The Courtier's Secret

Genre: Historical Fiction

Age Range: Adult


This is another book from the same author that wrote "The Secret Of The Glass". Actually, this one is her first book, I read them out of order. This one is set at the Palace of Versailles during the reign of King Louis XIV. The main character, Jeanne, sees how pointless life at court is and longs to do something more with her life. She is given this opportunity when she is fencing with her uncle (in secret, of course) and finds herself in the middle of a fight between some Musketeers and men who are trying to murder the Queen. Seeing her incredible skills with a sword, the Musketeers befriend her, thinking she is a he. So, she finds herself a disguise and joins them to protect the Queen and find meaning in her life.

Of course, one of the Musketeers just happens to be incredibly handsome and not only becomes a close friend of her male self, but of her female self as well. She is then left with the task of reconciling the two sides of her life, hopefully bringing them together in a happy ending.

Again, the historical aspects of the book were fascinating. I learned quite a few things I didn't know about The Sun King. I knew a little of his reputation for lavishness and caring only for his own entertainment while his people were starving, but I had no idea just how bad it was. It was fascinating and a little disturbing to read about life at court in this time. It was a hundred years before the French Revolution and I could already see it coming!

Recommendation: This is definitely well worth reading!

The Beekeeper's Apprentice

Genre: Mystery

Age Group; Adult

Sherlock Holmes lovers, this book is for you! It follows a girl named Mary Russell, who literally stumbles across Holmes and ends up as his apprentice. Her mind is every bit a match for his and she eventually becomes his assistant, helping him to solve cases. The main case in the book is quite perplexing, confounding even Holmes. He and Mary cannot figure out who is after them or why. There have been clumsy attempts on both of their lives as well as Watson's, but yet their opponent appears to be quite brilliant, leaving no useful evidence behind. They must figure out who their opponent is and stop them before they get killed trying.

I was extremely impressed at how the author portrayed Holmes. He was the same Holmes that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle knew, and yet he was different. Mary explains several times that Watson tends to romanticize Holmes and that his accounts were often inaccurate, as he didn't really understand what Holmes was up to. It really was like seeing an old friend though new eyes. The book was very much in the spirit of Doyle's great work, without feeling like a copycat.

Recommendation: I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone!