In the Time of the Poisoned Queen
YA-A marvelous journey into the heart of England during one of its historically intriguing moments, shrouded in unanswerable questions that have often coincided with the transfer of power. Cursed to everlasting life and seeking salvation for his soul, Nicholas Segalla has been witness to many of the great moments and mysteries of history. Here, he relates his personal account of the poisoning of Mary Tudor in 1558. Dukthas deftly spins the tale around the substance of true facts, actual personages, and historical occurrences. Details of 16th-century life clearly picture the harsh existence, filth, cold, and sickness a person dealt with on a daily basis regardless of class. The finely drawn characters possess unique strengths and weaknesses while still being examples and members of the age and situation. Focusing the plot on the poisoning of Queen Mary, the author solves the mystery of her death by building a solid theory based upon unwritten and undocumented proof. The book ends as the bits and pieces of the "truth" of Mary's death are skillfully fit together by Segalla, never to be known by the world in general. With lots of action, natural dialogue, and twists and turns of plot, the mystery becomes a page-turner as naturally as it teaches the history it describes.Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VACopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.