Publisher's Weekly - November 10th,
2003
This
engaging medieval suspense debut is alternately playful and sober in its exploration
of the power maneuvers and backstabbing of the royal families of England and
France. The story, set in the early 1200s, is narrated by Princess Alais Capet,
a bored and somewhat bitter member of the French nobility, long passed over
for both matrimony and higher status. Alais is approached by Queen Eleanor,
who asks her to retrieve a secret and highly personal cache of letters hidden
in England's Canterbury Cathedral. Eleanor won't explain the importance of the
letters, but in return for salvaging them, she promises to divulge family secrets
that Alais could use to her advantage. Alais, frustrated by the slow and tiresome
life at the French court, agrees to run the errand, but when she reaches Canterbury,
she finds not only the letters missing but a trail of dead bodies in her wake.
Just as she is about to depart for home, she's abducted and taken prisoner by
King John, an inept and insecure leader who views Alais as an important pawn
in his attempts to strengthen his tenuous grip on the throne. Healey's well-researched
historical drama - many of the characters and circumstances are based on real-life
models - delights in poking fun at the stuffiness and misbehavior that characterized
the royal families of the time. The pace may be a little too leisurely for some
readers, but Alais's tart, wry perspective makes this age-old story fresh and
absorbing.