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Queen Elizabeth I is making a journey to Kent. Brian Tymberley, a yeoman of the Queen's chamber, is responsible for scouting out the location and finding houses for all of her majesty's court to stay. Tymberley has settled on Leigh Abbey, Lady Appleton's home, for the Queen's residence. Susanna, Lady Appleton, is not completely happy with this decision, although she has little choice in the matter. Brian Tymberley and his servant, Miles Carter, settle into Leigh Abbey to construct a banqueting house as well as to be on hand for last-minute problems. Several weeks before the Queen's scheduled arrival, Carter is found dead beneath the banqueting house. Tymberley had decided to build the house in a large tree in the yard. This location was to have provided novelty and entertainment for the Queen. Unfortunately, it has provided the ideal location for murder or suicide. Susanna informs Nick Baldwin of the murder. Nick is the justice of the peace and any unnatural death falls under his jurisdiction. Nick is the owner of a neighboring house and is Susanna's lover. Obviously, this makes the situation a little more complicated. The preliminary investigation indicates that Carter was not up in the tree by himself. Someone, probably a woman, was there before his death. In addition, Carter and Tymberley might have been involved in a little blackmail with both the landowners and servants in town. Whether this hypothesis is true or not, it does provide an excellent motive for murder. When another man is found dead, Nick and Susanna must increase their efforts before the killer can strike again. FACE DOWN BELOW THE BANQUETING HOUSE is an unusual historical mystery. Emerson uses historical figures as background characters to give the book a sense of realism. The historical details and characters are accurate, although some of the fictional characters seem a little too modern to be realistic. Several of the characters seem to be forward-thinking and willing to go against mainstream society. These are traits a modern reader will appreciate but are not necessarily Elizabethan ideals. Even though some of the characters do not fit into the Elizabethan mould, Emerson does blend the historical figures with the fictional characters almost seamlessly. The story itself is well drawn. The murder investigation, though somewhat haphazard, does result in finding the killer in a relatively small period of time. By including two detectives, Emerson has the opportunity to provide background detail quickly as well as show the numerous paths the investigation takes. The combination of these elements allows the story to move quickly and keeps the reader guessing. FACE DOWN BELOW THE BANQUETING HOUSE is the eighth book in the FACE DOWN series.
Reviewed by Sarah Dudley, March 2005
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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