I must admit I was growing tired of Kathy Lynn Emerson's Lady Appleton but her latest book, FACE DOWN AMONG THE WINCHESTER GEESE, tops the series by rekindling my interest. An excellent plot and resolution to the fate of her husband, as well as Emerson's usual top-notch historical details and writing style.

I'm reading the "Face Down" series in order, and I've really come to love Lady Susanna and her supporting cast of characters - even her dog of a husband is entertaining. I have to admit, I guessed who the murderer was in this one - but I didn't guess why he was until late in the story. You get a fascinating history lesson with all of Emerson's books, but a great mystery too.

Susanna is taken from Leigh Abbey to London by her husband Robert, but has no idea why. She is not aware that Robert is scheming with Diego Cordoba and the Spanish Embassy and needs her there in London.

One day a petite dark haired lady named Diane St. Cyr comes to see Robert at their rental house on Catte Street. Robert is not present and Susanna takes a message to have him meet Diane at a place called the Falcon. Susanna is aware that Diane is probably one of Robert's many mistresses but gives him the message anyway. Robert goes to see Diane to find out what she wants. The next morning Diane is found in the streets dead.

In order to clear Robert's name, Susanna begins to look into the murder and discovers that there have been several women(mostly prostitutes),with the same physical features murdered on the same day over a period of seven years.

With the help of her maid-servant and friend Jennet, as well as a brothel keeper named Petronella, Susanna discovers who is killing the Winchester Geese(prostitutes)and what Robert has up his sleeve.

This is the second Susanna, Lady Appleton mystery that I have read and found this one to be much more enjoyable.

The best starting point for any renaissance history buff. Brief biographies on most important women of Elizabeth I's reign with biographies spanning the entire century

If you read the "Face Down" series purely for the Whodunit, than this one is as strong as the others - in fact, harder for me to figure out than some of the others have been. I have to admit - I'm a bit disappointed in how Emerson resolved some relationship issues in this one. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but I felt that some things were a bit rushed and seemed out of character for two of the players - but all in all, I love how Emerson continues to grow the the characters of the supporting crew to Susanna - another fun mystery.

This time Susanna, Lady Appleton is suspected of the murder of her husband, and, as the author makes clear, this is hardly the best century in which to be a murder suspect. Susanna fights against time to find the real murderer and escape a gruesome death. A riveting mystery with authentic and fascinating period details, well drawn characters, and always a plucky heroine. Fans of Anne Perry should check out this series!

For a look at the cover of this book and other news about the series, visit my website. I have my own domain name, so I'm easy to find. I also have a newsletter, Face Down Update, for those interested in knowing more about Lady Appleton. P.S. I couldn't submit this without rating the book. I do think it's the best in the series to date, but I hate the idea of rating anything. Much too subjective!

Most Americans who would be interested in such things, after all, have probably visited a Colonial reconstruction (like Williamsburg) at some point, and seen the artifacts of the period up close and personal, so it doesn't matter too much that the volume this series offers about Colonial America isn't too well supplied with pictures. But visual recreations of Elizabethiana are thinner on the ground, and it would have helped to have been able to see something of the objects described (I had to haul out one of my costume references to comprehend the description of Anne Boleyn's trademark headdress, for example). That much said, the book is packed with useful information ranging from plots against the Virgin Queen to how much things cost to education, language (including the Scots dialect), and witchcraft. And it offers sizeable bibliographies of other books to seek out in connection with various specialized subjects. On balance, I have to say that I got a lot out of it, and would recommend it as a good jumping-off place for students as well as writers.

Not just for writers, but historians, hobbyists, and anyone interested in the small details of life in other times. This volume, like the others in the series, includes chapters (with figures and illustrations) on food, clothing, family life, work, education, religion, leisure activities, social and political history, etc. Great for browsing, great for research. Recommended.

If your interest in the Renaissance centers on 16th century England, then this book's for you. With chapters arranged by broad subjects, such as Everyday Life, Government and War, and Society, it's easy to locate topics. If you are looking for a quick reference tool specific to the English Renaissance, this book belongs in your collection

It's been a year since Mary, Queen of Scots, fled Scotland and pled for asylum in England. And although she is now a prisoner, dependent on Elizabeth I's charity and mercy, Mary and her allies still plot to make her Queen of England.

