The Shadow Princess by Mary Hart Perry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am a great lover of mysteries and historical fiction, and I absolutely adore the fact that this combines two of my favorite genre. This novel is exceptionally well-written, and even though historical accuracy suffers minimally, it does not jeopardize the nature of the story. I was completely immersed in the story, and it commenced a fascinating discussion within the high school class where I was reading it. This book would be completely appropriate for young adult readers because even though heinous crimes are committed, overly gory details are omitted. In fact, this is essentially a cozy mystery–no descriptive bedroom scenes and only minimal profanity (there is one use of the f-word, and the other words are briefly scattered throughout and not too bad).
The only thing I do not like about the book is the fact that the two lovebirds choose not to marry. I understand that historically speaking a commoner and royalty could not marry, but I wish that there had been another way the two could have been together in a more morally acceptable way. It stands to reason that the truth would eventually come out one way or another. However, even this wrinkle does not ruin the story. The mystery is completely intriguing. The mystery kept me guessing until the end, and I would love to read more about Vicky and the Inspector again very soon!
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
