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A Question of Guilt: A Novel of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the Death of Henry Darnley by Julianne Lee
nerdyfangirl's review against another edition
3.0
It took me about 20 pages to really get into this one, because I didn't particularly care for Janet at first. She was annoying and nosy, but that's how the story gets told: by Janet sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. After I got used to her character, I really started to like the book. It's historical; it's mystery; it's real. Janet is a very realistic woman. Her queen, as a Scottish woman, has died, and she doesn't truly believe it was for the reason everyone else is talking about. So she sets out to solve it by herself, three days after the queen's beheading.
The story unravels the mystery in a way I really enjoyed, by having Janet talking to people who knew the queen or were around her at a crucial moment and then shifting into their memory, allowing the reader to see the queen through that person's eyes.
But the book isn't just about what Janet thinks happened to the queen, it's also about her family life and her growth as a person. Her digging for answers creates problems for herself and her husband and changes their entire relationship, and, in the process, changes Janet as well into a more likable woman with real problems.
There are a few more graphic scenes in the book: rape, a beheading or three, and a couple of other things of that nature that Lee captured beautifully. The emotions were all there, and by the end of the book, no matter how you feel about the Queen of Scots, she will have your sympathy.
This is the first historical I've ever read, and while it was a little difficult to get into in the beginning, it was time well spent. If you enjoy history or historicals at all, I recommend this one. Lee has written a wonderfully, intriguing story about a queen no one fully understands.
The story unravels the mystery in a way I really enjoyed, by having Janet talking to people who knew the queen or were around her at a crucial moment and then shifting into their memory, allowing the reader to see the queen through that person's eyes.
But the book isn't just about what Janet thinks happened to the queen, it's also about her family life and her growth as a person. Her digging for answers creates problems for herself and her husband and changes their entire relationship, and, in the process, changes Janet as well into a more likable woman with real problems.
There are a few more graphic scenes in the book: rape, a beheading or three, and a couple of other things of that nature that Lee captured beautifully. The emotions were all there, and by the end of the book, no matter how you feel about the Queen of Scots, she will have your sympathy.
This is the first historical I've ever read, and while it was a little difficult to get into in the beginning, it was time well spent. If you enjoy history or historicals at all, I recommend this one. Lee has written a wonderfully, intriguing story about a queen no one fully understands.
mcsangel2's review against another edition
3.0
Average overview of the story of Mary, Queen of Scots and opinion about whether she was involved in the murder of her second husband. Cleverly done from the historical fiction viewpoint by using the device of different characters each presenting their piece of the puzzle.
I'm a rabid history and Tudor family history fan, but know next to nothing about the details of this Tudor cousin's life. It was a good, basic place to start.
I'm a rabid history and Tudor family history fan, but know next to nothing about the details of this Tudor cousin's life. It was a good, basic place to start.
ellemnope's review
3.0
Not my favorite historical fiction novel. It took me quite a while to even get interested in the plot. For the full review: http://erraticprojectjunkie.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-question-of-guilt-by-juilanne-lee.html
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