Kathy Lynn Emerson's latest book is Face Down Below the Banqueting House, the long-awaited eighth mystery featuring Susanna, Lady Appleton, sixteenth-century gentlewoman, herbalist, and sleuth. In this one, Queen Elizabeth is threatening to visit Lady Appleton's home, Leigh Abbey in Kent, on her annual progress, but murder may change her mind.

Her website is www.kathylynnemerson.com. Direct correspondence to Kathy Lynn Emerson or Editor.

             Sharan Newman's The Real History Behind the Da Vinci Code is a delight from A (Aringarosa—Italian for "red herring") to, well, W, since there is no entry beginning with Z.  Arranged encyclopedia-style, this look at the
world Dan Brown created from snippets of legend and history and the controversies that surround them is engrossing even to those like myself who have not read Mr. Brown's novel.

             Medieval scholar and historical novelist Newman has a fine sense of the ridiculous that comes through in many of the entries.  She is meticulous about presenting historical facts and opinions, which often contradict each other, but her numerous humorous asides to the reader enliven what might otherwise have become nothing more than an information dump.  She writes in a clear, concise style to sort out Merovingians, make sense of Mithraism, and discuss who might have been the model for the Mona Lisa.

              For those who have read The Da Vinci Code and are curious about the myths that inspired the plot, this is an ideal companion volume, but it also stands alone as a fascinating and eclectic collection of glimpses into the past.

Copyright 2005 by Kathy Lynn Emerson