The Thorne Maze

Elizabeth I #5

by Karen Harper

The vibrant pageant of Elizabethan England comes vividly alive in Karen Harper's fifth novel in her acclaimed Elizabeth I mystery series. In the gardens of Hampton Court, Elizabeth proudly shows a famed visitor her huge maze. But the intricate labyrinth soon becomes a scene of horror as Elizabeth herself is attacked and the visitor is murdered within its leafy dead ends. Undaunted, the queen sets a trap to snare a ghostly murderer before he or she strikes again...

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Historical, Historical Mystery, Tudor Period, 16th Century

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 14, 2003

About the author

A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Karen Harper is a former college English instructor (The Ohio State University) and high school literature and writing teacher. A lifelong Ohioan, Karen and her husband Don divide their time between the midwest and the southeast, both locations she has used in her books. Besides her American settings, Karen loves the British Isles, where her Scottish and English roots run deep, and where she has set many of her historical Tudor-era mysteries and her historical novels about real and dynamic British women. Karen's books have been published in many foreign languages and she won the Mary Higgins Clark Award for 2005. Karen has given numerous talks to readers and writers across the county. Her most recent books include THE SOUTH SHORES TRILOGY (CHASING SHADOWS, DROWNING TIDES and FALLING DARKNESS.) Her latest historical is THE ROYAL NANNY. Please visit her website at www.KarenHarperAuthor and her fb page at www.facebook.com/KarenHarperAuthor

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another awesome, well done Elizabeth I mystery! Elizabeth finds herself attacked in her Thorne Maze one evening during a masquerade, while waiting for her would be love, Robert. She immediately pulls together her Privy Plot Council to start investigating what seems to be a ghost murderer who has a notion for Mazes. Cecil's wife, Mildred, becomes a suspect along with her dear Kat who's suffering from dementia. All this during plague time in London which has Elizabeth's court on the move from the city, away from the deadly disease. Filled with mystery and murders and the finale when you find out who did it! What am I going to do now? I've read all the books in this series and I'm left craving more! I'm going to miss all these characters I've grown attached to; Meg, Ned, Jenks, Kat, Cecil, and the Queen herself. I enjoyed every book to the fullest.

[Moonmomie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm biased because I adore this particular genre and time period, and I thoroughly enjoyed this entire series of books by Karen Harper. They are written very similarly to Fiona Buckley's Ursla Blanchard Mysteries.... almost confusingly so. This series focuses on Queen Elizabeth I, herself, solving the murders of her subjects. Absolutely fictitious activities frequent the books (Elizabeth leaving the castle in disguise to chase down clues and criminals). But, this is why it is Historical "Fiction". Although not historically accurate, they did hold my interest with their depth of character, plot, and historical abundance.

[Carol Fillmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this one. Love a historical mystery and this is a new series to me. I have read other books by Karen Harper and enjoyed them so taking a chance on this title wasn't a big risk. Loved all the bits of Elizabethan life woven into the plot, details that brought the historical period alive. Most interesting was the criminal investigation of murders that took place in this novel. How likely would it have been for Elizabeth I to have played a big role in the investigation? Not very, but this is fiction and things happen in the story that cannot happen in real life. Will read other titles in this series.

[Bethany · Rating 2 out of 5]

In all fairness, this is the only book in the series I have read. The author is clearly very knowledgeable about the time period but oftentimes details felt more like padding out the story rather than expanding the world for the reader. Some of the "logical" leaps Elizabeth takes to solve the mystery seem to come out of nowhere which I found annoying. As a historical figure I love Elizabeth I, but this Elizabeth, like most of the characters in this book, left me not caring about what happens to them.

[Westley · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting historical mystery but the author's characterization of Elizabeth was a little hokey.

[Sarah Hearn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy these books about Queen Elizabeth since the author tries to get her history right.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book had you guessing who the murder was up to the last chapter. Enjoyable Historical Mystery book

[Evelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suspected who the murderer was fairly early on. That’s unusual for me. Still enjoyed the journey.

