"For readers who like their juicy scandals topped
with a hearty dollop of history, Alexander serves up a satisfying
portrait of a court in its last throes of decadence and intrigue."
-- The Washington Post -- 02/16/06
"Employing the fast pace of a thriller and the
ability to make a remote historical episode personal to the
reader..." -- Booklist -- 11/02/05
"The combination of Alexander's research and his rich
characterizations produces an engaging historical fiction..."
-- Publishers Weekly -- 10/31/05