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!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book on creating portfolios for the classroom. I know it will help me be more efficient as I create my portfolios for my classroom next year. Very concise and easy to follow book.

Just Like I Said I My Title, It's Not Really Half Bad!

If you can swallow the idea of an Elizabethan research team and accept the fact that his book deals much more with marital difficulties than murder, then you might--I repeat, might--enjoy this book, but it is definitely not as good as previous offerings in this series. Either Ms. Emerson is running out of ideas, or she's cranking them out to make money...in either case, the reader ultimately suffers.

The Spanish have pulled untold wealth from the Americas and have prevented the English from doing the same. In response, Queen Elizabeth has tasked Susanna, Lady Appleton and her friend Sir Walter Pendennis to lead a research team to discover some valid English claim to have discovered the Americas before Columbus. The pickings seem slim, but when one of the researchers is murdered, Susanna wonders whether the Spanish have discovered their mission--and have taken steps to prevent success.

Susanna and Walter investigate the unlikely suspects--a small group of aging scholars from Cambridge and Oxford Universities. Yet what possible motives would they have for murder, and why would any of them be interested in supporting the Spanish claims? Still, there is definitely something going on beneath the surface--one of the scholars has been sneaking out of the manor at night and another has a daughter who has ended up in places a young and single woman shouldn't go.

Author Kathy Lynn Emerson writes convincingly about this critical period in English history. Elizabeth holds the crown but is surrounded by enemies abroad and by Catholic and extreme protestant enemies at home. Emerson personalizes the mystery making both Susanna and Walter fully developed characters with conflicted desires and motivations that go far beyond simply solving a crime.

Unfortunately for the novel, Susanna and Walter's personal lives are more interesting than, and not especially connected to the mystery itself. Indeed, the solution to the mystery comes as something of an anticlimax, not resolving the fundamental issues or advancing the personal goals of either primary character. FACE DOWN ACROSS THE WESTERN SEA is a pleasant read and contains intriguing history and historical speculation. Pretty good.

Sir Walter Pendennis is at Priory House in Cornwall on a mission for the queen. With him is Susanna, Lady Appleton, the woman who turned down his marriage proposal s well as a host of England's best scholars. Their job is to find England's claim, if any, to the New World and a faster waterway to the Asian Markets. Susanna is glad to find something worthwhile to occupy her time since her lover Nick Baldwin, a member of the Merchant's Adventures, is in Hamburg to advance England's cause in that port.

When one of the scholars explains to Susanna that one of the documents is missing, she intends to help him look for it. She is distracted from her mission when Sir Walter's estranged wife arrives on the scene causing emotional turmoil. In the meantime, the scholar who lost the document has been killed and Sir Walter and Susanna must find out who did it since England's interests are involved in the matter. When a second scholar disappears and is presumed dead, Susanna is determined to find out what is going on.

Every Susanna, Lady Appleton novel is a joy to read. In an era when a powerful queen ruled England, a widowed noblewoman has much power, especially if she has enough money to back up her desires. Susanna is a person of sterling character who wants to make the world a better place. That is why readers love her and the plot of her latest tale, FACE DOWN ACROSS THE WESTERN SEA, enhances her desire to leave a positive mark while also enhancing the reputation of author Kathy Lynn Emerson

Harriet Klausner