THE DEVIL'S QUEEN

Jeanne Kalogridis creates a new and improved picture of Catherine de Medici, the wife of King Henri II, a queen much hated by the French people. Whether or not you're convinced of the author’s perspective of the queen, you'll be captivated by Kate Reading's narration. She eases us into Catherine's character with fluid pronunciations of Italian and French and a flow that sweeps us into her story. Reading's strong, emotive tones encourage listeners to care about a woman who loves her husband and children so dearly that she’s willing to participate in murder to ensure their safety and secure their futures. Reading portrays forceful mystics of the period as Kalogridis suggests that Catherine was swayed by predictions made by Nostradamus and the intuitions of the medieval psychic Cosimo Ruggieri. S.W. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2009]