Murder at Hatfield House: An Elizabethan Mystery

Seeking a change of scenery, I decided to try an Elizabethan mystery. I have to admit I had to first refresh my Tudor Period historical knowledge and King Henry VIII royal family tree before undertaking reading this book. To my relief, this book was easy to read. The dialogue is not complicated by words used during that time period. I thought the author did a terrific job of setting the mood of that era. It was a time when allegiance to the Catholic Queen Mary or to the Protestant Princess Elizabeth was sharply demarcated.Our heroine is Kate Haywood, a court lute musician for the princess who is in exile at Hatfield House. I liked her character immediately. She is calm in tight situations and is curious and motivated to solve the murders. And there were plenty of murders, to be sure- a servant and a young innocent, mute boy are among the victims.Two possible love interests, Anthony the handsome lawyer's apprentice and Rob the handsome actor are introduced to help her solve the murders. Kate places herself in danger many times due to her loyalty to Elizabeth. I thought the story was well-written and flowed smoothly. It was an enjoyable and educational read for me. And now, for some reason, I am inspired to dress up and attend a Renaissance Faire!

I enjoyed this book, but felt like the ending was from out of nowhere. The portrayal of Queen Elizabeth in the last days of Queen Mary was a nice blend of the cold hearted planner she was as well as the softer benevolent ruler. The fictional characters were well developed and I will happily read more about Kate and her father as Elizabeth takes the throne.

I love anything about the Tudors and Murder at Hatfield House did not disappoint! Ms. Carmack brought her characters to life in a most wondrous way! Kate is fantastic and I enjoy how she interacts with Princess Elizabeth. I have already pre-ordered the next book in the series. Bravo Ms. Carmack on your debut Elizabethan Mystery!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The historical detail was interesting and woven into the story in a way that was not distracting or overpowering. The depiction of Elizabeth was multifaceted, and Kate was a delightful, spunky, believable protagonist. I look forward to reading Amanda's other work!

Interesting to me only because I kept trying to remember my Tudor history. The language is not in sync; I doubt the 16th Century English royalty used the words "ran smack into the trap." The solution comes put of left field and requires a huge leap of faith to believe the wounded Kate would trust a mysterious stranger. The conflict between Mary and Elizabeth is in itself fascinating so that's worth the read if you're jonesing for your next Anglophile fix.

Good historical, didn't use accurate language, which is good and made it readable. Daughter's doing a presentation and can use the early Elizabeth info.

I am a great fan of historical fiction, especially mysteries. I am really looking for to reading the next book and was very pleased to see that there are several more for future reading.

This book was very slow and I struggled to finish. Plot did not catch and keep my attention. This is the first book that I have read by this author, so will read the next before I take her off my reading list, hopefully it will be better.