Her Highness' First Murder
Publisher Description
Headless corpses found on the streets shock Elizabeth Tudor and the city of London. When one of her own ladies is murdered, Elizabeth joins with new friend Simon Maldon to find the killer. Henry VIII, upset by the possible implications for further religious troubles, assigns one of his Welsh guardsmen, Hugh, to investigate.
Suspects include a madman, a courtier, a reformer, a well-known criminal, and others, even Elizabeth's castellan. Simon, discovering that he is good at the art of disguise, plays various parts as he works to narrow the list.
Elizabeth's role in the investigation is kept secret from the king, who would certainly not approve. But it cannot be kept secret from the killer, who in the end turns his attention to them. Simon, Elizabeth, and Hugh face a murderer who is beyond caring how many die, as long as he gets what he wants.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Set in 1546, Herring's captivating debut depicts the future Elizabeth I as a keen and shrewd detective. A killer is stalking London, beheading young women and dressing their bodies in nuns' clothes. When one of the princess's own ladies becomes a victim, the 12-year-old Elizabeth, daughter of the now failing Henry VIII, joins with her friends Simon Maldon, a physician's son, and Hugh Bellows, the captain of the king's Welsh Guard, in the hunt for the murderer, though they're careful to keep Elizabeth's involvement a secret from her father. Filled with colorful and believable characters from all classes of society, the story moves swiftly to its dramatic conclusion. Fans of historical mysteries will look forward eagerly to the next in the series.
