Two Southwark Geese/Bawds have been murdered as well as one of Queen Elizabeth's ladies.... What they all have in common is, they all resemble the Queen.

Once again Kate Haywood, the Queen's Lute Player is asked by Elizabeth to investigate which puts Kate into danger, as people are not who they seem to be.

This was a fast read w/ enjoyable characters ( )

What a fun read! I was pleased at the depth of historical knowledge that Ms. Carmack has - she added good details at the necessary times, without being overly historical in describing events prior to Elizabeth's reign. The descriptions of the court were quite good, the courtiers' relationships and dress were, again, accurate without being overly detailed (letting one's imagination and knowledge of the area flow), and the story itself provided a lot of twists and turns.

Definitely a good read for historical fiction enthusiasts or Elizabethan thrill seekers or someone who just wants to pick up good book for the weekend. ( )

Murder at Westminster Abbey sees Princess Elizabeth Tudor, as she still was in the first book, Murder at Hatfield House, officially crowned the queen of England. There are some very interesting descriptions of the coronation. There's also plenty of name dropping, but this is a historical novel.

Kate Haywood, our heroine, is having to take over her father's duties because he has yet to recover from his ordeal in book one. The new queen still likes to have Kate around. Indeed, Kate is the only person chosen to accompany Elizabeth on a secret night visit before the coronation.

Three redheaded women who resemble the new queen are murdered. Two of them were friends of Kate's actor friend, Rob Cartman, who fears he will be accused of the first one's murder. Because he dares not show his face, he asks Kate to discover the killer.

There's plenty of court intrigue going on. Some two-faced courtiers, including some of the queen's own kin, disdain her in private. Some even scheme against her. The Spanish and French ambassadors may be polite to Elizabeth, but of course they have their own countries' interests in mind.

Elizabeth is being pressured to marry and give England an heir. She considers herself married to her country. Unfortunately, someone in her country doesn't just want her dead -- that person is actively trying to murder her. Whom can Elizabeth trust? It certainly made me glad I'm not a queen.

Master Anthony Elias, lawyer and Kate's friend, gets to be a man of action as well as research. Anthony is nearing the end of his apprenticeship. Master and Mistress Hardy have their handsome young apprentice's interests at heart. They do not regard his interest in Kate as prudent. Master Hardy politely warns Kate she wouldn't be a suitable wife for Anthony. I think he might be just as opposed to the match if he knew what Kate herself finds out in chapter 29, but for a different reason.

Yes, Kate finds out her mother's big secret from an elderly relative of the queen. That Elizabeth already knew explains a great deal.

I love the details we learn about Elizabeth's court and times. For example, I've long heard/read the expression about being thrown in the clink (going to jail). I'd no idea there was a notorious 1144-1780 prison called 'The Clink' in London. Now the expression makes sense. There's a museum there now, built on the original site. http://www.clink.co.uk/

As with the first and third book, Ms. Carmack treats us to more interesting historical information in her author's note at the end.

Now that I've read all three books, I'm sorry to learn that book four isn't due out until December 2015. ( )

Enjoyable series so far. Touches on the politics, the danger of court. All was not gold and love. Kate is beginning to figure out how to survive in court politics, but she needs to concentrate more on self-defense if she is going to keep working for Elizabeth...... ( )

http://www.girllostinabook.com/2014/04/review-murder-at-westminster-abbey-by.htm... ( )