Synopses & Reviews
After his hair-raising adventures in London, Sir Robert Carey has finally tracked down the Queen who is about to make a state visit to Oxford. But instead of giving the Courtier his much-needed warrant and fee for being Deputy Warden of the West March with Scotland, Her Majesty orders him to investigate the most dangerous cold case of her reign - the mysterious death in 1560 of Amy Dudley, née Robsart, unloved wife of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. Dudley, now dead, was, some thirty years back, Elizabeths favorite suitor and potential husband, to the dismay of her ministers. Amy died at Cumnor Place, close at hand. Since the Queen is one of the most obvious suspects in arranging Amy's murder, Carey is deeply uneasy with his sleuthing role, the more so as his father, Elizabeths cousin from the wrong side of the blanket, is clearly involved. Then somebody nearly manages to poison Carey with belladonna which temporarily blinds him. Worse still, Sergeant Dodd, the man most often guarding Careys back, has totally disappeared on the road from London. As the Queen's scandalous past collides with her magnificent State entrance into Oxford, can Carey rally in time to find both Dodd and the true murderer of Amy Robsart?" Sixth in a brilliant Elizabethan series so immersive the reader hates to exit the age, and much loved by Diana Gabaldon, Sharon Kay Penman, and Dana Stabenow.
Review
"A fun read for fans of Elizabethan mysteries."—Library Journal review of Sir Robert Carey Series
Review
""A fun read for fans of Elizabethan mysteries.""—
Library Journal review of
Sir Robert Carey Series
""From opening line to bottom line, the felicity of the language leads us through a neatly dove-tailed plot that ranges from high comedy to genuine pathos, but never loses its sense of engagement—because it's dealing with characters who are Real People."" —Diana Gabaldon from the Introduction of A Plague of Angels ""A Chisholm mystery is the next best thing to time travel. For those who find the journey more compelling than the final destination, a Chisholm novel will offer an unforgettable Elizabethan pilgrimage."" —Kirkus Reviews of A Plague of Angels ""It's a lively, lifelike adventure that just happens to feature some of the most famous people in the history of drama."" —Booklist of Plague of Angels
Review
In recommending AN AIR OF TREASON, I'm also faunching with enthusiasm for the whole series of mysteries set in Elizabethan times and featuring Sir Robert Carey, courtier, dandy, swordsman, romantic (he married for love, unusual at the time), a man who made malefactors shake and tailors weep. Chisholm (or substitute Finney if you want) has neatly avoided all the banes of historical fiction - first and foremost, she allows the Elizabethans to be themselves, not 21st-century people crammed into doublets and farthingales. Chisholm's work is a testimony to the true miracle of modern education, which is to make the gorgeous tapestry of human history dull. Her impeccably researched books are anything but! The shock of otherness is combined with the recognition of common humanity. The characters are deeply realized... and just plain fun to be around, whether real ones like Carey and Gloriana herself (or, in a bit part, Shakespeare) or splendidly imagined ones like Carey's surly, larcenous and loyal henchman Henry Dodd, Land Sergeant of Gilsland and member of the Carlisle garrison. And the setting! Elizabethan England, with all its glories and squalors, in the bright dawn of the English-speaking peoples; and of that time and place, the Border country, the Wild North which gave us the terms 'gangster' and 'blood feud', the land of hot trod and unhallowed hand, where the reiver clans were 'English when it suited, and Scots at their pleasure'. It sounds like the Wild West... which is not at all accidental, since a lot of the same surnames ended up on the American frontier. Sir Robert Carey is distilled essence of Elizabethan, and the books which revolve around him are as successful as both adventure and mysteries... and simply as novels, sans genre. S M Sterling, The Island in the S
Review
Captivating Diana Gabaldon , Author of the Outla
Review
