Betrayal FROM THE PUBLISHER
Now that Lady Grace is the Queen's secret "Lady Pursuivant"--a title normally reserved for those who pursue wrongdoers of the Crown--she can hardly believe that a new mystery has fallen in her lap. But what else can it be when Lady Sarah, a fellow lady-in-waiting known for her fancy clothes and hoity-toity attitude, is missing and feared kidnapped by the dashing Captain Drake. Despite her hard feelings, Grace must help rescue Sarah . . . or Sarah's sullied reputation will ruin her life. But was Sarah really kidnapped? It's up to Lady Pursuivant to find out!
FROM THE CRITICS
Children's Literature - Janet Crane Barley
Lady Grace Cavendish, Maid of Honor to Queen Elizabeth I, has just begun a new daybook after filling one with her adventures reported in the first "Lady Grace" mystery, Assassins. The day, she says, is dull, but tomorrow promises excitement with a visit with Queen to the docks at Tilbury. Little does she dream what that courtly visit will lead to. After they return to the palace, one of the Maids of Honor disappears. Lady Grace intercepts a note that says the missing Maid is eloping with Sir Francis Drake but Grace senses something is not quite right. She does not think anyone will believe her suspicions, so with the help of her friend, the court acrobat Masou, she disguises herself as a boy and ends up aboard Sir Francis Drake's ship. Despite a series of misadventures she manages to set things right. The book, rich in Elizabethan ambience, includes a glossary notes about ships and sailing, historical background and a tantalizing excerpt from the third "Lady Grace" mystery, Conspiracy. Lady Grace is an enchanting heroine whose adventures will appeal as much to adults as young readers. Ms. Finney, who records Lady Grace's story, earned a History BA Honors degree from Oxford. Her first novel, published when she was 18, won the David Higham Award for best first novel. She has published several other books set in Elizabethan times along with other historical and contemporary stories. The attractively produced hardcover book is a pleasure to read and a bargain, as well. 2004, Delacorte Press, Ages 9 up.
School Library Journal
Gr 7 Up-Presented in the form of "daybookes" written by Lady Grace Cavendish, and "discovered" by Patricia Finney, this mystery series engages readers from the beginning. Lady Grace, a favorite Maid of Honour to Queen Elizabeth I, is intelligent, observant, and quick thinking. At the Valentine's ball, she must choose her fianc from among three suitors. Later that evening, one of the rejected men is found with a knife in his back, and the chosen suitor is charged with murder. Something seems amiss to the protagonist, and when she shares her concerns, Queen Elizabeth allows her to investigate the situation secretly. When Lady Grace and her friends complete the daring rescue of the third suitor, who has been kidnapped, all of the answers fall into place. Action makes the story a page-turner, but Lady Grace's wit and personality are what readers will really enjoy. In Betrayal, captains Francis Drake and Hugh Derby are quite taken with another Maid of Honor and vie for her affections. Several days later, a letter arrives saying that Lady Sarah and Capt. Drake have eloped. Lady Grace is suspicious, and she and a friend go to Drake's ship to investigate. They are inadvertently locked aboard, and when the ship puts out to sea, they are discovered and pretend to be stowaways. Undercover as a boy, Lady Grace learns to use the "jakes" (outside toilets), climbs the yards and ropes, and uses her archery skills to send flaming arrows over to a pirate ship. Both stories are great fun, and Finney does a magnificent job of weaving in details of life in Elizabethan England.-Cheri Dobbs, Detroit Country Day Middle School, Beverly Hills, MI Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
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