Queen without a crown : [an Ursula Blanchard mystery at Queen Elizabeth I's court

The ninth gripping murder mystery to feature Ursula Blanchard, special aide to Elizabeth I - November, 1569 . Happily married to her third husband, Hugh Stannard, lady-in-waiting Ursula Blanchard is hoping to give up her undercover work for Queen Elizabeth l in order to enjoy domestic bliss. But when Hugh unwittingly endangers possession of his ancestral home, Ursula is forced to take on a seemingly hopeless but handsomely paid private assignment, which the Queen spots is the perfect cover for a covert investigation into a group of rebel barons plotting to put Mary, Queen of Scots on the English throne . . . From Booklist Ursula Blanchard, lady-in-waiting and spy extraordinaire, returns in a new Elizabethan mystery steeped in suspense and historical detail. In addition to her duties as a Lady of the Bedchamber to her half sister, Queen Elizabeth, she also undertakes certain delicate missions for the Crown. Despite her marriage to Hugh Stannard, there is no escaping into private life for Ursula. On assignment in the north to ferret out a group of rebel noblemen intent on rescuing and reinstating the imprisoned Mary, Queen of Scots, she is also privately commissioned by Mark Easton, Lord Sussex's envoy, to solve a 20-year-old murder. As Ursula delves deep into the past to solve a tricky cold case, political passions in the present threaten to boil over. The worthy Ursula is an estimable heroine, and Buckley's confident mastery of sixteenth-century British history lends an air of authenticity to her cleverly spun adventures. --Margaret Flanagan “Ursula Blanchard, lady-in-waiting and spy extraordinaire, returns in a new Elizabethan mystery steeped in suspense and historical detail.” —Booklist November, 1569: Happily married to her third husband, Hugh Stannard, Ursula Blanchard is hoping to give up her undercover work for Queen Elizabeth l in order to enjoy domestic bliss. But when Hugh unwittingly endangers possession of his ancestral home, Ursula is forced to take on a seemingly hopeless, but handsomely paid, private assignment—which the queen considers the perfect cover for a covert investigation into a group of rebel barons plotting to put Mary, Queen of Scots back on the English throne . . . “Ursula is the essence of iron cloaked in velvet—a heroine to reckon with.” —Kirkus Reviews “The worthy Ursula is an estimable heroine, and Buckley’s confident mastery of sixteenth-century British history lends an air of authenticity to her cleverly spun adventures.” —Booklist "November, 1569. Happily married to her third husband, Hugh Stannard, former spy and lady-in-waiting Ursula Blanchard is hoping to give up her undercover work for Queen Elizabeth I in order to enjoy newfound domestic bliss. But when Hugh unwittingly endangers possession of his ancestral home, Ursula reluctantly takes on another assignment--a private matter for which she is to be handsomely paid. Lord Sussex's envoy, Mark Easton, has asked for her help in solving a murder which took place more than twenty years before. Although she believes it to be a hopeless case, Ursula needs the money. Nor can she say no when Elizabeth realizes that the case will be the perfect cover for a covert investigation into a group of rebel barons plotting to put Mary, Queen of Scots on the English throne . . ."--Jacket