Mackenzie's Cross (Book Review)

Title: Mackenzie’s Cross
Author: Sarah Barthel

Publication Information: Topaz Publishing, 2013, ebook and paperback

Genre: Historical Romance

Setting:  Medieval England

Plot: Mackenzie, a modest kitchen maid in the household of the Duke Kensington, is plunged into intrigue when the Duke is murdered.  Her only friend, Adilla, the head cook (think Daisy and Mrs. Patmore), is arrested so Mackenzie is forced to seek answers among the nobility, most of whom regard her with suspicion.  Only visiting knight, Sir Patrick of Chester, trusts Mackenzie enough to join her in seeking answers.

Audience:  The style and prose seems more targeted to a teenage audience than the adult historical romance market, although the plot involves torture, betrayal and violent death.  The heroine’s sweet personality and determined loyalty might be appealing to teens who should appreciate the mixture of romance and suspense.

What I liked: Barthel does a good job depicting the busy life of a castle, although I doubt kitchen maids had as much free time and privacy as Mackenzie.  And everyone enjoys a plucky heroine! My two favorite characters were the young squire, John of Chester (despite his anachronistic comment, “I don’t believe in treating the lower classes like they are  -- well, lower.  They are the foundation we stand upon.”), who befriends Mackenzie in the kitchen and his older brother, Sir Patrick.

What I disliked: I felt there were some holes in the plot and at time the heroine was irritatingly naïve.  Mackenzie suspects the Duke was murdered, thus believes a killer is on the loose, but persists in confiding in the wrong people and wandering around alone, outspoken and vulnerable.  Also, why is the Duke of Kensington referred to as Duke Kensington (none of the dukes in this book get an ‘of’)?  Why isn’t his wife the Duchess instead of Lady Evelyn (just an error in title usage?)?  Who was Mackenzie’s father?  Is it likely a group of jealous nobles would accept a bastard daughter as heiress to a deceased duke than his legal wife?  Admittedly, I am sure they would prefer to usurp the land or marry the widow or daughter to acquire it more conventionally.  There is also a confusing subplot involving a character with leprosy, except that it turns out she doesn’t have leprosy.  I was hoping the leper would be revealed as Mackenzie’s mother, which would have made just as much sense as the inadequate explanation of her origins.

Source:  I received this book from the Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and urge you to stop by the tour to learn more about the author and see what other bloggers had to say about this book.   You can also purchase the book:

Amazon CA (Kindle)
Amazon UK
Amazon US
Barnes & Noble 
Book Depository

Virtual Book Tour Schedule:

Monday, May 12
Review at History From a Woman’s Perspective

Tuesday, May 13
Excerpt at Peeking Between the Pages

Wednesday, May 14
Review at SOS Aloha

Friday, May 16
Spotlight at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, May 21
Guest Post at Just One More Chapter

Thursday, May 22
Excerpt at Let Them Read Books

Monday, May 26
Review at Book Nerd

Friday, May 30
Guest Post at Susan Heim on Writing

Giveaway

To win one of two copies of Mackenzie’s Cross, please complete this form: Rafflecopter giveaway.  Giveaway is open internationally but ends at 11:59pm on June 4th so enter quickly. You must be 18 or older to enter.  Winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter on June 5th and notified via email.  Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.