the queen shortly before she passes. It's a mystery that he can't understand. Second, a body is found in the Tower of London during the new king's coronation ceremony. The body is positioned in a costume and position that evokes a past slain king. This seems like a threat to the new monarch, but how did the killer pull off such a staging of the body?
As per her last few books, there is a split story here. The second part of the story takes place starting in 1415, with one of Colin's distant ancestors, just before he was given his title.
I love English history and getting to read about two different time periods sounded awesome. However: Lady Emily seems to have become a caricature of herself. She is maddenly oblivious to her own privilege as an aristocrat and her gallivanting off to the East End to interrogate a grieving widow whom she's never met was just the first thing that I found annoying. More bodies turn up, and again the staging of them verges on the ludicrously improbable. In addition, she and Colin are doing a sort of scavenger hunt in an attempt to make some sense of the queen's last request to him. A drawing of a lance leads Lady Emily to a lance display in the Tower of London, where she conveniently finds another piece of paper with a drawing of a... rock? Why didn't anyone notice the envelope stuck into the wall in the lance display before she did?
Meanwhile, the 1415 storyline turns into more of a summary of a story than an actual story. The tale runs along the surface and splits yet again- one part following Lady Cecily as she waits for her husband to return from the fighting in France at a childhood friend's estate, and one part with her husband. The war part felt like a summary of a history book- I didn't care about any of the characters because there wasn't enough time spent on them. Lady Cecily wasn't any better. All she wanted to do was read her Christine de Pizan book, pray, and avoid people. Maybe some light embroidery. It felt like the author wanted to write a book in a different time period but couldn't get away with actually doing that so instead she inserted half of the book she'd wanted to write into a Lady Emily book.
Anyway, I skipped to the end and read backwards. I'll only say that the two strands of the 1901 mystery had nothing to do with each other and both were... far-fetched. The 1415 storyline ended up feeling like a morality play- nothing unexpected, nothing to get excited about. Lady Cecily and Lady Emily each felt rather self-righteous. These books have stopped feeling like an exciting interlude in another century and have started feeling like visiting a relative that I don't particularly like. I will probably give the series another try, knowing me, but I feel that the characters have gotten stale and that the series could use a rest.
Oh, dear. My relationship with this series may be coming to an end. The last couple have been decidedly average, and this book fell below that, in my opinion.
The first two chapters actually had me excited for the rest of the book. First, Queen Victoria dies- the book is set in 1901. Both Emily and her husband Colin have had her as queen for their entire lives, much as we have Queen Elizabeth II today. Two things of import happen: first, Colin is given a letter by the queen shortly before she passes. It's a mystery that he can't understand. Second, a body is found in the Tower of London during the new king's coronation ceremony. The body is positioned in a costume and position that evokes a past slain king. This seems like a threat to the new monarch, but how did the killer pull off such a staging of the body?
As per her last few books, there is a split story here. The second part of the story takes place starting in 1415, with one of Colin's distant ancestors, just before he was given his title.
I love English history and getting to read about two different time periods sounded awesome. However: Lady Emily seems to have become a caricature of herself. She is maddenly oblivious to her own privilege as an aristocrat and her gallivanting off to the East End to interrogate a grieving widow whom she's never met was just the first thing that I found annoying. More bodies turn up, and again the staging of them verges on the ludicrously improbable. In addition, she and Colin are doing a sort of scavenger hunt in an attempt to make some sense of the queen's last request to him. A drawing of a lance leads Lady Emily to a lance display in the Tower of London, where she conveniently finds another piece of paper with a drawing of a... rock? Why didn't anyone notice the envelope stuck into the wall in the lance display before she did?
Meanwhile, the 1415 storyline turns into more of a summary of a story than an actual story. The tale runs along the surface and splits yet again- one part following Lady Cecily as she waits for her husband to return from the fighting in France at a childhood friend's estate, and one part with her husband. The war part felt like a summary of a history book- I didn't care about any of the characters because there wasn't enough time spent on them. Lady Cecily wasn't any better. All she wanted to do was read her Christine de Pizan book, pray, and avoid people. Maybe some light embroidery. It felt like the author wanted to write a book in a different time period but couldn't get away with actually doing that so instead she inserted half of the book she'd wanted to write into a Lady Emily book.
Anyway, I skipped to the end and read backwards. I'll only say that the two strands of the 1901 mystery had nothing to do with each other and both were... far-fetched. The 1415 storyline ended up feeling like a morality play- nothing unexpected, nothing to get excited about. Lady Cecily and Lady Emily each felt rather self-righteous. These books have stopped feeling like an exciting interlude in another century and have started feeling like visiting a relative that I don't particularly like. I will probably give the series another try, knowing me, but I feel that the characters have gotten stale and that the series could use a rest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2019
Just WOW! I LOVED this addition to the Lady Emily series. As one of my friends said in her review, something just kept me glued to this plot and I was rushing through to see how it would end. Some reviews have made negative comments about the stories from the past that the author features in most of the Lady Emily books. To me, its like the Royal Diaries series for adults. I always enjoy them, and this one in particular will go down as a personal favorite. I also love seeing Colin and Emily as parents now, and some of my favorite parts of the story were reading the interactions between them and their sons. Now, on to the Edwardian Era! I can’t wait to see what Emilys next adventure will be.
October 3, 2018
Series: Lady Emily #13
Publication Date: 10/30/18
I had such fun reading this fast-paced, well-written book! Best of all – you actually get three stories. Now, some folks will find it disconcerting to switch from 1415 in one chapter to 1901 in another chapter. I absolutely understand why the author did the story that way and was good with it, but I can suggest that IF that bothers you, just read all of the 1901 chapters first and then read the 1401, etc. chapters. I must also say that, while I still love Lady Emily, she is seeming more and more arrogant and self-righteous in each new installment.
The chapters in 1901 deal with two mysteries. Are the two related or separate? Well, you’ll just have to read the book to find out. It is the day of Queen Victoria’s funeral and all of England is in mourning. When a body, dressed as an earlier ruler, is found at the Tower of London it raises the alarm of all of those involved in the protection of the new King. Colin Hargreaves and his wife Emily are on the case even though Scotland Yard is doing the investigation. The Scotland Yard inspector definitely doesn’t welcome Lady Emily’s involvement, but she just works around him and finds more clues than he does. Well – frankly, he’s just looking for clues that tie the murder to the new King and his safety and Emily is looking for who committed the murder. The Inspector wants to be in charge of the new King’s security detail. Then, there is a second and third murder both victims dressed to represent the demise of a former ruler. Is the murderer threatening the new King Edward by saying that even kings can be killed? Emily is of two minds – one that it is a threat to the king and another that says it is not related to the king at all. The resolution will keep you guessing right up to the end when it all comes together.
