Murder in the Queen’s Wardrobe was an experience for me, as it was my first novel of Kathy Lynn Emerson’s that I’ve read, and also my first novel that I’ve read on my Kindle! For those of you following along at home, I’ve purchased a Kindle due to my library being closed during the COVID-19 outbreak. I bought a Paperwhite because LCD screens give me headaches. This novel was headache-free and I don’t think I strained my eyes beyond the normal reading amount, so I will try a few more books on the Kindle, and take advantage of resources like NetGalley where you can only e-read.
Anyhow, let’s talk about this book. I will concede that the first third of it was spent adjusting to the format of the Kindle, and I only really got into the book in the later ⅔. It also could have been because the first third was a little slow, but I will leave that up to you to decide.
Rosamond Jaffery is a young woman who married her childhood friend and claimed her inheritance early so she didn’t have to enter into a contractual marriage with a man chosen by her parents. She’s fairly wealthy, and you can tell she was spoiled a bit as she has a bit of an entitled attitude (I know that’s a trending word today, but it’s the best, in this case). She’s asked to do a bit of spying by an old family friend, and her assignment is to become a lady-in-waiting to the queen’s cousin. Rosamond is to eavesdrop on marriage negotiations between the Russian Tsar and said Queen’s cousin.
Her assignment starts out well; she’s accepted into the fold, but it soon goes awry as her contact, the Queen’s chief wardrober, is murdered and attempts start to be made on the Queen’s cousin and Rosamond herself. As Rosamond doggedly works to find the culprit, she’s met with obstacles and makes a couple of dangerous bargains.
I wasn’t sure that I totally got the plot of this story. I can’t say too much without giving it away, but I will say that some murders were unnecessary and things were overly complicated at times. It wasn’t confusing, but the ending was a bit of a letdown, in my opinion.
I also don’t know that I’m a fan of Rosamond. She’s spoiled and used to getting her way, which makes her difficult and irritating, yet somehow people she meets have a grudging respect for her. I’m not sure that I would, if I met her. She seems like they type of person who would always be telling you why you were wrong and why her ideas are obviously better. Her determination to solve the murder also didn’t quite fit with her personality; she gets really emotionally involved even though the victims are people that she didn’t know or like. She makes some questionable decisions in her search for justice and doesn’t seem to think things through.
Beyond those items, I thought this novel was a fine read. It was easy to follow and well-written so readers got a comprehensive picture of the mystery through Rosamond’s eyes. I think I will read the next book without any reservations, because I am curious as to what Rosamond does next and how her relationship with her husband progresses.