The Flower Reader

Description

Rinette Leslie of Granmuir has the ancient gift of divining the future in flowers, but her gift cannot prepare her for the turmoil that comes when the dying queen regent entrusts her with a casket full of Scotland’s darkest secrets. On the very day she means to deliver it to newly crowned Mary, Queen of Scots, Rinette’s husband is brutally assassinated.

Devastated, Rinette demands justice before she will surrender the casket, but she is surrounded by ruthless men who will do anything to possess it. In the end, the flowers are all she can trust-and only the flowers will lead her safely home to Granmuir.

"A spellbinding story of Rinette Leslie, a spirited young woman who carries secrets and gifts that theaten the throne of Mary, Queen of Scotland in the 1560s. Assassins, secret caskets, and the whispers flowers can speak thread through the story. The flower imageery is lovely…"
Karleen Koen, author of Through a Glass Darkly and Before Versailles

"Elizabeth Loupas’ engaging second effort gives a thought-provoking peek into the inner working of the court of Mary, Queen of Scots. Thick with intrigue and spiced with scandal, The Flower Reader is a lush, vibrant tapestry of a book."
Deanna Raybourn, national betselling author of The Dark Enquiry

“Mary Stuart is portrayed in all the fullness of her enchanting youth: impulsive and sweet, majestic and clever but also vain, naïve, temperamental and slightly neurotic. Her court is brought to life, as are the various factions and plots which rend Scotland asunder and lead to Mary’s downfall. Loupas accurately depicts a stormy, complex era by means of a page-turning mystery and romance.”  
—Historical Novels Review

“Loupas demonstrates how meticulous research and lush details make for a fascinating novel, drawing readers into the court and life of Mary, Queen of Scots, through the eyes of a young woman whose ability to divine the future through flowers leads her to danger and love.  The mystery and treachery of the era, and the political struggles, are all wonderfully portrayed.” –Romantic Times

“The novel mixes history with fiction brilliantly.  The time period is well-researched, so much thought and detail is put into the novel, and you can tell how much Loupas enjoyed writing the novel.  The passion and love for the characters and plot shine through.  The Flower Reader is guaranteed to be a top novel of 2012!” –Examiner.com (Pittsburgh Examiner, PA)
 

"…the character of Rinette bursts forth from the start, showing her strong resolve to keep herself, her loved ones, her property and her resolve under murderous pressures! I loved her brave spirit and her willingness to stare down death and queens despite her youth, power and lack of weapons. Because of this beautiful, mystically talented and unabashedly strong woman this novel is one of my favorite historical novels this season… five stars."
–A Bookish Libraria
"In this richly dramatic and darkly potent historical novel, Elizabeth Loupas unveils a tale of dark intrigue imbued with drama, violence and love…"
–Raging Bibliomania

Elizabeth Loupas has held various positions in radio and television, and worked as an editor, writer, and marketing consultant. She lives near Dallas, Texas.US