Just before her death Queen Victoria summons Colin to her chamber, hands him an envelope and tells him, “Take this and do as it says.” “All will be clear in time. We need you for this. . . .” She died soon after that encounter and left Colin with what seems to be a scavenger hunt. Do the clues contained in the envelope have a bearing on the murders or are they entirely separate? Why would the Queen leave him such clues?
The chapters from 1415 through 1459 tell the story of one of Colin’s early ancestors and how he served his king. They are very short chapters and the story they tell is a nice one. You definitely don’t want to skip those because they definitely add to the story.
Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview
"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."
Publication Date: 10/30/18
I had such fun reading this fast-paced, well-written book! Best of all – you actually get three stories. Now, some folks will find it disconcerting to switch from 1415 in one chapter to 1901 in another chapter. I absolutely understand why the author did the story that way and was good with it, but I can suggest that IF that bothers you, just read all of the 1901 chapters first and then read the 1401, etc. chapters. I must also say that, while I still love Lady Emily, she is seeming more and more arrogant and self-righteous in each new installment.
The chapters in 1901 deal with two mysteries. Are the two related or separate? Well, you’ll just have to read the book to find out. It is the day of Queen Victoria’s funeral and all of England is in mourning. When a body, dressed as an earlier ruler, is found at the Tower of London it raises the alarm of all of those involved in the protection of the new King. Colin Hargreaves and his wife Emily are on the case even though Scotland Yard is doing the investigation. The Scotland Yard inspector definitely doesn’t welcome Lady Emily’s involvement, but she just works around him and finds more clues than he does. Well – frankly, he’s just looking for clues that tie the murder to the new King and his safety and Emily is looking for who committed the murder. The Inspector wants to be in charge of the new King’s security detail. Then, there is a second and third murder both victims dressed to represent the demise of a former ruler. Is the murderer threatening the new King Edward by saying that even kings can be killed? Emily is of two minds – one that it is a threat to the king and another that says it is not related to the king at all. The resolution will keep you guessing right up to the end when it all comes together.
Just before her death Queen Victoria summons Colin to her chamber, hands him an envelope and tells him, “Take this and do as it says.” “All will be clear in time. We need you for this. . . .” She died soon after that encounter and left Colin with what seems to be a scavenger hunt. Do the clues contained in the envelope have a bearing on the murders or are they entirely separate? Why would the Queen leave him such clues?
The chapters from 1415 through 1459 tell the story of one of Colin’s early ancestors and how he served his king. They are very short chapters and the story they tell is a nice one. You definitely don’t want to skip those because they definitely add to the story.
Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview
"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."
December 27, 2018
Those alternate POV chapters are still not working. In previous books they gave too much of the mystery away, but this time out they have the opposite problem: they aren't connected to the story at all. They're basically just summaries of the lives of the couple that founded Colin's family estate. Those chapters get a little too showy with their research, and they kill any momentum that the rest of the book manages to build.
The story starts with the most promise that one of these novels has shown in years. There's an intriguing murder, and we also get the sense that maybe these characters will move forward along with their newly Edwardian setting. Unfortunately Emily comes across as an out-of-touch jerk. She makes vague, shallow pronouncements about how things should be different for the poor while using her connections to badger widows and prostitutes that she'll have forgotten all about by the next novel. Any charitable moments feel more like investigative tactics or attempts to make these people seem likable than genuine impulses.
The overall plot mostly hangs together, but the climax is a bit of a bore. I don't have much patience for mysteries that end with . Between the increasingly weak characterization and all that of ancestral filler, this series is continuing to slide.
The story starts with the most promise that one of these novels has shown in years. There's an intriguing murder, and we also get the sense that maybe these characters will move forward along with their newly Edwardian setting. Unfortunately Emily comes across as an out-of-touch jerk. She makes vague, shallow pronouncements about how things should be different for the poor while using her connections to badger widows and prostitutes that she'll have forgotten all about by the next novel. Any charitable moments feel more like investigative tactics or attempts to make these people seem likable than genuine impulses.
The overall plot mostly hangs together, but the climax is a bit of a bore. I don't have much patience for mysteries that end with . Between the increasingly weak characterization and all that of ancestral filler, this series is continuing to slide.
August 16, 2018
I really enjoyed this mystery, and spending time with Lady Emily, Colin and their boys. Their friend Jeremy is very helpful in this book, driving Emily around in his new car, of which she is very jealous. I like the travels around London to solve this mystery, especially down to tunnels underneath the Tower of London!
September 2, 2018
Being relatively new to the Lady Emily series, I was unsure what to expect in this 13th entry. Having only finished the first two books, Uneasy Lies the Crown put me in a time machine that catapulted me ten years into the future of Lady Emily and her husband Colin Hargreaves. I was gratified to see that the pair has settled happily into married life and are the parents of three boys.
Nevertheless, domestic bliss has not put a stop to their investigations, and, as Colin receives an enigmatic message from a dying Queen Victoria, he partners with his wife to investigate a series of grisly murders. The staging of the murders harken back to the deaths of Medieval English kings and leads Colin to worry for the safety of the Prince "Bertie," who will soon be crowned Edward II. Emily, however, interprets the murders differently, leading to an investigation that has her plumbing the depths of Victorian society in her quest for answers.
The mystery alternates with a parallel story which looks at Colin's ancestry, and this tale is nearly as compelling as that of Emily and Colin.
Author Tasha Alexander's knowledge of English history is on display here as she skillfully intertwines real personages and events with an absorbing whodunit.
Full Disclosure--Net Gallery and the publisher provided me with a digital ARC of this book. This is my honest review.
Nevertheless, domestic bliss has not put a stop to their investigations, and, as Colin receives an enigmatic message from a dying Queen Victoria, he partners with his wife to investigate a series of grisly murders. The staging of the murders harken back to the deaths of Medieval English kings and leads Colin to worry for the safety of the Prince "Bertie," who will soon be crowned Edward II. Emily, however, interprets the murders differently, leading to an investigation that has her plumbing the depths of Victorian society in her quest for answers.