Sir Walter Pendennis is in Augsburg, negotiating for a secret loan on Elizabeth I's behalf, and he is looking forward to returning to England, and to settling down in his country manor with his wife, putting his days as a diplomat behind him, when tragedy strikes. Eleanor, Sir Walter's wife is run over by a farm wagon, and is seriously injured. Believing herself to be at death's door, she confesses to her husband that she has been conspiring with the Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland for quite a while now to overthrow the Queen and to place Mary on the English throne. Sir Walter is both angered and appalled at the news. His only thought now is to somehow thwart the conspirators, and to minimize his errant wife's role in the conspiracy. Discovering that his old friend, Lady Susanna Appleton is in Hamburg, Sir Walter goes to her for help. His plan is for Susanna to impersonate Eleanor and to somehow insinuate herself into the conspirators' circle. Sir Walter assures Susanna that practically no one will discover the impersonation as Eleanor has more or less had little contact with any of the conspirator's (save through letters). Eager to prevent any kind of uprising, Susanna agrees to help Sir Walter, eventhough she senses that there is something that Sir Walter is holding back.

Susanna's lover, Nick Baldwin, however is not so sanguine. Distrustful of Sir Walter and his motives for involving Susanna in this dangerous enterprise, Nick does some digging of his own, and discovers that Eleanor had actually been murdered, and that the order to murder her had come from someone close to Northumberland. Obviously the conspirators did not trust Eleanor at all. Fearful of Susanna's safety, Nick quickly makes for England. Will Nick arrive in time to warn Susanna of the danger she is facing? Will Susanna mange to ingratiate herself with the conspirators? What exactly is Sir Walter hiding, and exactly what kind of deep game is he playing? And will the conspirators pull off their coup?

These are the threads that bind this very suspenseful mystery novel together. With "Face Down Before Rebel Hooves," Kathy Lynn Emerson does an excellent job of maintaining that taut suspenseful air, where you wonder if Susanna will finally be unmasked; and if the killer, who believes that (s)he has failed in his/her attempt to murder Eleanor, will strike again. Since this mystery novel is based on historical fact, we all know how the coup panned out, however, I thought that the authour did a truly wonderful job of bringing this entire conspiracy to life. Susanna Appleton remains as wonderful, and as strong and as resilient as ever. And it makes for wonderful reading to see Susanna and Jennet, her clever and resourceful ally, grapple with the mystery at hand and solve it. This novel is quite a fun read, and is, in my opinion, part of a series that is one of the better mystery series dealing with Elizabethan England.

In the first few years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, there were numerous plots and counter-plots to try to put Mary, Queen of the Scots, on the throne. Many powerful nobles, especially in the north, had strong Papist sympathies and ultimately many rebelled. Elizabeth's spymaster Sir Walter Pendennis is aghast to learn his wife is in league with the rebels.

Sir Walter travels to Hamburg to ask his good friend Susanna, Lady Appleton, to help him infiltrate the rebel leaders so that he can prevent a civil war. Susanna, loyal to Her Majesty and relishing a good adventure, agrees to help. She goes to the estate of the Earl of Northumberland with false messages and soon joins the Countess' entourage. She gathers evidence on rebel activity even as someone wants her dead.

Kathy Lynn Emerson brings vivid color to a tumultuous time during the early stages of the Elizabethan era. Readers learn that the intermingling of religious conflict with politics leads to thoughts of rebellion. The heroine is independent and morally righteous, but tempered with a pragmatic streak. FACE DOWN BEFORE THE REBEL HOOVES is an exciting historical mystery.

Harriet Klausner

Set in Elizabethan England, author Kathy Emerson has chosen an interesting historical period for her mystery series and an intriguing heroine in Susanna, Lady Appleton -- a proto-feminist educated by her father and grudgingly admired by her more conventional husband. Emerson introduces a great deal of information about the times, the people and the herbs without making it painful, and the book is readable for that alone. The heroine and other characters are believable and three-dimensional and the murder and its solution are reasonably well-done -- better than many historical mysteries. I look forward to reading others in the series.

This is an immensely readable, enjoyable book. The characters are great, the story kept my interest, and the historical background is accurate and is inserted into the story in engaging ways. I have been reading a lot of historical mysteries this summer, and this is an excellent one! Good summer reading!

What a wonderful surprise! It's refreshing to find an author who really knows her history. The main character, Susanna, is a very unusual woman, in that her father pampered her by allowing his daughter the education that would normally only be appropriate for a boy. Poor Sir Robert, to have to put up with a wife who can run the family business better than him, take care of the household, and research and write a book on deadly herbs on the side. ;-) I've read the entire series up to date and have discovered they just keep getting better! I hope Emerson has plans for more.

