The Lady Flirts with Death (Five Star Mystery Series)
In their third outing, unlikely detecting duo Simon Maldon and young Princess Elizabeth are growing up. 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 Hannah, Simon’s childless wife, 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