Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Kearsley (Vanished Days) draws on the mysterious 1618 death of Henry, Prince of Wales, in this noteworthy historical. Andrew Logan, a messenger for King James I, is tasked with investigating the prince's untimely death after rumors swirl that he was poisoned. The first order of business is tracking down Sir David Moray, who served as Henry's Gentleman of the Robes and who had aroused suspicion by traveling to France soon after Henry's death. Logan travels to Moray's native Scotland, accompanied by scrivener Laurence Westaway, to arrest Moray there. Because Westaway is in poor health, his daughter Phoebe joins the party to tend to her father. After Logan locates Moray, he comes to doubt Moray's guilt and leads the group back to London in hopes of finding the truth. A detailed afterword lays out the historical record and where Kearsley has taken creative license, and her reveal of how Henry died is both surprising and logical. Kearsley's deep character work includes flashbacks depicting Moray's close relationship with Henry and an unexpected but convincing bond between Logan and Phoebe. Fans of C.J. Sansom's Matthew Shardlake series will appreciate this. (Mar.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
As one of the respected messengers of King James I, Andrew Logan's latest assignment involves traveling to Scotland to apprehend Sir David Moray (the former Gentleman of the Bedchamber to the late Prince Henry), due to suspicions related to the prince's death. Phoebe Westaway has lived next to Andrew for years and has disliked him from the start. When her ailing father is employed as a scrivener for the assignment, Phoebe accompanies them to assist her father. Andrew knows Phoebe does not like him, but he has felt the opposite since the day he met her. During the dangerous journey, Andrew must deal with Phoebe's dislike, the questionable assignment, and his secret gift of second sight. As Phoebe spends more time with Andrew, she starts to question her prior judgments and finds that something more than respect is growing in her heart. VERDICT Kearsley (The Vanished Days) does a fantastic job of intertwining and bringing historical aspects to life within this fast-paced story. Highly recommended for romance and historical fiction readers.--Bridgette Whitt
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