[Christie · Rating 3 out of 5]

First sentence: "Even on this day, damned death so near..." William Cecil whispered to himself, but the queen overheard him as she walked just ahead.

The band is back together again. Queen Elizabeth and her court are spending the summer at Hampton Court to escape the danger of the plague in London. Unfortunately, not every danger has stayed in London. After Elizabeth herself is attacked in the hedge maze and the next day a body is found in the same maze, there is another mystery on hand for the Privy Plot Council.

I did not find this book to be as good as The Queene's Cure, but it was still quite good. The red herrings were a bit obvious (especially since some of them were historical characters), but it still took me a bit to figure out who the perp was. The parts of the story that dealt with mazes and the different types of mazes were quite fascinating to me. I also liked the working in of psychological disorders; what we would consider now to be postpartum depression and Alzheimer's disease. It is something historical novels do not often address. All in all, it was a fun romp through the mazes and I am looking forward to the next installment in the series.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm glad I decided to stick with this series b/c I really enjoyed this one. It seemed to move along and it grabbed my attention. Even having skipped three in the series (not at my library), I don't feel as though I've missed pertinent information. One thing that I do find irksome is how prolonged the encounter is between Elizabeth and the "bad guy" at the end. I do realize the entire premise is far-fetched so I shouldn't nitpick, but I found myself thinking, "Oh, come on! You're killing me here!" All in all, though, a very enjoyable read.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing garden mazes with a murderer on the loose! #5 in the Elizabeth I Mysteries by local author, Karen Harper. Bear in mind, the series is MUCH better if you start with book #1 and read them in order! In this book, the queen is nearly assassinated, her cousin shows a vicious side, and her long-time favorite is slowly drifting into a state similar to Alzheimer's disease. I especially like the way the author brings up possible childhood memories of the Queen and shows how they may have affected her as an adult.

[Kristen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Even though an attempt is made on the life of Queen Elizabeth in the first quarter of the book, the story and the characters just didn't hold any interest for me.

I found the story dull and slow-moving, and the writing was a bit over-blown with too much description. There were so many descriptors in most of the sentences, I found myself having to go back and re-read some, skipping the extraneous adverbs and adjectives just to get the actual content of the sentence.

This one did not grab me at all, and I did not finish it. A disappointment.

[Anne Nerison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Life in Elizabethan England has always intrigued me, and Karen Harper's mixture of court life and mystery did not disappoint. When her guests begin to be murdered, Queen Elizabeth vows to find the culprit. Suspecting nearly everyone--from her known enemies, the Sydneys, to her childhood caregiver, Lady Kat Ashley--she, along with her Secretary of State William Cecil and the Privy Plot Council, must lay a trap to catch the dangerous perpetrator. In a story with as many twists and turns as the maze alluded to in the title, Harper keeps her readers guessing up to the very last.

[Beck · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this out of order--without reading any of the other books in the series. I felt it easy to catch on to the characters. I loved the historical references and the author's note with details about the history. The main critique I have concerns how long it took the plot to progress to find the killer. I would have liked a little more depth.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I’m not a big fan of the mystery genre I was quickly pulled in to this story. I loved the historical references and found myself wanting to be part of their world. After making it to the surprising end I vow to indulge in another of Elizabeth’s mysteries.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love english history, love the Tudors, love mysteries but I couldn't buy Queen Elizabeth as a detective. The writing seemed really stiff and unnatural to me, too much melodrama. No thanks to more in this series.

[Ashly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh my gosh---such a slow book I could have cried. Except I kept falling asleep. No more Elizabeth I Mysteries for me...

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Hermien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some light enjoyable reading after some heavier books. I like the historical figures in this series of crime novels featuring Elizabeth I as the amateur sleuth.

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

the fifth in a series with Queen Elizabeth the first as a solver of mysteries that surround her. A body is found in her maze. Who did it and why?

[Mary Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, but a little slow. If you like the court of Elizabeth I, gives some interesting views of life at court.

[Kimberly Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite in the series... Someone is trying to murder Elizabeth and she faces off her murderer in a deadly duel in a thorne maze.

[Sharon Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the historical setting was very well done, I was a little bored by the plot.