Lord Glenelg is an odious man. He is also a traitor. Now, a guest in Lord and Lady Madderly's castle, he has been murdered, though no one seems terribly upset about his loss. Enter Susanna, Lady Appleton, and her half-sister-in-law Catherine, enjoined by the Queen to visit Madderly Castle to assist its Lady with her herbal. Coincidence? Susanna thinks not, but that does not keep her from trying to solve this, and subsequent, murders.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first novel in this series, but did not like this one so well. The mystery was not as interesting, and the fact that Susanna was not at home hurt the entertainment value, I thought, particularly since it meant that her companion and confidante became half-sister Catherine rather than the feisty, outspoken Jennet from that first outing.

The author writes well about herbs and the times, informing us effortlessly of things we might not otherwise know, but while this was a pleasant read, it was a letdown from the first, though I'll probably try another in the series.

This is a wonderful series of historical mysteries. The characters are strong and grow in the course of the series, and the stories are fun--although not terribly hard to figure out, in this case at least. This did not deter me from enjoying this book at all. The pleasure of Elizabethan England is the greater joy here--all the more so because the historical details are correct!

Every time I read an Elizabethan mystery by Kathy Lynn Emerson, I feel like I've been transported back in time. I hear the sounds of carriages passing by, smell the smells of the herbs in their kitchen, & feel I've met the most authentic characters I've ever encountered in a historical novel. This is a 'feel like you've been there' read - Susanna deals with her falling from grace husband in a way that makes me long for the next installment in the series. An incredible read!

I agree with the first reviewer. There are better of this genre.

This is the first book I have read by Ms. Emerson and it was no great shakes. There are other authors of historical mysteries that are much more descriptive of daily life and produce a much richer overall mystery (see my other reviews).

This novel has Susanna,Lady Appleton as detective extraordinaire. To me it seemed that Lady Appleton's serving girl Jennet did a better job of sleuthing than did Lady Appleton.

Susanna, in all her piety, has to help her dead husband's mistress Constance and Constance's cousin Lucy clear their names of witchcraft before they go to the gallows. This seems pretty strange to me. Susanna also has to outmaneuver her boyfriend's sly and hateful mother.

In my opinion, this is one of the best historical mystery series currently in publication. Susanna, Lady Appleton, is an inspiring and wonderful addition to the ranks of female investigators -- she's independent, brave and possesses a strong sense of justice. And Kathy Lynn Emerson has created a believable set of circumstances that allows for Susanna to maintain her independence and to conduct her affairs as she sees fit in Elizabethan England. Susanna is a widow and rich in her own right and (most importantly) possesses no male relatives who could try to curb and restrain her. This allows her to pretty much do as she pleases within reason. And when it is brought to her attention that one of her husband's former lovers, Constance Crane is now facing charges of murder and witchcraft, Susanna, who had in a previous adventure been similarly charged, feels that she must to do something to help the woman.

From her previous experience, she knows that women are especially vulnerable to such charges because the burden of proof lies with the accused rather than with the accuser and that such accusations are quite frequently grounded in superstitious beliefs and fantasies, not on fact and tangible evidence. Not believing in witchcraft herself, Susanna realises that she must look into the deaths more closely in order to prove Constance and her cousin Lucy innocent. And she is determined to prove that the Crane cousins have been wrongfully accused. But as she starts her investigation, Susanna comes to realise that there is something quite sinister afoot, and that if her suspicions are correct, then two innocent women are being framed for some more nefarious reason than fear and superstition. But can Susanna prove the Crane cousins's innocence, and before she herself is charged with witchcraft herself or killed?

This is a well written and tautly paced novel. And there are enough suspects with tenous claims to guilt to keep you guessing as to who the culprit is and what the motif could be. The pecarious fate that Constance and Lucy find themselves in is spot on. Kathy Lynn Emerson does a very good job in depicting the fear and the frustration and the anger that Constance and Lucy feel. She also does a very good job at making Elizabethan England come alive.

A brilliant installment in a wonderful series. I just wish that Kathy Lynn Emerson could write two or three Susanna Appleton mysteries a year!

Kathy Lynn Emerson captures the feel of an email exchange without using the actual messages, making Sight Unseen an enjoyable, slightly different romance.

Kathy Lynn Emerson has merged high-tech and romance in the first story I've ever read about e-mail order brides. It's a marriage-of-conveniece story with a twist. You'll laugh, cry and sigh.

Russ Tandy's daughter Amanda wants to enter a beauty pagent! Russ not likeing the idea but got talked into it went to Tory Greenviel to see if she can help chaperon. Tory agrees, trying to put away old feeling, while Russ struggls with his. If you want to relax with a book that makes you smile give That Special Smile a go.