Where the Pirates Are the Good Guys

Betrayal by Grace Cavendish
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second of the Lady Grace mysteries, actually written by Patricia Finney ("writing as Grace Cavendish," as they say). I found it well written and entertaining, even better than the first.

This is a MG book that does an admirable job with creating a realistic and believable story. The setting is nicely realized, with the characters mostly behaving as they would have in that time. The MC has adventures that would be very unlikely for one of Queen Elizabeth's maids of honor, but the action is still plausible enough and the literary devices managed well enough that the plot works. Making the usual allowances for fiction, one can read this without finding fault with the author for taking excessive license with reality.

Put simply--the story seems realistic enough to have happened, and that makes the action that much more fun.

I like the character of Grace (who reminds me of Enola Holmes in a good way) and she carries the story well. The other characters are also well developed, especially for a novel of this length.

So--good stuff. Recommended especially for younger readers, but also for those older readers who enjoy this sort of thing. Like me.

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