Elizabeth I, Queen of England, arrives at Kenilworth Castle amid pomp, fanfare and a wealth of lavish festivities, laid on by the Earl of Leicester. The hopeful Earl knows this is his very last chance to persuade the Queen to marry him.

But despite his attachment to the Queen and his driving ambition to be her King, Leicester is unable to resist the seductive wiles of Lettice, wife of the Earl of Essex. And soon whispers of their relationship start spreading through the court.

Enraged by the adulterous lovers growing intimacy, Elizabeth employs Lucy Morgan, a young black singer and court entertainer, to spy on the couple. But Lucy, who was raised by a spy in London, uncovers far more than she bargains for.

My Thoughts:

Some elements of this book I loved and others I wasn’t bothered about. What I did love was the love traingle between Elizabeth, Lettice and Robert Dudley. What I wasn’t bothered about was the plot to assassinate the queen. I would have loved this book more had it just have been about Elizabeth and Leicester.

What I did love was Robert Dudley. As always he comes across as a devilish rogue and I was lovong him and hating him. I found that the author did portray him very well.

I did find the book a little bland and was towards the end glad to finish the book. I felt it didn’t need Lucy Morgan and the plot but can see that she again is in the follow up book.

The star of the book for me was Kenilworth. In its time it was a splendid place and I have been there although it is now in ruins and would recommend a visit.

Overall an ok read and I enjoyed the love traingle but everything else I could have left alone. ( )

“Who would have thought the orphaned daughter of a Moorish slave could find such favour at the English court?”

Lucy Morgan, a young Moorish singer, finds herself catapulted into the Queen’s favour at a summer progress. She becomes a secret emissary between lovers and spies; with assassination plots abounding, it won’t be long before Lucy’s world comes crashing down around her ears…

I gave up on this after about 180 pages; I got fed up of the constant to-and-fro of the love triangle of Queen Elizabeth I, Robert Dudley and Lady Essex (Lettice Knollys); while Lucy was a sympathetic character with interesting friends, too much of the plot revolved around the women’s jealousy. Meanwhile, Walsingham is either plotting with the assassins or blissfully ignorant of their presence. The book failed to sustain my interest – I can’t pinpoint anything particularly deficient, it simply bored me. ( )

http://shelfandstuff.blogspot.com/2012/04/queens-secret-by-victoria-lamb.html ( )