The mystery alternates with a parallel story which looks at Colin's ancestry, and this tale is nearly as compelling as that of Emily and Colin.
Author Tasha Alexander's knowledge of English history is on display here as she skillfully intertwines real personages and events with an absorbing whodunit.
Full Disclosure--Net Gallery and the publisher provided me with a digital ARC of this book. This is my honest review.
August 11, 2018
I found myself speeding to finish this latest installment in the Lady Emily mystery series, even though I could never quite buy into the modes of crime in this one.
Tasha Alexander always does a great job weaving historical people and places into her stories. This time is no exception, with a mysterious vigilante on the loose in London who dresses and poses his victims as old kings of England. It required more than a little suspension of disbelief to accept this modus operandi, but it made for an interesting plot. It all takes place immediately after the death of Queen Victoria and the succession of her son to the throne, so Emily and her husband are left to ponder, is someone threatening the new king, or merely on some kind of personal quest for vengeance?
As with several of her most recent novels, Tasha Alexander alternates timelines throughout her book. Each chapter about Lady Emily is followed by a shorter chapter narrating a tale from England and France of the 1400s. The connection between the two accounts is unclear until the very end. This narrative choice really helps the pacing and the brevity of the historical chapters made it easy to keep on reading.
It is much more clear to me in this book that Lady Emily is meant to pay tribute and borrow some of the qualities of that other strong-minded, mystery-solving Victorian, Amelia Peabody. If I hadn't been able to identify this connection, I think I would have found her high-handedness rather annoying.
Though I haven't always been a fan of Lady Emily's ahead-of-her-time attitude, I find she is settling into herself a little better as she ages. But I still think she would be easier to appreciate if she had SOME kind of inferiority about SOMETHING! She can be a bit too smug.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital review copy of this one!
Tasha Alexander always does a great job weaving historical people and places into her stories. This time is no exception, with a mysterious vigilante on the loose in London who dresses and poses his victims as old kings of England. It required more than a little suspension of disbelief to accept this modus operandi, but it made for an interesting plot. It all takes place immediately after the death of Queen Victoria and the succession of her son to the throne, so Emily and her husband are left to ponder, is someone threatening the new king, or merely on some kind of personal quest for vengeance?
As with several of her most recent novels, Tasha Alexander alternates timelines throughout her book. Each chapter about Lady Emily is followed by a shorter chapter narrating a tale from England and France of the 1400s. The connection between the two accounts is unclear until the very end. This narrative choice really helps the pacing and the brevity of the historical chapters made it easy to keep on reading.
It is much more clear to me in this book that Lady Emily is meant to pay tribute and borrow some of the qualities of that other strong-minded, mystery-solving Victorian, Amelia Peabody. If I hadn't been able to identify this connection, I think I would have found her high-handedness rather annoying.
Though I haven't always been a fan of Lady Emily's ahead-of-her-time attitude, I find she is settling into herself a little better as she ages. But I still think she would be easier to appreciate if she had SOME kind of inferiority about SOMETHING! She can be a bit too smug.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital review copy of this one!
January 18, 2019
This is a fantastic series. Lady Emily and her husband are a cute team but the real joy in these books is the settings and historical research. This book alternates between the end of the Victorian era (literally--Queen V dies at the opening of the book after passing a cryptic message to Colin) and a story from the 1400s. Both are compelling and beautifully written. How they weave together and what the cryptic note meant are seamlessly revealed. An excellent historical mystery.
September 10, 2018
Uneasy Lies the Crown is a pretty good read. It is the thirteenth installment from Tasha Alexander’s Lady Emily series. I give it four stars.
August 19, 2018
"Uneasy Lies the Crown" is a historical mystery set in England. There were two story lines, one set in 1415 (and some years after that) and the main mystery set in 1901, right after Queen Victoria's death. This is the 13th book in a series, but you don't need to read the previous books to understand this one. This book did not spoil any previous mysteries in the series.
Lady Emily's husband is busy ensuring the safety of the new King after a murdered man is found dressed up like a past, murdered king. She's not so sure that the threat is against the new king despite the "murdered king" theme, so she asked people questions to find the link between the murder victims. She tried to prevent any future murders even though the victims weren't nice men. At the end, she jumped to some conclusions with little proof because she trusts her intuition. (Granted, I suspected these people, too, but I prefer firm proof before a character starts making accusations like they're a fact.)
There were no graphic sex scenes. There were a couple uses of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting and enjoyable mystery.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.
Lady Emily's husband is busy ensuring the safety of the new King after a murdered man is found dressed up like a past, murdered king. She's not so sure that the threat is against the new king despite the "murdered king" theme, so she asked people questions to find the link between the murder victims. She tried to prevent any future murders even though the victims weren't nice men. At the end, she jumped to some conclusions with little proof because she trusts her intuition. (Granted, I suspected these people, too, but I prefer firm proof before a character starts making accusations like they're a fact.)
There were no graphic sex scenes. There were a couple uses of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting and enjoyable mystery.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.
August 13, 2018
I enjoyed this new book in the Lady Emily series! This will appeal not only to readers who are already fans of this series, but also to those who enjoy historical mysteries with a strong female lead. This takes place in 1901 England, with a related secondary story from the 1400's, which I particularly liked.
To read this book is to be delightfully immersed in the time period. The author has a good ability to provide background details for readers such as myself who aren't familiar with historical events referenced in this book. I found the mystery unique and think it all came together well.
The relationship between Lady Emily and Colin Hargreaves has always been one of the big draws of this series for me. Even though they are now a married couple with children, their relationship was one of my favorite parts of this book. They continue to complement each other and are maturing together in a lovely way. I was also delighted to see Jeremy Sheffield, the charmingly roguish Duke of Bainbridge, appear in this book.
I believe this can be read as a standalone and I recommend it.
To read this book is to be delightfully immersed in the time period. The author has a good ability to provide background details for readers such as myself who aren't familiar with historical events referenced in this book. I found the mystery unique and think it all came together well.
The relationship between Lady Emily and Colin Hargreaves has always been one of the big draws of this series for me. Even though they are now a married couple with children, their relationship was one of my favorite parts of this book. They continue to complement each other and are maturing together in a lovely way. I was also delighted to see Jeremy Sheffield, the charmingly roguish Duke of Bainbridge, appear in this book.
I believe this can be read as a standalone and I recommend it.
