…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
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
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
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
"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
"The book has some amazing battle sequences, especially the battle of St. Ghislain. The descriptions of fire boats (boats loaded with gunpowder and sailed into naval battles, then blown up) and flyboats (fast freshwater ships adapted for naval warfare) give the reader a better understanding of the Armada battle tactics."
Alison McMahan
International Thriller Writer's Association, Fearless Blogger
Florida
November 25, 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
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
