The Lady Flirts With Death
by Peg Herring
In this third book of the Simon & Elizabeth Mysteries, Mary Tudor takes the throne of England, accuses her sister Elizabeth of treason, and imprisons her in the Tower of London. Most people, including Elizabeth herself, believe she will never leave the place alive.
Loyal to a fault, Elizabeth’s old friend Simon Maldon manages to get in to see his “Highness,” once a princess but now demoted to simply Lady Elizabeth. After one of his visits, Simon runs into another old friend, Peto the Pope, who is also under arrest, accused of murdering a man he called his friend. Simon can’t resist investigating to learn what really happened.
At the same time, Simon’s wife Hannah takes in a frightened pregnant girl unwilling to identify herself. Hannah, who desperately wants a child of her own, is captivated by the infant her guest brings into the world. She’s determined to help them both get a start in life.
Distracted by his own concerns: how to help Elizabeth escape and how to prove Peto’s innocence, Simon pays little attention to what’s happening at home. Neither he nor Hannah realizes they should be listening to each other. When they finally do, it’s too late. By trying to help others, they have put themselves in deadly danger.
(word count: available as ebook and print)