February 28, 2022
A string of gruesome murders mimicking the deaths of British kings leads Colin and Scotland Yard to suspect the new King Edward to be in danger. As the book begins, a dying Queen Victoria gives Colin a mysterious note that seems to be connected and perhaps foretell the murders. As more notes follow, Emily joins the investigation, but she soon thinks the murders have nothing to do with Bertie. Her inquiries take her to London's East End, where we see the seamy side of life as its inhabitants struggle to survive in the extreme poverty.
Every other chapter reverts to a story in 1415, which turns out to be background knowledge about Colin's family lineage. I found this duel story line distracting rather than enhancing the novel. I am a huge fan of this series, but this novel is one of my least favorites. A highlight was the return of Emily's childhood friend, the Duke of Bainbridge, who assists Emily as she navigates the difficult and dangerous East End. A new character was introduced among the Scotland Yard inspectors, whom I hope to see again.
Every other chapter reverts to a story in 1415, which turns out to be background knowledge about Colin's family lineage. I found this duel story line distracting rather than enhancing the novel. I am a huge fan of this series, but this novel is one of my least favorites. A highlight was the return of Emily's childhood friend, the Duke of Bainbridge, who assists Emily as she navigates the difficult and dangerous East End. A new character was introduced among the Scotland Yard inspectors, whom I hope to see again.
January 1, 2019
The Hargreaves and murder--always a heady mix!
Once again intrigue and history go hand in hand. Colin Hargreaves receives a deathbed command and a mysterious letter from dying queen Victoria. A series of brutally staged murders begin to appear posed as dead kings.
The puzzle seems to revolve around two stories separated by hundreds of years.
The only commonality is that of the posed Kings. The fear is that this is all a threatening guidepost targeting the new king, Edward VII. A teaser indeed!
The outcome is fittingly resolved with determined Lady Emily and the gorgeous Colin turning up trumps.
I do so enjoy this couple and their crime solving abilities.
A NetGalley ARC
Once again intrigue and history go hand in hand. Colin Hargreaves receives a deathbed command and a mysterious letter from dying queen Victoria. A series of brutally staged murders begin to appear posed as dead kings.
The puzzle seems to revolve around two stories separated by hundreds of years.
The only commonality is that of the posed Kings. The fear is that this is all a threatening guidepost targeting the new king, Edward VII. A teaser indeed!
The outcome is fittingly resolved with determined Lady Emily and the gorgeous Colin turning up trumps.
I do so enjoy this couple and their crime solving abilities.
A NetGalley ARC
October 30, 2018
A bizarre death scene straight out of a Shakespeare play, a mysterious note from a dying queen, and Lady Emily is off on her next investigative adventure. I enjoy the devotion to the late Victorian era settings, attention to detail for cultural and social setting of the time, and the obscure mysteries that aren't always easy to figure out in this series. But, that said, this installment left me rather disappointed.
Uneasy Lies the Crown is book thirteen in the Lady Emily series. It wouldn't be a problem to read it out of turn or standalone, but be warned that the personal lives of the recurring characters have developed through the course of the series.
All right... what to say... in truth, this was not a good showing in the series. In fact, I'm starting to wonder if I should even continue the series because of things that keep cropping up in the last three or four books. Before that, I would claim to be a solid fan and in love with everything I was reading, but now it's nearly the opposite.
While I am still very much impressed with the author's careful attention to historical detail and facts and social issues in both the time lines she chose to write and her lavish way of painting these details into her story are incredibly well done, I am finding myself less and less enamored with Lady Emily herself and with the actual mysteries.
Emily is become downright smug and autocratic. She knows best and she will have her way. I'm not sure if it is the author's attempt to portray a confident woman in her thirties or if she is feeling the fervor of feminism and instill it in her character when I thought Emily was already a woman ahead of her time all along with her thinking and interests. Either are worthy and I'm all for it, but not at the expense of overbalancing into an unlikable person I wanted to kick in the seat of her skirts every time she opened her mouth. She bossed around her husband who couldn't solve even a little puzzle without her nagging at him repeatedly (yes, I do mean nagging) or analyze obvious facts uncovered (where was my trained, skilled, intelligent Colin who has always been Emily's equal in this one?). She bossed around poor Jeremy and blackmailed him into taking her into stupidly dangerous situations (when there was no real emergency) by insisting that if he didn't drive her now she was going alone and wouldn't he feel bad about that because she was too impatient (and self-important) to wait for safe back-up. She bulldozed her way into the lives of several poor people and told them how they were screwing up their lives after less than a minute of their acquaintance and insisted they owed her personal details like some busy body rich matron. Yeah, I just shook my head through most of this. Emily was never like this until in recent books. I think what was the final straw was sensing an attempt to turn her into someone she's not. I thought it was my imagination that she was starting to act like Elizabeth Peter's heroine, Amelia Peabody, until there was an actual mention of Emily's fascination for her and attempt to go about poking and prodding people with a parasol. As far as I'm concerned, this alteration is a grave mistake. Amelia is Amelia and Emily is...not. Emily was fine and fascinating just the way she was from the beginning.
But, it wasn't just Emily's character lobotomy. The mystery just wasn't that engaging. I felt it really suffered when it was broken up every few pages by a story from the time of King Henry the Fifth in the fourteenth century. It says a lot that I was more interested in the story of Colin's ancestors who were the focus of the older story than the current mystery and that story wasn't that suspenseful. It felt so loose and flighty. I was well ahead all along figuring it out and was pushing myself to stay interested.
I look back on this book and wonder what I just read. The historical backdrop was fabulous, the mystery barely showed up and the characters except Jeremy were not themselves. I'm sad because I think I'm done and this was a beloved series I anticipated each new release. I can still highly recommend most of the earlier books in the series to historical mystery fans.
I rec'd this book from Net Galley to read in exchange for an honest review.
Uneasy Lies the Crown is book thirteen in the Lady Emily series. It wouldn't be a problem to read it out of turn or standalone, but be warned that the personal lives of the recurring characters have developed through the course of the series.
All right... what to say... in truth, this was not a good showing in the series. In fact, I'm starting to wonder if I should even continue the series because of things that keep cropping up in the last three or four books. Before that, I would claim to be a solid fan and in love with everything I was reading, but now it's nearly the opposite.
While I am still very much impressed with the author's careful attention to historical detail and facts and social issues in both the time lines she chose to write and her lavish way of painting these details into her story are incredibly well done, I am finding myself less and less enamored with Lady Emily herself and with the actual mysteries.
