In this ingenious debut, Rory Clements introduces John Shakespeare, Elizabethan England's most remarkable investigator, and delivers a tale of murder and conspiracy that succeeds brilliantly as both historical fiction and a crime thriller.
In a burnt-out house, one of Queen Elizabeths aristocratic cousins is found murdered, her young flesh marked with profane symbols. At the same time, a plot to assassinate Sir Francis Drake, England's most famous sea warrior, is discovereda plot which, if successful, could leave the country utterly defenseless against a Spanish invasion. It's 1587, the Queens reign is in jeopardy, and one man is charged with the desperate task of solving both cases: John Shakespeare. With the Spanish Armada poised to strike, Mary Queen of Scots awaiting execution, and the pikes above London Bridge decorated with the grim evidence of treachery, the country is in peril of being overwhelmed by fear and chaos.
Following a trail of illicit passions and family secrets, Shakespeare travels through an underworld of spies, sorcerers, whores, and theater people, among whom is his own younger brother, the struggling playwright, Will. Shadowed by his rival, the Queen's chief torturer, who employs his own methods of terror, Shakespeare begins to piece together a complex and breathtaking conspiracy whose implications are almost too horrific to contemplate. For a zealous and cunning killer is stalking Englands streets. And as Shakespeare threatens to reveal a madmans shocking identity, he and the beautiful woman he desires come ever closer to becoming the next martyrs to a passion for murder and conspiracy whose terrifying consequences might still be felt today
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"Starred Review. [An] excellent debut
The characters, action and period detail are all solid." - Publishers Weekly.
"The quality of the writing; complexity of the plot; and vivid descriptions of torture, lasciviousness, and everyday treacherousness make for a compelling tale." - School Library Journal (Adult Books for High School Students)
"[L]onger than most historicals ... may turn off more traditional mystery readers. However, fans of historicals should be more than satisfied with the well-paced plot and complex story." - Library Journal
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Rory Clements is a former national newspaper journalist. He lives in Norfolk, England where he is working on his second John Shakespeare thriller, Revenger.
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