Face Down Upon an Herbal

Locations
Call Number: Mystery
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Mystery	4-week checkout	On Shelf

"An Elizabethan mystery featuring Susanna, Lady Appleton."- Cover.

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

A middle-aged Elizabethan herbalist/sleuth with spunk! submitted by mynning on October 15, 2007, 9:19pm From the title of my review you already know that this mystery is set in Elizabethan times. This is the 2nd in a series of historical mystery books written by Kathy Lynn Emerson and featuring Lady Susanna Appleton (and unforunately the weakest in the series). Lady Appleton, a woman of certain years, with a strong independent streak and a keen mind has blazed new ground for her times by not only becoming a renowned expert on herbs but having her work published - an amazing feat for the times.

As a result of her extensive knowledge on herbs, Lady Appleton is ordered by the queen to visit Madderly Castle to assist the mistress of the castle with her herbal. However,all too soon it is apparent that the queen has suspected trouble and Lady Appleton's presence in the castle allows her spouse (Robert, an intelligence officer for the Queen/spy) access to the castle (fortunate since murders seems to be happening at an alarming rate).

Even though this books is the weakest in an otherwise outstanding series, Emerson should be applauded for doing her homework and actually doing extensive research on the times and her books are filled with historically accurate detail, in addition she has created a heroine who is clever, believeable, intelligent, middle-aged, and who is willing to stand up to her husband - and in many cases - prove smarter than he is.