Matthew is a Catholic, and no loyal subject of Queen Elizabeth. Instead, he supports Queen Mary of Scotland, Elizabeth's heir, and hopes for the return of Catholicism to England. Ursula is loyal to her Queen, but she loves her husband and longs to leave England and join Matthew in his exile in France. When he writes to tell her to come to him, however, the Queen will not agree to release her, asking instead that Ursula undertake another mission for Cecil first.

Old acquaintances of Ursula's are suspected of plotting against the throne, and Ursula is to go to them, ostensibly on a visit to help with their daughters while taking a rest from the rigors of court life. In truth, she is to seek evidence of any treasonous activities. One agent involved in the affair has already been killed, and this could turn out to be a dangerous mission.

Ursula doesn't want to believe that her friend Ann Mason and her husband Leonard could be traitors. True, they are Catholics, but they show every sign of being loyal to the Queen. Once in their home, however, Ursula learns enough to make her suspect that something shady is going on, and the more she investigates, the closer she comes to endangering herself.

I found The Doublet Affair hard to get into, particularly in the beginning. It started off very slowly; it took me a long time to get interested at all. I did enjoy the time period and the wealth of historical details, but the characters appeared flat. Towards the end the pace picked up and the mystery caught my interest somewhat, but I never felt emotionally involved.

We are told about life in the time of Elizabeth, but the story didn't – take – us there. One of the most interesting points, to me, would be the conflict between Ursula's beliefs and values and those of her husband, and that is scarcely touched on. Ursula seems to flounder, not knowing her own mind or even thinking deeply on the issue. The Elizabethan period is full of color and intrigue, but The Doublet Affair is a weak rendering of a vibrant subject.

--Jeri Wright