In this breathtaking start to a series, a secret society of young women make up Elizabeth I’s most trusted royal guard. God Save the Queen—or the Maids will. Orphan Meg Fellowes makes her living picking pockets—until she steals from the wrong nobleman. Instead of rotting in prison like she expected, she’s whisked away to the court of Queen Elizabeth and pressed into royal service, where she joins four other remarkable girls in the Maids of Honor, the Queen’s secret society of protectors. Meg’s natural abilities as a spy prove useful in this time of unrest. The Spanish Court is visiting, and with them come devious plots and hidden political motives. As threats to the kingdom begin to mount, Meg can’t deny her growing attraction to one of the dashing Spanish courtiers. But it’s hard to trust her heart in a place where royal formalities and masked balls hide the truth: Not everyone is who they appear to be. With danger lurking around every corner, can she stay alive—and protect the crown? Gr 9 Up-At 17, Meg Fellowes has been an orphan and a criminal for many years. After the queen's own men capture her, she finds herself not in the dungeon but being trained with four other maids to be part of the Maids of Honor, Queen Elizabeth I's all-female protectors. Each spy has her own skills, and Meg's uncanny ability to repeat any conversation she hears soon gets the attention of her trainer, Cecil, and the queen. However, it also puts her in a tough position when she learns a secret about the monarch's heart. Meg has also become distracted by the mysterious death of the girl who held her position before her, the dashing Count de Martine from Spain, and trying to avoid marriage. Though she finds a way to escape from the castle, she chooses to stay for her friends and for the information she has started to glean about her parents, leading her to gain the goodwill of the queen with her plot to catch a spy from Spain. This novel encompasses all the glory, excess, and intrigue of Queen Elizabeth I's reign; the issues surrounding Catholicism versus the Church of England; and the poor relationship between Spain and England. Full of adventure and romance and starring a very likable, spunky protagonist, this is an enjoyable historical read.-Clare A. Dombrowski, Amesbury Public Library, MAα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. In sixteenth-century London, picking a pocket is one thing, but lifting the purse of Sir William Cecil, the queen’s advisor, is quite another. A thief with quick wits and a phenomenal memory, 17-year-old Meg is forcefully recruited to become a spy for the young Queen Elizabeth. Meg joins an elite group of five Maids of Honor secretly carrying out undercover work. Her first assignment, spying on a young Spanish nobleman notable for his good looks and easy charm, leads to intrigues marked by stolen kisses, mysterious letters, and dangerous secrets. Whether recounting her perilous missions or her moral dilemmas, Meg’s first-person narrative is consistently engaging. Though the Elizabethan setting sometimes seems a bit thin, the characters, particularly the other secretly spying Maids of Honor, slowly become distinct, believable individuals as the story unfolds. Meg’s adventure comes to a satisfying conclusion while leaving the door open for sequels. A Maids of Honor series seems planned, with the lead rotating among the five young women. Grades 6-9. --Carolyn Phelan MAID OF SECRETS is a winning combination of courtly intrigue, political plotting, and unexpected romance. The tale has more twists and turns than the secret passages of Windsor Castle, but at the heart of the story is Meg, a quick-witted, light-fingered pickpocket whose wry humor and level head had me rooting for her from the start. She is smart, funny, and determined to do right by her queen. Fans of courtly intrigue and historical adventure will be utterly delighted!" -- Robin LaFevers, author of GRAVE MERCY and DARK TRIUMPH "Jennifer McGowan weaves together historical fact with delicious fiction and a clever mystery to create a brilliant Tudor tapestry." -- Katherine Longshore, author of GILT and TARNISH "McGowan offers a tantalizing look at the spies, seductions, and secrets of Queen Elizabeth's court. There are no damsels in distress here; Meg and her fellow Maids of Honor are a clever, winsome quintet!" -- Jessica Spotswood, author of The Cahill Witch Chronicles Jennifer McGowan was born in Ohio, grew up in Montana, and studied in Paris. She has held numerous writing jobs over the years, but author is by far her favorite. A past RWA Golden Heart winner, Jenn is the author of the Maids of Honor series. She lives and writes in Ohio. Visit her at JenniferMcGowan.com. Maid of Secrets CHAPTER ONE APRIL 1559 LONDON, ENGLAND Mule-brained Tommy Farrow would ruin everything. To my credit I didn’t even flinch as I caught sight of the boy’s white-b