Exile

January 1, 2006
Gr. 4-7. Running down the alphabet, " Exile" is the fifth title in the series that began with " Assassin "(2004), written by Patricia Finney, though the purported author of all the volumes is Lady Grace Cavendish, protege of Queen Elizabeth I. In this tale, a jewel is stolen from an exiled noble from Sharakand. When a laundry maid is falsely accused of the crime, Grace tries to discover the thief's identity. Less convincing than the portrayals of the English characters are the colorful but cardboard figures of the visitors from Sharakand. Still, this is an enjoyable mystery, which moves swiftly to a satisfying conclusion.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2006
Not long after exotic Yasmine, a noble exile from Sharakand, arrives at Queen Elizabeth I's court, Yasmine's famed ruby goes missing. When Ellie, a laundry maid, is falsely accused of the theft, Lady Grace sets out to discover the thief's identity. The characters are less convincingly drawn in this title than in the previous four, but the story clips along agreeably.

(Copyright 2006 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)