Emily is become downright smug and autocratic. She knows best and she will have her way. I'm not sure if it is the author's attempt to portray a confident woman in her thirties or if she is feeling the fervor of feminism and instill it in her character when I thought Emily was already a woman ahead of her time all along with her thinking and interests. Either are worthy and I'm all for it, but not at the expense of overbalancing into an unlikable person I wanted to kick in the seat of her skirts every time she opened her mouth. She bossed around her husband who couldn't solve even a little puzzle without her nagging at him repeatedly (yes, I do mean nagging) or analyze obvious facts uncovered (where was my trained, skilled, intelligent Colin who has always been Emily's equal in this one?). She bossed around poor Jeremy and blackmailed him into taking her into stupidly dangerous situations (when there was no real emergency) by insisting that if he didn't drive her now she was going alone and wouldn't he feel bad about that because she was too impatient (and self-important) to wait for safe back-up. She bulldozed her way into the lives of several poor people and told them how they were screwing up their lives after less than a minute of their acquaintance and insisted they owed her personal details like some busy body rich matron. Yeah, I just shook my head through most of this. Emily was never like this until in recent books. I think what was the final straw was sensing an attempt to turn her into someone she's not. I thought it was my imagination that she was starting to act like Elizabeth Peter's heroine, Amelia Peabody, until there was an actual mention of Emily's fascination for her and attempt to go about poking and prodding people with a parasol. As far as I'm concerned, this alteration is a grave mistake. Amelia is Amelia and Emily is...not. Emily was fine and fascinating just the way she was from the beginning.
But, it wasn't just Emily's character lobotomy. The mystery just wasn't that engaging. I felt it really suffered when it was broken up every few pages by a story from the time of King Henry the Fifth in the fourteenth century. It says a lot that I was more interested in the story of Colin's ancestors who were the focus of the older story than the current mystery and that story wasn't that suspenseful. It felt so loose and flighty. I was well ahead all along figuring it out and was pushing myself to stay interested.
I look back on this book and wonder what I just read. The historical backdrop was fabulous, the mystery barely showed up and the characters except Jeremy were not themselves. I'm sad because I think I'm done and this was a beloved series I anticipated each new release. I can still highly recommend most of the earlier books in the series to historical mystery fans.
I rec'd this book from Net Galley to read in exchange for an honest review.
August 28, 2018
Uneasy Lies the Crown by Tasha Alexander 4.5 stars
I enjoyed this book; like her last book "Death in St. Petersburg" the story switches from Lady Emily's viewpoint to another persons. In Death in St, Petersburg, the chapters were divided into trying to find out who killed the ballerina to a story told from the ballerina's viewpoint. In this book, the chapters alternate from 1901 to 1415. The beginning of the book starts with Queen Victoria's death and a mysterious letter. In the 1901 section, there is a killer on the loose that maybe a threat to the crown. In the 1415 sections, the story is told from the viewpoint of a young bride whose husband is in Henry V's army on its way to France. At first, I didn't see the point for the 1415 sections, but it is all explained in the end. The mystery portion of this books was engaging and it showed that Lady Emily is a able partner to Colin even though it scandalizes certain Police Inspectors. The children have a small part in the book and it shows Emily and Colin as parents, not just investigators. I look forward to the next Lady Emily adventure.
I enjoyed this book; like her last book "Death in St. Petersburg" the story switches from Lady Emily's viewpoint to another persons. In Death in St, Petersburg, the chapters were divided into trying to find out who killed the ballerina to a story told from the ballerina's viewpoint. In this book, the chapters alternate from 1901 to 1415. The beginning of the book starts with Queen Victoria's death and a mysterious letter. In the 1901 section, there is a killer on the loose that maybe a threat to the crown. In the 1415 sections, the story is told from the viewpoint of a young bride whose husband is in Henry V's army on its way to France. At first, I didn't see the point for the 1415 sections, but it is all explained in the end. The mystery portion of this books was engaging and it showed that Lady Emily is a able partner to Colin even though it scandalizes certain Police Inspectors. The children have a small part in the book and it shows Emily and Colin as parents, not just investigators. I look forward to the next Lady Emily adventure.
November 18, 2018
Lady Emily becomes part of the investing team (unofficially, of course) with her husband’s great approval once again as murder victims appear in London dressed as deposed or assassinated monarchs of England. Tasha Alexander’s Uneasy Lies the Crown begins with Lady Emily’s husband, Colin Hargreaves, summoned by Queen Victoria as she lays dying. The Queen presents Colin with her last command. The year is 1901, and the Queen’s message is a conundrum. Neither Colin or Lady Emily have even the tiniest idea what Queen Victoria wishes Colin to do , but as an agent of The Crown, he will do it with Lady Emily’s assistance, naturally. Colin understands Lady Emily’s intuition - maybe understands is a misnomer- possibly, appreciates is a better choice. No matter what anyone may think, Colin supports his wife’s participation even if it takes her “deep into the capital’s underbelly”
as long as her childhood friend, Jeremy, Duke of Bainbridge, is in tow. I was able to check my knowledge of royal deceased monarchs, and I must admit that I did just fine. One hint - the reader learns info about Mr. Colin Hargreaves, Agent of the Crown! Very enjoyable and highly recommended! 4.5-5 stars.
as long as her childhood friend, Jeremy, Duke of Bainbridge, is in tow. I was able to check my knowledge of royal deceased monarchs, and I must admit that I did just fine. One hint - the reader learns info about Mr. Colin Hargreaves, Agent of the Crown! Very enjoyable and highly recommended! 4.5-5 stars.
October 26, 2018
Author Tasha Alexander has delivered yet another engrossing Lady Emily mystery - this time drawing on Britain's rich royal historical past.
The book opens in 1901 with Lady Emily's husband, Colin, attending to Queen Victoria upon her death bed. The queen hands him an enigmatic note instructing him to do as the note says and to tell no one. Shortly thereafter, she expires. As the queen's cortege makes its way through the streets of London an unknown man is murdered and his corpse, festooned in the regalia of King Henry VI, appears impaled on a sword, not unlike the cause of the original Henry's death. Such lengths to go through to display a murdered soul. Was it an omen that no king is safe and therefore a threat to the new King Edward the VII, (affectionately known as "Bertie") or was there some other sinister machination afoot.
