Amazon Peg Herring Category:  Mystery/Suspense Publisher: Five Star ISBN-10:  143282712X Type: Fiction Pages: 241 Copyright: 2013 ISBN-13: 9781432827120 In the 3rd Simon & Elizabeth mystery, Elizabeth is imprisoned in the Tower, Simon finds an old friend accused of murder, and Hannah takes in a secretive pregnant girl. Danger ensues. In the third book of the Simon & Elizabeth Mysteries, Elizabeth Tudor is declared a traitor and imprisoned in the Tower of London. Visiting the princess secretly, her friend Simon Maldon discovers another cause for worry. His friend Peto the Pope has been arrested for a murder he swears he did not commit. As Simon frets over Elizabeth’s peril and Peto’s certain execution, his wife Hannah deals with her own mystery after taking in a frightened pregnant girl who, she later learns, is not as she first seemed. Neither Simon nor Hannah pays attention to the other’s problems, although they should. Matters spin quickly into grave danger, and they both might die as they try their best to save the lives of others. Excerpt “You should not have come.” Elizabeth Tudor whispered the words hastily as her visitor entered the cheerless room and made the sign of the cross. Simon felt some—though not much—of the tension in his spine lessen. Dressed as a priest, he had covered his head with the hood to shade his long, plain face, pulled the right sleeve down to hide his crippled arm, and bent his body, apparently against the cold of the March day that invaded the room’s corners and chilled the floor to ice. Despite that, the princess had recognized her old friend immediately. He might have smiled if dread-tightened lips had allowed it. Elizabeth Tudor’s first thought at his unannounced appearance was for his safety. “I am here on orders from our monarch, lady.” Simon handed Elizabeth a rolled sheet of vellum, the same one he had shown at the front entrance and at several succeeding checkpoints. The message was brief: The bearer acts on my orders. Assist him in all possible ways. The document was legitimate, to a point. Simon had, however, carefully scraped Henry VIII’s signature from the bottom and replaced it with “Mary,” the simple signature used by their new queen. Simon gambled that no one would look closely at the royal seal pressed into a splash of wax next to the signature and see that its design was hardly current. Elizabeth reacted to the words and the handwriting with a quick frown, momentary surprise, and recognition. She had been present when her father wrote the note for Simon, many years ago, ordering him to help investigate a series of murders. Now the note had provided Simon entry to her prison cell, where he intended to do what he could to free her, even if it meant planning an escape.

Booklist Review
This series has strong YA crossover potential!
In their third outing, unlikely detecting duo Simon Maldon and young Princess Elizabeth are growing up. For the sake of historical accuracy, Elizabeth is mostly relegated to the sidelines in this one, but a solo Simon proves he can carry the story and save the day in this finely wrought Elizabethan mystery. Simon is now a married apothecary, and 19-year-old Elizabeth is marking time in the Tower of London after being accused of plotting against her sister, Queen Mary. Sneaking in to visit Elizabeth disguised as a priest, Simon runs across his old friend “Peto the Pope,” a petty thief currently languishing in the tower for murder. While Simon attempts to prove Peto’s innocence, trouble is brewing on the domestic front as his wife takes in a pregnant girl who soon delivers a baby. As the childless Hannah becomes more obsessed with the infant and Simon becomes more caught up in pursuing his case, neither realizes that the real danger is lurking far too close to home. For the sake of historical accuracy, Elizabeth is mostly relegated to the sidelines in this one, but a solo Simon proves he can carry the story and save the day in this finely wrought Elizabethan mystery. — Margaret Flanagan


Library Journal
The third title in Herring’s excellent historical series (after Poison, Your Grace) captivates with its smooth prose, on-the-ground details, and use of clever and unexpected characters. Princess Elizabeth’s role is quieter in this outing, but watching the Maldon family grow is rewarding. Also a good choice for YA readers.




Publishers Weekly
This series has strong YA crossover potential!
Herring’s fine third 16th-century mystery . . . (after 2011’s Poison, Your Grace), apothecary Simon Maldon, disguised as a priest, visits his royal friend, 19-year-old Elizabeth Tudor, in the Tower of London. Herring deftly explores the theme of loyalty in a time of deep religious division. Engaging characters and a well-paced plot . . .”
At the start of Herring’s fine third 16th-century mystery (after 2011’s Poison, Your Grace), apothecary Simon Maldon, disguised as a priest, visits his royal friend, 19-year-old Elizabeth Tudor, in the Tower of London. Elizabeth blames her plight not on the new monarch, her half-sister, Mary, but on the queen’s advisers who have branded her a traitor. Simon sees another Tower prisoner, his underworld friend Peto the Pope. Peto admits the murder charge against him “is hardly beyond belief,” but he assures Simon he’s innocent. As Simon seeks to free Elizabeth and Peto amid much cloak-and-dagger intrigue, his childless wife assists a pregnant girl in need. Though supplying less historical background than usual, Herring deftly explores the theme of loyalty in a time of deep religious division. Engaging characters and a well-paced plot more than compensate for the occasional anachronism (e.g., “my single goal in life”).