Hooded Hawke: An Elizabeth I Mystery » (Reprint)

Karen Harper is a New York Times- and USA Today- bestselling author whose novels, both historical and contemporary, have been published worldwide. A former college and high school English instructor, Harper frequently travels to promote her books and speak about writing.

Praise for Karen Harper's Elizabeth I Mysteries

"A walk side by side with one of history's most dynamic characters."

- Anne Perry, author of Dark Assassin

"Deftly integrates its appealing historical detail with a neatly turned mystery."

- Kirkus Reviews on The Hooded Hawke

"Harper brings the period vividly to life. . . . One soon is swept up in the rush of events in a turbulent time skillfully described. Recommended for all collections."

- Library Journal on The Fatal Fashione

"Fabulous . . . a thrilling reading experience . . . Fans of the Ursula Blanches series by Fiona Buckley will definitely love this glimpse into a bygone era."

- Midwest Book Review on The Fyre Mirror

"A real treat for those who enjoy historical mysteries."

- Booklist on The Queene's Christmas

"Tudor England's answer to V. I. Warshawski."

- Publishers Weekly on The Thorne Maze

"Harper delivers high drama and deadly intrigue. . . . Elizabethan history has never been this appealing."

- Newsday on The Tidal Poole

Publishers Weekly

Harper's fast-paced, suspenseful ninth historical (after 2005's The Fatal Fashione) finds Elizabeth I beset by Spanish antagonism at sea and by political rivals in England, especially the scheming Mary, Queen of Scots, and the rebellious northern lords. While on a summer outing in 1569 with her new ally, Francis Drake, an arrow barely misses Elizabeth, claiming the life of her falconer instead. After another arrow whizzes dangerously between the queen and her herbalist, her royal suspicions of a larger conspiracy solidify. She'll need all her wits and the assistance of her loyal servants to piece out who is the true target of the attacks. While the conceit of Elizabeth herself as an active sleuth requires some suspension of disbelief, readers who buy in will likely find themselves spellbound by the characters, plotting and plausible period detail. Harper is also the author of Inferno (Mass Market, p. 39). (Feb.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.