Of course, Lady Emily, being a bright and observant woman and not one to be left out of a fascinating investigation manages to insinuate herself, (much to the chagrin of Inspector Gale). Relying on her intuition at times, she provides interesting theories which frustrates husband Colin, who prefers facts. More murders occur and tension is heightened as Lady Emily (often accompanied by friend Jeremy Sheffield, Duke of Bainbridge) scours the underbelly of London society for answers and more clues.
Meanwhile, in alternating chapters, the reader is treated to 15th century history and the origin of Colin's title. Fortunately, these chapters are short and do not pull the reader away from the main story for long. In the end, all is made clear and tied up with a lovely bow.
I am grateful to author Tasha Alexander, publisher St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for having provided a free uncorrected digital galley of this book. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review - the words of which are mine alone.
#NetGalley #UneasyLiesTheCrown
The book opens in 1901 with Lady Emily's husband, Colin, attending to Queen Victoria upon her death bed. The queen hands him an enigmatic note instructing him to do as the note says and to tell no one. Shortly thereafter, she expires. As the queen's cortege makes its way through the streets of London an unknown man is murdered and his corpse, festooned in the regalia of King Henry VI, appears impaled on a sword, not unlike the cause of the original Henry's death. Such lengths to go through to display a murdered soul. Was it an omen that no king is safe and therefore a threat to the new King Edward the VII, (affectionately known as "Bertie") or was there some other sinister machination afoot.
Of course, Lady Emily, being a bright and observant woman and not one to be left out of a fascinating investigation manages to insinuate herself, (much to the chagrin of Inspector Gale). Relying on her intuition at times, she provides interesting theories which frustrates husband Colin, who prefers facts. More murders occur and tension is heightened as Lady Emily (often accompanied by friend Jeremy Sheffield, Duke of Bainbridge) scours the underbelly of London society for answers and more clues.
Meanwhile, in alternating chapters, the reader is treated to 15th century history and the origin of Colin's title. Fortunately, these chapters are short and do not pull the reader away from the main story for long. In the end, all is made clear and tied up with a lovely bow.
I am grateful to author Tasha Alexander, publisher St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for having provided a free uncorrected digital galley of this book. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review - the words of which are mine alone.
#NetGalley #UneasyLiesTheCrown
September 18, 2018
I was fortunate to be able to read an advance copy of this fabulous new installment of the Lady Emily series. I've been a fan of this series since the first book, and there are so many good things to say about this one. First, as an historian myself, I really appreciate that Ms. Alexander is such a stickler for historical detail. She is clearly very well-versed in English history and with the English setting for this story, her ability to evoke different periods in English history really shines through. Like many of her books, this story has two storylines, one is set in 1901 just after the death of Queen Victoria and the other is set in 1415. I've noticed in the past that Alexander has a special sensitivity to writing about women in the medieval period. She manages to sensitively evoke the inner lives of women who lived in super constrained circumstances without demeaning them, or making them falsely modern. Both storylines were intriguing, but I did not see how she was going to bring them together until the end-- and when I did, I found it deeply satisfying. Another excellent installment in this dynamic series!
February 14, 2020
"One never knows, does one, what shall happen in the end?" (quote from the book)
What a fitting way to end the reign of Queen Victoria and enter into the new Edwardian Era with 'Bertie' or should I say King Edward VII. Actually, it was rather diabolical using the victims to portray the deaths of former Kings. The Queen had given Lord Colin Hargreaves an envelope with a message as she lay dying, and finding further envelopes with messages throughout their investigations, only threw more confusion into the hunt for the killer. I had my suspicions but was just a bit off in my conclusions. Nonetheless, I was quite pleased with this murder/mystery.
"...but I have found that if anything is capable of traveling more quickly than a lie, it is bad news. Particularly bad news that contains any hint of gore or violence. Truly, people are a dreadful lot." (quote from the book)
One of the interesting elements was the second story woven into this one. At first, you wonder how this relates to the overall plot. It is this story that really grabbed and held my attention. I needed to know more and it is not long before you realize it will relate but not exactly how. This for me was cleverly done and I was very impressed.
I had been wondering if I would continue with this series. I was finding Lady Emily was being portrayed with too much of a modern edge to her. In this book, she was less abrasive and pushy but just. However, after this story and the excerpt from book #14, I will definitely be following Lady Emily further into the Edwardian times!
July 3, 2020
I picked this up because I was intrigued by the premise of a series of murders arranged to look like the murders of famous English kings like Harold Godwinson, Edward II, Henry VI and Richard II and even more intrigued when, browsing through a preview, it was a split narrative: one in 1901, after the death of Queen Victoria, where the murders occur and the other in 1415, relating to Henry V’s Agincourt campaign.
And Uneasy Lies the Crown is a fun read. I approached it like I would another cosy/light crime novel, expecting something more like Kerry Greenwood’s Phryne Fisher mysteries than a deeply serious read that’s very true to the history and wasn’t disappointed. I caught inaccuracies, such as one character in 1415 reading Malory’s Le Morte d'Arthur, first published in 1485, and things that didn’t quite sit right (such as Lady Emily’s understandings of medieval history being based on modern historical work and not Victorian). But the genre is such that you know what, it’s fine. It’s not the “real” 1400s or 1900s but a heightened, lightened version of them.
This is the thirteenth book in the series and, having not read any of the previous books, I found it easy to follow and my knowledge wasn’t lacking. I don’t feel like I have to seek out the rest of the series but I found it pleasant and wouldn’t be surprised if I read another volume at a later date.
For me, the weakness was in the 1415 narrative. It just didn’t quite work – there was no dramatic arc, no spark of life to make the characters feel alive or real. It felt directionless and I found myself wondering why there was the need for it and frustrated when we ended a 1901 chapter on a cliffhanger and went back to the ponderous 15th century.
All up, this was a fun read but I don’t feel the need to read more of the Lady Emily series.
And Uneasy Lies the Crown is a fun read. I approached it like I would another cosy/light crime novel, expecting something more like Kerry Greenwood’s Phryne Fisher mysteries than a deeply serious read that’s very true to the history and wasn’t disappointed. I caught inaccuracies, such as one character in 1415 reading Malory’s Le Morte d'Arthur, first published in 1485, and things that didn’t quite sit right (such as Lady Emily’s understandings of medieval history being based on modern historical work and not Victorian). But the genre is such that you know what, it’s fine. It’s not the “real” 1400s or 1900s but a heightened, lightened version of them.
