A Second Daniel

This book surprised me. It was a novel about Elizabethian Era law. There was politics , romance, intrigue and horse chases. It was interesting and difficult to put down. It surprised me because I didn't know I was interested in the subject. Well done!

The author was more interested in dropping names than writing a story that would be worth reading. Lack of motive (or motive so murky as to be missing) for the characters actions made the book a slog.

Sorry, not my cup of tea.

Liked it and am buying the rest of the series.

Great Book

Very interesting once it got going. Initially a little hard to figure out who everyone was but otherwise I really enjoyed it.

I just finished reading the second book in this series and have bought the third. I love the historical setting, vivid characters and intriguing plots. At times the machinations of those in power are a bit complex, the novels are filled with action, romance, twists and turns. There is also a bit of humor now and then. If you enjoy historical mysteries, give this series a try.

Wooow

Couldn't put it down! Can't wait to read the next book in the series

If historical fiction is something you like, this is a great read.author weaves a set of characters right into the period and you feel like history is coming alive. Was sorry to have it end and purchased the 2nd book. But that's another story!

Enjoyed the historical aspects and plot. Great characters and story was interesting.

... absolutely excellent!

Reviewed by Tracy A. Fischer for Readers' Favorite Wow! I just finished reading A Second Daniel, the first book of In The Den of the English Lion series by debut author Neal Roberts, and all I can say is WOW! In this absolutely fantastic story, readers will meet protagonist Noah Ames. An orphan from a distant land, Noah is given all sorts of advantages by the English crown, and with no real explanation. He grows up to be an accomplished man, a barrister in fact, and with a fierce loyalty to Queen Elizabeth. When he observes a botched robbery committed outside of the Rose theater he soon realizes that what he actually witnessed was a plot against his beloved Queen. He develops a plan to catch the sinister culprit, but realizes that in order to follow his plan to its fruition, he may have to reveal things about himself that he's kept secret for a long time, things that could just get him killed. Just who is Noah, and is his loyalty to Elizabeth worth his own life? You'll have to read the book to find out! I loved this book. LOVED it. I am a huge fan of tales from the Tudor era, and I read anything I can get my hands on set in this time period. A Second Daniel was truly head and shoulders above most that I've read. The story grabbed me from the first page, and I simply could not put it down. Author Neal Roberts has done an amazing job with scene setting, creating intriguing characters that his readers will absolutely care about, and including details that will make the reader feel as if they have simply slipped into Elizabethan London, simply another peasant on the street. Any reader who enjoys historical fiction, stories with a hefty dose of intrigue and mystery, or simply an excellent work of fiction will love A Second Daniel. I highly recommend this book, and I will be obsessively watching to see when author Neal Roberts releases the next installment of this promising series. If it's anything like A Second Daniel, it will be a masterly!

ENGLAND 1558 The Golden Age of the English Renaissance, the “Elizabethan Era,” provides the rich historical context for Neal Roberts’ extraordinary debut novel, A Second Daniel (In the Den of the English Lion, Book I). Roberts’ protagonist Noah Ames emerges from humble beginnings to become a seasoned barrister at the Queen’s Bench in London. Though he masters the finer nuances of English criminal law, and engages in the fertile world of Elizabethan poetry, literature, music and theater, Noah’s life is always balancing on a precarious razor’s edge. Hoping to contain a closely guarded secret about his origins, Noah endeavors to maintain a low profile. However, when he witnesses a murder one evening outside of the Rose Theater, and believes that the Queen’s life may be in peril, he is drawn into a subterranean world of plots and political conspiracies, often involving the highest levels of Elizabethan society. Think William Cecil, (Lord Burghley), the Queen’s advisor, or the duplicitous Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex, or the Queen’s trusted and cunning spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham. Cliffhanger tension is built throughout the plot as we dread the possibility that Noah’s new enemies at Court may discover his true identity, or that his dark secret might undermine his burgeoning love interest. Roberts’ exhaustive research is clearly evident as we are drawn into his authentic Elizabethan world richly detailed with nuanced depictions of the era’s clothing, furniture, bubonic plague outbreaks, appalling legal protocol at the Queen’s Bench, a putative plot to poison the Queen, grim reminders of the Tower of London’s bloody history, and boisterous English tavern ditties that ring into the evening air. For anyone who delights in Shakespearean literature, be prepared for ingenious allusions to many of the Bard’s plays. Spoiler: If you enjoy Shakespeare’s use of malapropist constables, prepare to encounter a hilarious one here. Whatever your subjective reading of A Second Daniel, you are sure to discover Neal Roberts to be a highly gifted wordsmith, a wizard who spins a spellbinding cliffhanger with masterful control of historical detail. Babetté October 6, 2015