I have been reading Fiona Buckley's books for years. I love the intrigue and mystery that is wrapped in a love story. Her writing seems effortless and her characters are so well established, I feel like I've known them forever. I get lost in the story and it nearly breaks my heart when it ends and I have to wait patiently for the next book to come out.

Fiona Buckley entraps Ursula Blanchard, half sister of Queen Elizabeth I, in a plot to assassinate Queen Mary. Her son has been kidnapped and threatened to enforce her actions. The Reluctant Assassin is an excellent Tudor period mystery. Will she or won't she? Read this mystery to find out.

It’s 1581 and Ursula or Mistress Stannard, who is half-sister to Queen Elizabeth finds herself in a predicament that calls on more than her special skills as a spy. Queen Elizabeth is considering marriage to the Duke of Alençon, a French Catholic. The possibility of the marriage is dividing the kingdom and Ursula is caught in the middle of the unrest. Her young son Harry is kidnapped and may be shipped off as a slave if she doesn’t commit an act of treason and kill the former Queen of Scotland and a Catholic, Mary Stuart. The former Queen is being held in Sheffield Castle under the watchful eye of Queen Elizabeth. She may also be instigating the unrest in England in order to take the throne from the Queen.
The plot of the Reluctant Assassin, the sixteenth book of the Ursula Blanchard Mysteries, is not complicated but the mystery unravels slowly. The novel is augmented with careful attention to the times, the politics, the people, and the settings, which create vivid pictures for the reader. The characters and their personal histories are well fleshed-out and make for interesting relationships with Ursula.
The Reluctant Assassin is a quick read and will appeal to any reader, who enjoys mystery with a well-detailed picture of the Elizabethan period.

This book started out great with Mrs. Blanchard being pursued and her half-sister considering a marriage from France. The story set in Tudor England was fascinating, and the author did a great job in describing their every day life. However, it took a while for it get going, and I was disappointed that the mystery was not the focus of this series. Still, I recommend it for Tudor fans!

I believe this is my second time reading a book in this series and I am not disappointed at all. Ursula Blanchard, now Stannard, is a middle-aged woman of means, half sister to Queen Elizabeth I, who occasionally becomes involved in various intrigues at court or elsewhere in the realm because of that relationship. At this point in the series, her life is fairly stable, with two good homes to her name, a young son, a staff of devoted men and women, many of whom are really friends. She continues giving advice and support to the Queen.

But some will try to disrupt her world by involving her in the years-long struggle between Queen Elizabeth and the imprisoned Queen Mary. There were so many plots during Elizabeth’s reign and Ursula had found herself in the middle of a few of them. Who can refuse a sovereign’s request? Now Ursula’s son is kidnapped and the ransom is not money but an act of violence, one she doesn’t know that she can commit, even for her son. And so the plot ensues. I will say that I found the historical details interesting and they appear realistic, but I will not guarantee full authenticity. I read more for semblance and not with a history text in hand.

And I do recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review

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I have not read this author before and did not realise that it was the latest book in a series about Queen Elizabeth 1 half sister Ursula Blanchard but this did not matter as it was a stand alone story.
Ursula,s son has been kidnapped and the ransom is that she assassinates Mary Queen of Scott’s.
Although Ursula has run many dangerous missions for the Tudor court this is one that she feels uncomfortable to achieve even though it would put her son in great danger.
This story is fast paced and pulls the reader in from the first page until the very last.
I will look out for this author again.

Ursula is called on to dig deep!

Ursula Blanchard's young son is kidnapped. The ransom is not money something more deadly. An act of regicide. A problem that only her half-sister, Queen Elizabeth, can help her with. It's 1581 and some in the kingdom are affronted by the possibility of Elizabeth marrying the Duke of Alençon, a French Catholic. The return of the harsh days of Queen Mary are still remembered.
Ursula finds herself in an impossible and ever increasing dangerous situation. How to save her son, whilst balancing calling off the search for him without arousing general suspicion. How to do the kidnapper's bidding as the Queen herself leans towards the kidnappers demands, solving other political problems?
The faithful members of her household once again rally around, with the additional support of a surprising new member.
The hints of Elizabeth torn between wanting love and rule is beautifully understated.
Once again, a well written Ursula Blanchard mystery, with the turmoil embedded adding just the right amount of tension to make for a compelling read.