This is the thirteenth book in the series and, having not read any of the previous books, I found it easy to follow and my knowledge wasn’t lacking. I don’t feel like I have to seek out the rest of the series but I found it pleasant and wouldn’t be surprised if I read another volume at a later date.
For me, the weakness was in the 1415 narrative. It just didn’t quite work – there was no dramatic arc, no spark of life to make the characters feel alive or real. It felt directionless and I found myself wondering why there was the need for it and frustrated when we ended a 1901 chapter on a cliffhanger and went back to the ponderous 15th century.
All up, this was a fun read but I don’t feel the need to read more of the Lady Emily series.
August 26, 2018
Utterly ridiculous. I hate-read this book. Alexander’s attempts to be coy are nauseating. If she would do away with the faux-coyness, I’d return to the series, but at this point, I don’t anticipate reading anymore Lady Emily books.
November 13, 2018
While, I enjoyed the story involving the main characters. The historical story did not do it for me at all. All this build-up and then felt like it fizzled. Will definitely read more in the series, but this was not my favorite.
November 25, 2019
I finally got to the next book in the Lady Emily series! I really do like this series, I think I've read all the books (apart from one where I read the first few chapters and decided it was not for me) and this book had more of what I liked from the previous books in the series.
In this book, Emily stumbles across a case (or rather her husband is brought onto the case and Emily is right there with him) where people are murdered and dressed up as dead kings before being placed into prominent places in London. They are murdered in various gruesome ways and it seems they have a serial killer on their hands, who appears to be striking at random. Along the way, we travel back to the time of Henry V where the ancestor of Colin (not really a spoiler because it was obvious from the last name) are about to fight in the battle of Agincourt, while his wife stays at a friend's house and has to deal with rumours trying to destroy her reputation while her husband is away.
The murder mystery was something I really enjoyed, as Emily discovered who each man was and why someone would want to murder them, as well as how they all connected together. There was a lot of discussion about poverty and how the lack of options for young men was a big factor in driving them into the arms of waiting gangs. I also liked the talk about the leader of the gang and about how . Once they were in, they couldn't get out and it was good to see Emily's horror at what was going on. There were times when it felt like Emily was coming at it from a very privileged viewpoint but it was frequently called out and I liked seeing her confronted with her own privilege, or at least that of her sons. We also saw a lot of Colin and Jeremy, as well as Emily making new friends in different social classes to herself, which was fun to see. It was also good to see how Emily viewed the royal family, at least when she encountered them on her investigation, as well as sexism among the police force.
The past storyline was about Cecily, a pious young woman who had been newly married before her husband went off to fight in France, had to deal with another woman's hatred and her ways of spreading rumours about the place, in a way Cecily couldn't possibly imagine. I found Cecily quite overbearing at times, but she was mostly very earnest and I was rooting for her to succeed. When you could see the tide turning against her and she was too naive to see it, I found myself a little frustrated with her, but I did enjoy the ending .
I enjoyed both stories very much, though there were times when I wished they had been separate. I found it hard to keep track of everyone in both stories and it felt a little jarring at times when I was just getting interested in Cecily's story and then we would switch back to Emily and it would be a different kind of story going on. I think it is very hard to make parallel stories like this work and while I enjoyed both stories, which is half the battle, I did find it pulled me out of the book and this took me a while to finish.
This book I think could have been a 4.5 stars due to both storylines but the way they were fitted together was not for me. It affected my enjoyment of the book.
4 stars!
In this book, Emily stumbles across a case (or rather her husband is brought onto the case and Emily is right there with him) where people are murdered and dressed up as dead kings before being placed into prominent places in London. They are murdered in various gruesome ways and it seems they have a serial killer on their hands, who appears to be striking at random. Along the way, we travel back to the time of Henry V where the ancestor of Colin (not really a spoiler because it was obvious from the last name) are about to fight in the battle of Agincourt, while his wife stays at a friend's house and has to deal with rumours trying to destroy her reputation while her husband is away.
The murder mystery was something I really enjoyed, as Emily discovered who each man was and why someone would want to murder them, as well as how they all connected together. There was a lot of discussion about poverty and how the lack of options for young men was a big factor in driving them into the arms of waiting gangs. I also liked the talk about the leader of the gang and about how . Once they were in, they couldn't get out and it was good to see Emily's horror at what was going on. There were times when it felt like Emily was coming at it from a very privileged viewpoint but it was frequently called out and I liked seeing her confronted with her own privilege, or at least that of her sons. We also saw a lot of Colin and Jeremy, as well as Emily making new friends in different social classes to herself, which was fun to see. It was also good to see how Emily viewed the royal family, at least when she encountered them on her investigation, as well as sexism among the police force.
The past storyline was about Cecily, a pious young woman who had been newly married before her husband went off to fight in France, had to deal with another woman's hatred and her ways of spreading rumours about the place, in a way Cecily couldn't possibly imagine. I found Cecily quite overbearing at times, but she was mostly very earnest and I was rooting for her to succeed. When you could see the tide turning against her and she was too naive to see it, I found myself a little frustrated with her, but I did enjoy the ending .
I enjoyed both stories very much, though there were times when I wished they had been separate. I found it hard to keep track of everyone in both stories and it felt a little jarring at times when I was just getting interested in Cecily's story and then we would switch back to Emily and it would be a different kind of story going on. I think it is very hard to make parallel stories like this work and while I enjoyed both stories, which is half the battle, I did find it pulled me out of the book and this took me a while to finish.
This book I think could have been a 4.5 stars due to both storylines but the way they were fitted together was not for me. It affected my enjoyment of the book.
4 stars!
January 27, 2021
This is one of a series of books called 'The Lady Emily Mysteries' which feature an amateur detective Lady Emily (a sort of high class Miss Marple!) and her dashing husband Colin who works as a royal agent, latterly to Queen Victoria but in this book to her son Bertie, soon to be crowned King Edward VII. The book is set in 1901 and features a series of murders where the victims are dressed to look like kings (i.e. Henry VI, Edward II). Gradually Lady Emily finds connections between the victims, centred around an East End gang called The King's Boys and tracks down the murderer. During the investigation Colin receives a set of mysterious clues which he thinks are relevant to the murders ... Alongside the main story is another tale set in the 15th century during and after the Battle of Agincourt. This features William Hargrave, who fought alongside Henry V, and his new bride Cecily, left behind in the household of a childhood friend. It is not until the end of the book that the connection between the two stories is revealed.