My favorite fictional sleuth, the dashing Robert Carey, and a mysterious death that we still find baffling; what really happened to Amy Robsart, the inconvenient wife of Queen Elizabeth's lover, the Earl of Leicester? It does not get any better than this. Kirkus Reviews
Review
A most difficult and dangerous murder inquiry is forced upon a flamboyant nobleman. Sir Robert Carey, the son of Lord Chamberlain Hunsdon, illegitimate half brother of Elizabeth I, is seeking out the queen to obtain his warrant and fee for serving as deputy warden of the West March. Elizabeth's royal progress has taken her to Oxford, and when Carey arrives there, the queen orders him to investigate the death of Amy Robsart Dudley in 1560, wife of the love of Elizabeth's life, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester--a scandalous murder that put paid to her hopes of marrying Dudley. Unfortunately for the clever but wild Carey, Amy died 30 years ago. Although he has little idea where to begin, his initial inquiries evidently touch a nerve, since someone shoots a crossbow bolt at him and then poisons him with belladonna. The belladonna leaves him nearly blind, making his task even more difficult. Carey's longtime helper Sgt. Dodd is in trouble of his own after making off with an enemy's possessions and a horse bearing the royal mark. When he's attacked and left naked and badly hurt, his first thought is revenge. Little does he know that his search will involve him in Carey's quest. Meanwhile, Carey fears he'll perish on the scaffold since the queen herself is a prime suspect in the murder of her rival. Carey's sixth adventure (A Murder of Crows, 2010, etc.) is packed with historical detail, dangerous exploits and humor. The fact-based mystery moves along at a fairly quick pace to a complicated denouement. Sharon Kay Penman, N Y Times Bestselli
Synopsis
After his hair-raising adventures in London, Sir Robert Carey has finally tracked down Queen Elizabeth, who orders him to investigate the most dangerous cold case of her reign - the mysterious 1560 death of Amy Dudley (n e Robsart), unloved wife of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester.
Some thirty years back, the late Dudley was Elizabeth's favorite suitor and potential husband. The Queen has since been one of the most obvious suspects in arranging Amy's murder. This makes Carey deeply uneasy with his sleuthing role. Then someone manages to poison Carey with belladonna, which temporarily blinds him. Worse still, the steadfast Sergeant Dodd has disappeared on the road from London.
As the Queen's scandalous past collides with her magnificent State entrance into Oxford, can Carey rally in time to find both Dodd and the true murderer of Amy Robsart?
Synopsis
After his hair-raising adventures in London, Sir Robert Carey has finally tracked down Queen Elizabeth, who is about to make a state visit to Oxford. But instead of giving the Courtier his much-needed warrant and fee for being Deputy Warden of the West March with Scotland, Her Majesty orders him to investigate the most dangerous cold case of her reign--the mysterious 1560 death of Amy Dudley(née Robsart), unloved wife of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. Some thirty years back, the late Dudley was Elizabeth's favorite suitor and potential husband. Amy died at Cumnor Place, close at hand. The Queen has since been one of the most obvious suspects in arranging Amy's murder. This makes Carey deeply uneasy with his sleuthing role. He's further uneasy that his father, Elizabeth's cousin from the wrong side of the blanket, is clearly involved. Then someone manages to poison Carey with belladonna, which temporarily blinds him. Worse still, Sergeant Dodd, the man most often guarding Carey's back, has disappeared on the road from London. As the Queen's scandalous past collides with her magnificent State entrance into Oxford, can Carey rally in time to find both Dodd and the true murderer of Amy Robsart?
About the Author
P.F. Chisholm is a pseudonym of a well-known writer of historical thrillers, childrens books, and nonfiction blogs and ebooks. Previous titles in the Sir Robert Carey and Sergeant Dodd series are
A Famine of Horses, A Season of Knives, A Surfeit of Guns, A Plague of Angels, and
A Murder of Crows. After the events in
An Air of Treason, Sir Robert and Sergeant Dodd will be heading back to the Anglo- Scottish Border where trouble is brewing as usual.
www.patricia-finney.co.uk