Dell, 2001.
Review posted Mar 2007.
We have been enjoying a special subgroup of mystery stories, the historical mystery. When they are good, we have not only a set of appealing characters and a complicated plot, but also interesting historical details. The Elizabeth mysteries appear to be a most attractive series, because the author describes Elizabeth I much as we have learned to know her -- passionate, strong-minded, intelligent. The allusions to historical events and the people around her such as Robert Dudley and Lord Cecil, are convincingly described, and if it's a stretch to imagine Elizabeth creating and managing a crew of detectives mostly composed of her servants, well, that's fiction for you!
The Tidal Poole is the second in the series. As Elizabeth enters London on her way to take her place as queen, shots ring out and a murder occurs. The murderer must be one of the royal entourage -- perhaps a person close to the young Queen. The chase involves misdirection and lots of action.
We have not read the first, and haven't yet managed to find the next. We're going to read them in order, as much as possible, so our opinion of the series is based on a small sample. However, we look forward to reading more.