Murder in the Merchant's Hall

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I found this to be an enjoyable read. A great mystery that keeps you guessing.

I have no complaints about the execution of this plot. It had me guessing who the murderer was right up to the end. The story was well written and the characters fully developed.

Rosamund was a great heroine. I do like heroines that are independent but sometimes she could be a bit too sassy and I wish that she would have let Rob help her a bit more than she did. Sometimes she seemed a bit insensitive to him, but despite those issues I did really like her a lot.

Rob was also very likable. He was protective as well as manly without being too alpha male which was something I would have liked to have seen Rosamund appreciate a bit more.

I do have to admit that though I did like most characters very much, there were two I didn't like much at all. First was Lina. She cried too much and was too self-centered for me to feel bad for her. Second, was Jennet Jaffrey, Rob's mother. I think by now she should have gotten over her anger with Rosamund.

If you like mysteries set in the Tudor era, I recommend you read this one. It was a quick fun read.

Mistress Rosamond Jaffrey's dear friend, Lina, has been accused of the murder of her brother-in-law Hugo Hackett, a mercer, by her own sister, Isolde, Hugo's wife. Lina flees and finds sanctuary with Rosamond's mother, Susanna Appleton. Rosamond will not believe Lina committed the murder and, with her own life in danger, sets out to find the real murderer.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I've read some of the Susanna Appleton mysteries, but this is the first Mistress Jaffrey mystery I've read. I had thought the two series were not entangled so was surprised to find out they were. If you like historical fiction mysteries, I highly suggest this book. Now I need to find the rest of the Susanna Appleton mysteries and the first of the Mistress Jaffrey mysteries.

Lina seems to be guilty of murder when she is standing over her dead brother-in-law’s body clutching a bloody knife in her hand. Knowing that the punishment of the crime is to be burned at the stake, Lina has no one to turn to but her childhood friend, Rosamond Jaffrey. Rosamond vows to find out who the real killer is, yet as she investigates, the more guilty Lina seems to be. Can Rosamond determine if Lina is the true culprit of the crime?

Rosamond is a young married woman who was once a spy for Elizabeth. She is smart and resilient, and very strong-willed. She likes to do as she pleases. However, she is stubborn and does not give up and is very persistent, especially when Lina’s fate seems bleak. She also keeps secrets from her husband. I also like her relationship with her husband, Rob. While both of them have secrets, they help each other out. Rosamond depends on Rob for help, and Rob is always there for her. Therefore, their relationship is very sweet.

Overall, this story is about friendship, love, family, and trust. I did find the pacing of the novel to be very slow at times, and I thought that the mystery was predictable. However, I liked the characters, for they were fun, and I thought the novel was very well-written. I liked how the author described the setting of Elizabethan London. Like with most mystery series, this book can be read as a stand alone. I did not read the first book in the series, but I was not lost. The author gave me a lot of background into the characters. I recommend this book to anyone interested in historical mysteries set in the Tudor era.