…With a captivating mixture of espionage and intrigue, the novel explores different perspectives on religion, individual motivation, ruling classes, sex, favors, and the era’s complex political and social landscape.
Reviewed by Toni Woodruff Independent Book Review, March 2024
Goldberg is a master storyteller…Lovers of history will appreciate the detail within the book as it is well-researched and steeped in historical accuracy, while those who love a great spy story will find just that within its pages. Whether a fan of one or both genres, this is one not to miss.. Kat Kennedy
RECOMMENDED by the US Review of Books
https://theusreview.com/reviews/The-Reversible-Mask-by-Loretta-Goldberg.html
Goldberg has created a flawed character, perfect for the challenging role of international espionage in a Europe with rapidly shifting, national alliances.
Reviewed by Christine Childs, Historical Novel Society
https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/the-reversible-mask-an-elizabethan-spy-novel/
…Loretta Goldberg does an exceptional job of depicting Latham’s uncertain balance between loyalty and belief…Sit back and enjoy the cat-and-mouse games which play out in 1500s Europe. It’s a story that will prove as engrossing to newcomers to the times as those already well versed in its culture and setting.
The Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan Literary Services, October 2021
https://www.midwestbookreview.com/calbw/oct_21.htm
Lush, inspired, and provocative… A spellbinding tale.
…Intricate, tight plotting, richly drawn atmosphere, and an unpretentious but literate writing style make it a page-turner.
The Prairies Book Review, August 2021
https://bookviewreview.com/2021/08/17/bookview-review-the-reversible-mask-an-elizabethan-spy-novel-by-loretta-goldberg/
Meticulously researched and delightfully balanced with narrative and action. An astonishing feat…Most of all I enjoyed Latham’s slow questioning of spiritual certainties that are still relevant in today’s world. I would certainly read anything Goldberg writes.
Nev March, author of Murder in Old Bombay, winner of the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America Award for Best First Crime Fiction Novel 2021. November 2021
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42276848-the-reversible-mask
There is a great deal to like in this book. The author’s knowledge of war, weapons and deployment is sufficient to lend authenticity. Recommended for those who like stories of war and the religious turmoil of the 16th century.
Helen Hollick, founder of Discovering Diamonds Reviews
https://discoveringdiamonds.blogspot.com/2019/02/a-discovering-diamonds-review-of.html
Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2018
Disclaimer: I was forwarded this book as an advance review copy. I have to admit that that didn’t matter, as I would gladly have paid for it–“The Reversible Mask” is a really good read. I’m not going to summarize; there too many spoilers, I don’t want to ruin it for you, and other reviewers will, I’m sure, tell every detail. I’m a Tudor period historian, and love spy stuff and mysteries, and this book left me happy and wanting more from the author. The plot is tight and moves very, very fast. The writing is quite talented and characterization so real that I felt I was right there in the action myself. The main character, Edward Latham, makes that a real plus: he’s hot, he’s smarter than Walsingham, and his libido is very active and varied. If this ever becomes a movie, I have many casting suggestions. For a first published novel, this is insanely good!
Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2019
What joy to discover this marvelously intelligent, exquisitely-written novel of a 16th-century Englishman who, torn between serving his protestant Queen Elizabeth and his Catholic faith, ends up as a spy for BOTH Spain and England…Written with a vast knowledge of the period and poetry, Edward Latham is a true Elizabethan man, seeing the world as a philosopher and rash idealist, an unforgettable character…
Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2019
From the opening ceremony at Oxford attended by Queen Elizabeth to Edward Latham impersonating a camel in Constantinople, the sweeping scenes of The Reversible Mask are compelling…a must read for those intrigued by spies and Elizabethan history.
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2019
This book kept me glued to it from the opening pages. Its subtitle “An Elizabethan Spy Novel,” while accurate, doesn’t begin to describe the richness and complexity of the story, or its sweep. Loretta Goldberg has the rare ability to describe historical events with so much immediacy that while reading, I felt as if I were living in 16th century Europe, caught up in the tangle of its politics and identifying first with one character, than another. Sequel, please.
Here’s what people are saying about The Reversible Mask…
"This is my first Loretta Goldberg novel, and it is a winner. In fact, it is Loretta’s debut novel. The reader is transported back to the summer of 1566 introducing us to Elizabeth I’s Protestant government. The story encompasses religion and patriotism and Europe’s religious wars. This is a wonderful way to learn about history and the past, by being introduced to characters that not only burst off the page, but ignite our imaginations. If you are interested in the way of the “royals”, “The Reversible Mask’ is a must read for you. We shall enjoy this book for now and wait anxiously for another historical tale from Loretta Goldberg."
Cathie Martin
Entirely Women, WGRT Radio
Port Huron, MI
March 5, 2019
“Goldberg has created a richly detailed world, brought to life with a brilliant cast of engaging characters. The Reversible Mask is a true delight.”
Adrienne Dillard
(Cor Rotto, A Novel of Catherine Carey, Catherine Carey: History in a Nutshell Series; Raven’s Widow. MadeGlobal Publishing.)
Portland, OR
October 3, 2018
“This is a glorious novel! Rich in detail and atmosphere, jewel-like in its creation of Elizabethan England, it’s the best kind of historical fiction, transporting readers to a captivating time and place and story. Goldberg does a magnificent job of conveying the intrigue, passion and sometimes sheer sumptuousness of Elizabeth I’s court and politics. I loved it.”
Jeanne Mackin
award winning author of fiction and non-fiction. (The Beautiful American; forthcoming A Lady of Good Family; Dreams of Empire; The Queen’s War; The Sweet By and By; and The Frenchwoman. Penguin, St. Martin’s Press.)
Rochester, NY
October 3, 2018
"Her story shimmers with the detailed specificity of, say, Proust’s A Remembrance of Things Past, while its roots bring to mind the embedded sensuality that drives Gabriel Garcia Marquez’ One Hundred Years of Solitude. Goldberg’s protagonist, Edward Latham, a dashing Elizabethan double agent, personifies the nerve-tingling tension between passionate patriotism and a tormented Catholic conscience. For all its scholarship this tale of derring-do rollicks along at a terrific pace."
Caroline Thomas
Total Theatre Lab, Director
New York, NY
November 25, 2018
I have to say straight out: Loretta Goldberg’s The Reversible Mask is one of the best-written books I’ve read for a very long time. It’s billed as a historical mystery but it’s much more than that, the journey of a soul in troubled times. Edward Latham is a Catholic at the court of Queen Elizabeth I but, unable to reconcile his beliefs with his service at court, he flees to Scotland to offer his service to (Catholic) Queen Mary. But Scotland is as unstable as England is unsafe and it’s only the beginning of Edward’s adventures. As he careers around Europe in the service of various Catholic powers we learn about his life and his loves, his good side and his bad. The portrayal of the battles between his heart and his head, his faith versus his inherent allegiance to his country, all make for a sensitive and, in the end, compelling portrayal. 4/5
Jennifer Young
ARC Review
NetGalley
July 29, 2019
