The Fatal Fashione

by Karen Harper

Book Overview

Elizabethan London teems with life and deadly deeds as its queen struggles to solve a woman's murder by delving into a girl's memories. At stake are Elizabeth Tudor's right to rule - and her very life. In the eighth year of the young queen's reign, England is awash in fads. Tobacco is introduced from the New World and so is chocolate, which is secretly smuggled from Spain. Black garments become the rage and are beautifully set off by Elizabeth's style...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312338856
• ISBN13: 9780312338855
• Release Date: December 2005
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Length: 286 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.2" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Another great read

The Fatal Fashione is another great read from Karen Harper. Continuing the Queen Elizabeth series, it keeps the reader interested in the historical figures as well as the climactic ending. The book ended rather swiftly, and I was sad that it was over!

Excellent well!

Once again, Harper has done it. She really excels at taking Queen Elizabeth I and making her flesh and blood. I've always enjoyed how she portrays the queen as strong-willed and yet vulnerable and how she doesn't try to gloss over the queen's rough edges. She has taken something of a one-dimensional historical figure and made her flesh and blood. I've long admired Elizabeth I and I'm very glad to see an author doing her such justice in portraying her as the complex human being she must have been. As in the previous novels in the series, the peace of Elizabeth's kingdom is threatened by murder most foul. Harper does a nice job of juxtaposing the murder mystery with Elizabeth's fears of a northern uprising and the queen's constant worries over exactly how much of a threat Mary, Queen of Scots posed. I think this nicely shows how Elizabeth was concerned not only with the political in that she frets about the well-being of her country as a whole but also the personal in that she takes such an interest in her subjects. Harper's other strength are her secondary characters. Those who have read the series have likely come to feel like Meg, Jenks, and Ned are friends and it is always welcome to read about the characters triumphs and to worry about their misfortunes. I felt the same sense of urgency Elizabeth felt when one of her favorites was placed in a position of grave danger. As for the mystery itself, it is well-plotted and it is always intriguing to see how Harper uses period details to create innovative methods of executing a crime. This book's victim meets her end in the very vat in which she starches the highly fashionable ruffs that are helping her to earn her fortune. This is characteristic of Harper's writing in that the ends that the unfortunate victims meet provide a peek into the clever and diabolical minds of their killers. Also admirable is the deft way in which Harper weaves the romances of secondary characters skillfully into the narrative to serve as emphasis of the lonely position that Elizabeth has chosen for herself. I've certainly always understood that Elizabeth's defiance when it came to the subject of marriage was certainly a political risk but it was Harper who made me begin to think of what a personal risk it must have been.

Can't wait for the next installment

My taste in ficton is mostly for female detectives and non for non-ficton Elizabeth I, her life and times... here is the best of both worlds -- this is the eighth in the series, one for each of the first eight years of Elizabeth's reign... Harper weaves known historical facts into her books were Elizabeth is the investigator, Queen and champion for justice and honor... Harper has creatively answered questions of Elizabeth's reign and her fictional filling in the blanks reads so well that right now I'm not sure what is fact and what is ficton... My interest in the everyday lives of Londoner's is always rewarded... I'm not a scholar and Harper's historical ficton has inspired me to read more 'serious' books about the period... although I must admit a warm cozy feeling when a new edition in this series comes out and I curl up on the couch and join the Privy Council Gang on their journey... my only disappointment is that I will have to wait until 2007 for the next book... Brava!

History AND a mystery -- terrific!

Being very picky about the mysteries I read, but liking anything to do with Tudor England, I wasn't sure what to think when I picked up "Fatal Fashione." The idea about Elizabeth I of England as a solver of crimes and mysteries was a little out of the box as far as I was concerned, but I decided to give it a try. I'm very glad I invested both the time and the money in this one. In addition to outlining the atmosphere of Elizabethan England through a lot of great description that moves along, Harper provides readers with a great "whodunit," to the point that no one is sure who killed the starcher and laundress until very near the end. And like a good "whodunit," she makes the motive work. Her characterizations are terrific as well -- Harper brings Elizabeth I across as a feisty, "never say die," compassionate figure, one is deserving of the crown of England and the loyalty of her subjects. The only problem I had with this book is that it strained my imagination to think that a Queen with the responsibilities of Elizabeth I had time to run around and solve mysteries while the country ran itself (this was the time before English royalty was largely ceremonial -- kings and queens actually made life and death decisions about their subjects). Yet Harper manages to make it work. In short, Harper does what authors are supposed to do -- to take care of their readers by introducing likeable characters. I wouldn't hesitate to buy and read her other books. Amy Wolff Sorter, author, Servant of the Gods

feels more like an Elizabethan historical fiction

The strewing herb mistress of the privy chamber of Queen Elizabeth I, Meg Milligrew gathered two sacks filled with poisonous cuckoo-pint roots that she believes will make her a nice profit if she can get royal starcher, Hannah von Hoven to cooperate. Many of the aristocracy love wearing the starched ruffs. However, instead the duo argue over costs in front of many witnesses. Meg follows up only to find Hannah lying dead in a tub. Elizabeth I is stunned when she is informed that her royal starcher has been starched. At the same time, royal finance manager Sir Thomas Gresham tries to ignore the Queen's command to gain acceptance of the fashione from the royal starchers. His concern turns to terror when his daughter vanishes for awhile; she reappears near where Hannah conducted business, but she recalls nothing. The Queen convenes her Privy Plot Council to uncover the identity of the killer, save the starch industry, and assist the beleaguered Gresham family. Though the who-done-it is cleverly written to provide several suspects but the obvious one with a public motive remains Meg, the story line feels more like an Elizabethan historical fiction. Readers receive a deep look at life in the court to include those who are employed by the Queen and her retinue. As to be expected by a series in which Queen Elizabeth I is the star heroine (see THE FYRE MIRROR) Karen Harper provides a deep look at life in her court with a very sympathetic eye towards Her Royal Highness. Harriet Klausner