Roanoke
Margaret Lawrence
Delacorte, Jan 27 2009, $24.00
ISBN: 9780385342377
In 1585 in the twenty-seventh year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, Gabriel North saves Her Highness from an assassination attempt. Her royal retinue, led by power seeking rogues like Raleigh, sees an opportunity with the handsome young man to bring needed money into the monarchy and subsequently not just keep their influence but increase it. They send Gabriel across the Atlantic to learn what happened to the Roanoke Colony and more to obtain a rumored significantly wealthy native ally in the cold and hot wars with Spain.
North leads the expedition to the New World. His assignment is to seduce Secota Indian Queen Naia, whose wealth is fabled on both sides of the Atlantic. On Roanoke Island, Gabriel begins to fall in love with his honest beautiful target and realizes the duplicity of those who sent him on his mission. As he begins to learn the true fate of the English colonists, he returns home to confront a court filled with intrigue and out of control power willing to sacrifice innocent pawns for personal gain.
Although disappointingly no incredible new theory about the Lost Colony surfaces, fans will enjoy this engaging historical thriller that brings to life the usually hidden woes of Elizabeth I in her third decade of rule. The story line is fun to follow as a strong cast including a zillion secondary players brings to life Margaret Lawrence’s latest historical as Machiavellian maneuvers dominate the queen’s court.
Harriet Klausner
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