Maid of Deception

Gr 9 Up—Beatrice Knowles, attendant to the Queen, spy for her Majesty, and renowned beauty, has spent her 18 years at court attempting to achieve one goal: to marry well. Just as she is about to say her vows to the wealthy and reputable Lord Cavanaugh, her Queen, the ever-devious Elizabeth, interrupts her wedding and demands one more spying task. Beatrice must seduce the rakish and flirtatious Alasdair MacLeod of the Scottish delegation. Scotland is threatening rebellion and Beatrice must glean what information she can, but the Queen seems to be deriving more pleasure from matching Beatrice with a man she despises. As Beatrice missteps in exposing Lord Cavanaugh as unfaithful to their betrothal and breaking off the engagement of a fellow spy, the Queen attempts to embarrass Beatrice by showcasing her family's lack of wealth and her drug-addled mother. All the while, Beatrice is gaining information about the Queen's advisors to bring herself back into the monarch's good graces. Spending much of her time with Alasdair, the information she gains from him soon proves useful to the English, but more importantly for Beatrice he is winning over her heart with his honest tongue, burning kisses, and solid Scottish build. Only when she thinks she has lost him, does she realize how much he has opened her to love, how loyal her fellow spies are to her, and the truth about her own family. Picking up where Maid of Secrets (S. & S., 2013) left off, but from the perspective of a different member of the Queen's spies, this historical romance stays true to the politics and fickleness of the Elizabethan court. The language, thoroughly modern in places, can take readers out of the period. This, however, does not detract for the intrigue, drama, and heartache of the well-developed plot. This series will be a hit with teens and quite a few adults.—Clare A. Dombrowski, Amesbury Public Library, MA