Items related to The Doublet Affair
Synopsis
In To Shield the Queen, we were introduced to Ursula Blanchard, lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth I and one of the most entrancing mystery heroines to come along in many a season. Having once saved the Virgin Queen from political disaster, now, in The Doublet Affair, young Ursula faces an even greater challenge. Some of her old acquaintances may be plotting to overthrow Elizabeth in favor of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the re-establishment of the Catholic faith. Secretary of State Sir William Cecil needs a spy in the Mason home, and Ursula is the obvious choice.
Torn between her devotion to Elizabeth and her longing to be reunited with her exiled Catholic husband in France, Ursula makes a difficult bargain that balances personal happiness against duty to Queen and country. Her journey takes her into dangerous territory, and whatever happens, she will never again be quite as trusting or secure.
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Review
The novel begins as Ursula Blanchard, waiting woman to Queen Elizabeth I, is having a lesson in picking locks under the watchful eye of her majesty's secretary of state. An unusual lesson indeed for a respectable woman of the court, but Blanchard is no ordinary lady in waiting. She does have the proper antecedents for her place, but an eye and an ear for suspicious dealings helps her to earn additional income. She is a spy, paid to seek out traitorous deeds. In The Doublet Affair, Lord Burleigh sends her to watch some erstwhile friends whose dealings have become more suspicious than keeping the odd Catholic priest under their roof. The plot is enriched by Ursula's own ambivalence about her role: not only does she have a fondness for the family under suspicion, she longs to leave court entirely to join her French husband.
The central mystery is an appropriate one for the period. There are the usual mysterious deaths as well as hints of treachery against the crown. Indeed, one of Fiona Buckley's strengths is her historical appreciation for the fact that Elizabeth, despite her longevity, was never completely secure on the throne; Catholic plots and other schemes of usurpation abounded. Buckley's weakness is her certainty (and Ursula's) that Elizabeth was gentler in religious persecution than her sister. Regardless, Buckley's imaginative sense of quotidian life in Elizabethan England is delightful, and the mystery reaches a satisfying conclusion--with Ursula's lock picks put to good use.
Fiona Buckley is a pseudonym for an established author venturing into historical whodunits. The Doublet Affair follows her first effort, To Shield the Queen. --K. Crouch
About the Author
FIONA BUCKLEY is a powerful voice in historical crime fiction, praised for her precise research and finely crafted writing. She began her writing career as a technical journalist and industrial editor. She lives in North Surrey, England.
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- PublisherOrion
- Publication date1998
- ISBN 10 0752807277
- ISBN 13 9780752807270
- BindingHardcover
- LanguageEnglish
- Edition number1
- Number of pages320
- Rating
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The Doublet Affair
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ISBN 10: 0752807277
ISBN 13: 9780752807270
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The Doublet Affair
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Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. The Doublet Affair This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 7719-9780752807270
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The Doublet Affair
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The Doublet Affair
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Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 6545-9780752807270
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The Doublet Affair
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ISBN 10: 0752807277
ISBN 13: 9780752807270
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THE DOUBLET AFFAIR.
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ISBN 10: 0752807277
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Seller: Bookfever, IOBA (Volk & Iiams), Ione, CA, U.S.A.
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Hardcover first edition - First printing. The second in the author's highly praised mystery series set in Tudor England and featuring Ursula Blanchard, waiting woman and 'secret agent' for Elizabeth I. In this she finds her torn between loyalty to the Queen and to her husband, who is an ardent Catholic. 294 pp. Fine in fine dust jacket. Seller Inventory # 83940
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The Doublet Affair
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THE DOUBLET AFFAIR
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ISBN 10: 0752807277
ISBN 13: 9780752807270
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Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. First Edition. First edition of the author's second Elizabethan mystery. A FINE book in FINE dust jacket. Seller Inventory # JD0221
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