The Perilous Gard

Amanda and Syneva recommended this book to me several years ago, but I never could get my hands on a copy of it until a friend of mine in Stillwater happened to mention it. I read it in an afternoon. The story is set in Elizabethan England (or the reign of Queen Mary, Elizabeth's predecessor, to be precise). Kate, the main character, is sent to a castle called the Perilous Gard for what paranoid Queen Mary decides is treason. The story unfolds from there. It's one of those excellent tales that both explains old legends and treats a world-within-a-world. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's written for young adult readers, but it combines historical fiction and mystery and is very well-written. At one point an unusual Gospel presentation is even made. A good quick read.