A NetGalley ARC

The Reluctant Assassin is the sixteenth installment in the historical mystery series featuring Ursula Blanchard, half sister to Queen Elizabeth. We find Ursula spending her days as usual being counselor to the queen on matters such as marriage and politics while dealing with suitors, when suddenly her world is shattered as her son is kidnapped. She then finds herself being held captive and told the terms of her son's release, which requires her to do the unthinkable and commit a murder or her son will be sold as a slave. There wasn't much of a mystery. Most of the book was spent with Ursula worrying about her son and debating with her conscience regarding the evil deed she's been asked to carry out. Also, I felt the author provided a bit too much description of the historical setting. It was a bit distracting from the overall plot. I found myself not enjoying this one as much as I had enjoyed the others in the series.

Ursula Blanchard is half sister to the Queen. There are times when she is asked to help solve matters happening. One day her son Henry is kidnapped. She has been instructed to kill Mary the Queen locked in the tower. This is the only way to be able to get her son back. Ursula's priority is to rescue her son. But she has to pretend that she is going through with killing the Queen. She will discover who can be trusted. There are those close to her that are not as loyal as they portray. She just doesn't know who they are.
Enjoyable read. Great detail.
5 Stars

The Reluctant Assassin by Fiona Buckley was an interesting read. The story is engaging from the beginning, particularly for fans of historic fiction. My reading it inspired my son to learn more of Mary, Queen of Scots – always a good thing.

The story itself was engaging. Historically accurate, Buckley paints a picture of life in court during Elizabeth I’s reign. Her use of speech patterns and vocabulary helps immerse the reader in the story.
The story moves along quite well told from the perspective of the heroine, Ursula Stannard (half-sister to Queen Elizabeth I and illegitimate daughter of Henry XIII), building in intrigue as she finds herself in the “prison” house wherein Mary Stewart is being held as a “guest” of Elizabeth.

The sudden switch from building the story from Ursula’s perspective to revealing the outcome of the adventure from her son’s perspective was a little unsettling and felt a bit clunky, particularly in light of “spoilers” to the end result of the tale revealed so early on. The return to story-telling by Ursula to then switch once more to that of one of her servants further altered the atmosphere of the book. It almost felt as though the three were stood in front of one telling the story in that moment, taking turns to relate their part so that the reader knew the outcome by the mere fact that the story was being told at all.

This is not the first book of the series. While that does not take away from the story, Buckley’s continual rehashing of Ursula’s romantic and marriage aspirations – or lack thereof – did become redundant. Other details of past adventures were merely referenced to the degree necessary to the relating of the story.

Buckley’s writing style is certainly a unique one. The story is enjoyable.

I've read several books by this author and she never disappoints! My favorite place to be is the often dangerous Tudor Court! Wonderful characters, some based on fact, some fictional. This is a series of books, but they stand alone wonderfully. One of my favorite authors!
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley. Thank you, Netgalley!
All opinions are my own.

1581 has arrived and Ursula Blanchard is on a mission. To save her son she must kill Mary, Queen of Scots who is held at Sheffield Castle.
Not really much of a mystery, and the story just didn't catch my imagination. A pity as I like reading historical mysteries set in this time period.

I didn’t realise this book was part of a series but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment. I loved this book and will be seeking out more from the author. I loved the descriptive style and the story was fast paced and interesting. Highly recommend.

I didn't realize The Reluctant Assassin was part of a series, but I was still able to enjoy the story. It has a strong start but fizzled at the end. The writing was a bit choppy and I became bored.

Widowed Mistress Ursula Stannard, a half-sister to the queen, is content to run her estates and raise her son. However, when young Henry goes missing, she learns the price to get him back may be more than she could pay: murdering Mary, Queen of Scots.

When I first picked this up, I didn't realize it was the newest addition to a long series. The narrative is told in such a way that a newcomer (like me) is not left out of the loop, with references to past cases but not too much to spoil the stories if I am inclined to pick them up.

Ursula is a refreshing character. She is not a young, independent woman, eager for adventure. She is middle-aged, has had her fill of intrigue and romance, but does not shy away when trouble comes her way. Surrounded by supportive and loyal servants/friends, she truly shines as a heroine.

History is woven through the fiction, just enough to give any reader a solid understanding of the time. Although I deduced one of the “villains” of the story, I enjoyed the journey from start to finish. A couple of times, Ursula’s narrative is shifted to one of two other characters and was a bit jarring to me.

I would recommend this to readers looking for intrigue in Queen Elizabeth the First’s reign.

Read my review at Journaling on Paper https://journalingonpaper.com/2018/02/23/book-review-the-reluctant-assassin-by-fiona-buckley/