I thought this was great fun! The book is well written and Lady Emily a feisty and very likeable heroine. She and her husband are obviously very happily married and often disappear into the bedroom! They have three young sons who all have strong personalities and I can imagine that their characters will be developed in later books. I enjoyed the setting - the beginning of the Edwardian era is interesting with new innovations available to the rich such as telephones and motor cars. It was a good story with the contrast between the comfortable life of the rich (including the hilarious Mrs Crofton) and the poverty of the East End. I liked the Cecily story too, even though it didn't seem to be going anywhere in particular, it was interesting to learn what life was like for a woman in the 15th century when religion was so much more dominant.
I didn't guess the connection between the two stories which actually turned out to be quite straightforward. A nice easy read and I'd be happy to read more about Lady Emily. A sleuth to be reckoned with!!
I thought this was great fun! The book is well written and Lady Emily a feisty and very likeable heroine. She and her husband are obviously very happily married and often disappear into the bedroom! They have three young sons who all have strong personalities and I can imagine that their characters will be developed in later books. I enjoyed the setting - the beginning of the Edwardian era is interesting with new innovations available to the rich such as telephones and motor cars. It was a good story with the contrast between the comfortable life of the rich (including the hilarious Mrs Crofton) and the poverty of the East End. I liked the Cecily story too, even though it didn't seem to be going anywhere in particular, it was interesting to learn what life was like for a woman in the 15th century when religion was so much more dominant.
I didn't guess the connection between the two stories which actually turned out to be quite straightforward. A nice easy read and I'd be happy to read more about Lady Emily. A sleuth to be reckoned with!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2020
4 stelle e mezza
Volevo provare un cozy mystery ambientato in epoca vittoriana e quando mi sono imbattuta in questa serie ho pensato che era quella giusta perché dalle trame mi pareva di capire che storia e archeologia avevano una grossa importanza. Quando ho poi letto quella di questo libro ho deciso che dovevo proprio leggerlo, anche se è il penultimo (e tredicesimo) ad essere stato pubblicato: alcune persone vengono apparentemente assassinate nello stesso modo in cui sono morti alcuni re medievali. Storia medievale arrivo!
Il libro è scritto in prima persona, usando anche espressioni che credo tipiche dell'epoca. Se devo trovare qualcosa da criticare, mi sembra che la protagonista, lady Emily, è un po' troppo anticonformisma, indipendente e un po' "troppo moderna" per essere verosimile. Però la storia mi è piaciuta e ho apprezzato i vai riferimenti alla storia medievale inglese.
Ai capitoli "contemporanei" sono intervallati altri, più brevi, che seguono le vicende di una coppia vissuta nel 1415 e che ben presto ho capito essere gli antenati del marito della protagonista, ma non capivo quale fosse il loro scopo, che diventa chiaro solo alla fine. Li ho comunque apprezzati.
Morale della favola: leggerò anche gli altri libri di questa serie.
Volevo provare un cozy mystery ambientato in epoca vittoriana e quando mi sono imbattuta in questa serie ho pensato che era quella giusta perché dalle trame mi pareva di capire che storia e archeologia avevano una grossa importanza. Quando ho poi letto quella di questo libro ho deciso che dovevo proprio leggerlo, anche se è il penultimo (e tredicesimo) ad essere stato pubblicato: alcune persone vengono apparentemente assassinate nello stesso modo in cui sono morti alcuni re medievali. Storia medievale arrivo!
Il libro è scritto in prima persona, usando anche espressioni che credo tipiche dell'epoca. Se devo trovare qualcosa da criticare, mi sembra che la protagonista, lady Emily, è un po' troppo anticonformisma, indipendente e un po' "troppo moderna" per essere verosimile. Però la storia mi è piaciuta e ho apprezzato i vai riferimenti alla storia medievale inglese.
Ai capitoli "contemporanei" sono intervallati altri, più brevi, che seguono le vicende di una coppia vissuta nel 1415 e che ben presto ho capito essere gli antenati del marito della protagonista, ma non capivo quale fosse il loro scopo, che diventa chiaro solo alla fine. Li ho comunque apprezzati.
Morale della favola: leggerò anche gli altri libri di questa serie.
December 19, 2018
This will have to be one of my least favorite books of the Lady Emily series, in spite of the fact that I love Tasha Alexander's storytelling and think her historical background is rock solid. One problem for me was the two storylines - one running in 1415 and one in 1901 - that simply didn't have a strong link and weren't explained until almost the end. Add to that the actual mystery, involving Emily and Colin, that didn't seem to have any real suspect until late in the book. The murderer was someone who was barely mentioned until then. On the plus side, Alexander's dialog us always witty and fun, her regular characters are always compelling and endearing, and, as mentioned, she is an excellent historian. All in all, a good book but not great.
July 17, 2019
Enjoyable read as always, bringing the historical period of Henry IV's battles to rule France to life in frequently alternating chapters, including the contemporary mores and male & female ancestors of Colin Hargreaves during Henry the IV's reign. Some parallels with the Victorian marriage of Colin & Lady Emily?
The underlying plot of the current book begins near the end of Queen Victoria's life, and a puzzle & task she sets for Colin. A murder, staged to look like the murder scene of a former English King, convinces Colin that the life of the new King Edward is at risk. The action continues.
The underlying plot of the current book begins near the end of Queen Victoria's life, and a puzzle & task she sets for Colin. A murder, staged to look like the murder scene of a former English King, convinces Colin that the life of the new King Edward is at risk. The action continues.
August 22, 2022
This Lady Emily Mystery was great! It alternated chapters set in 1901 with chapters set in 1415. Those set in 1901 detailed Lady Emily and her husband, Colin Hargreaves, seeking to solve mysterious murders which were staged to copy earlier deaths of some of England’s kings. They also received some clues which when solved pointed to the ancestor of Colin’s that was written about in the 1415 chapters. It all concluded very well and this was a delight to read.
July 11, 2025
2.75⭐️: honestly there's nothing really wrong with this book, it's just my own fault for accidentally starting an interconnected murder mystery series on ✨book 13✨ and i think i probably would've enjoyed it more if i'd started at the beginning. the vibes of this book were "jessica fletcher meets downton abbey with a hyperfixation on medieval english history"
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