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Rory Clements is the bestselling author of the John Shakespeare series of Tudor spy thrillers. His six acclaimed novels, Martyr, Revenger, Prince, Traitor, The Heretics and The Queen's Man, follow Elizabeth's Intelligencer, John Shakespeare, brother to the playwright William, through the dark underworld of Tudor England as he unmasks the traitors and conspirators who plot against the Queen. The seventh John Shakespeare novel, Holy Spy, is due to be published in February 2015. Rory Clements won the Crime Writers' Association Ellis Peters Historical Fiction Award in 2010 for Revenger, and has been shortlisted for CWA Awards for Martyr, Prince and The Heretics. A TV series is currently in development.
Author photo © Madeleine Clements
1936 and the huge canvas of Europe in chaos is superbly portrayed by this renowned author of historical fiction. Previously writing about the spy world of the Tudor period we know we are in good hands here. If you have not read one of his John Shakespeare thrillers you should. (I understand TV is on the cards.) This new series introduces Tom Wilde, a Cambridge history don, a bit of a recluse who buries himself in his work and period spy novels. His next door neighbour is self-employed publisher Lydia whose best friend, Nancy, dies mysteriously. Lydia enlists Tom’s help. Then Nancy’s right-wing gentry parents are brutally murdered and a conspiracy seems afoot. Enter a reporter, Eaton, whom Tom believes works for MI5. Now the death toll mounts and so does the danger for Tom and Lydia. But it turns out the real plot is much higher up the international scene. Terrific. An excellent start to what promises to be a cracking series. ~ Sarah Broadhurst
February 2017 Book of the Month. 1936 and the huge canvas of Europe in chaos is superbly portrayed by this renowned author of historical fiction. Previously writing about the spy world of the Tudor period we know we are in good hands here. If you have not read one of his John Shakespeare thrillers you should. (I understand TV is on the cards.) This new series introduces Tom Wilde, a Cambridge history don, a bit of a recluse who buries himself in his work and period spy novels. His next door neighbour is self-employed publisher Lydia whose best friend, Nancy, dies mysteriously. Lydia enlists Tom’s help. Then Nancy’s right-wing gentry parents are brutally murdered and a conspiracy seems afoot. Enter a reporter, Eaton, whom Tom believes works for MI5. Now the death toll mounts and so does the danger for Tom and Lydia. But it turns out the real plot is much higher up the international scene. Terrific. An excellent start to what promises to be a cracking series. ~ Sarah Broadhurst
A galloping good yarn, stuffed full to the brim with double-crossing intrigue, yet intelligently braced against historical fact and figures. The mostly cool, calm and collected spy John Shakespeare is surrounded by a writhing vibrant cast of often unscrupulous or just plain villainous miscreants. The most vivid character of them all is the turbulence that is London in 1586, artfully written so that the reek, the uproar, the menace feels completely authentic. The threads of two investigations weave together, one based on historical fact, the other fictional and characters slip from one story to the next with ease. Clements has developed a wonderfully entertaining series, and ‘Holy Spy’ keeps with tradition as a compelling and immensely satisfying read. ~ Liz Robinson
A galloping good yarn, stuffed full to the brim with double crossing intrigue, yet intelligently braced against historical fact and figures. The mostly cool, calm and collected spy John Shakespeare is surrounded by a writhing vibrant cast of often unscrupulous or just plain villainous miscreants. The most vivid character of them all is the turbulence that is London in 1586, artfully written so that the reek, the uproar, the menace feels completely authentic. The threads of two investigations weave together, one based on historical fact, the other fictional and characters slip from one story to the next with ease. Clements has developed a wonderfully entertaining series, and ‘Holy Spy’ keeps with tradition as a compelling and immensely satisfying read. ~ Liz Robinson
December 2014 Book of the Month. It is 1582 and John Shakespeare, brother of William, spy for Walsingham, is sent with his loyal servant Boltfoot on a mission to his home town, Stratford-on-Avon, to investigate a conspiracy to free Mary Queen of Scots. The conflict between crown and Catholics has seeped into the Shakespeare family, or almost for Anne Hathaway, engaged to William has signed a document claiming loyalty to the Church in Rome! Much now ensues: murder, duplicity, missing documents, plots of treason and skulduggery all bounce off the pages at a hell of a lick. This is great stuff, a terrific addition to an excellent series which, if you haven’t discovered it, then you have a treat in store.
March 2014 Book of the Month and eBook of the Month. It is 1582 and John Shakespeare, brother of William, spy for Walsingham, is sent with his loyal servant Boltfoot on a mission to his home town, Stratford-on-Avon, to investigate a conspiracy to free Mary Queen of Scots. The conflict between crown and Catholics has seeped into the Shakespeare family, or almost for Anne Hathaway, engaged to William has signed a document claiming loyalty to the Church in Rome! Much now ensues: murder, duplicity, missing documents, plots of treason and skulduggery all bounce off the pages at a hell of a lick. This is great stuff, a terrific addition to an excellent series which, if you haven’t discovered it, then you have a treat in store.
Walsingham spy now in the service of Sir Robert Cecil, John Shakespeare, older brother of William, finds his trusted band of fellow spies are being picked off one by one, oh, and the Spanish are landing in Cornwall and somehow the exorcising of mad women is bothering him. Shakespeare always has lots to contend with which is what makes these adventures so compulsive. This is his fifth, as good as ever. The historical detail is terrific and the action fast and furious. Do read them. Click here to see the new book in the John Shakespeare series, The Queen's Man. In addition to our Lovereading expert opinion for The Heretics a small number of Lovereading members were lucky enough to be invited to review this title - 'A tremendous read. Absolutely grips your imagination. Once again religion and politics are at the fore front of this fabulous book.' – Susan Walsh. Scroll down to read more reviews.
From Rory Clements, winner of the Ellis Peters Historical Fiction Award, comes Traitor, the fourth in his acclaimed bestselling John Shakespeare Elizabethan mystery series. 'Does for Elizabeth's reign what CJ Sansom does for Henry VIII's' Sunday Times The John Shakespeare series: 1. Martyr 2. Revenger 3. Prince 4. Traitor 5. The Heretics 6. The Queen's Man
A compelling murder mystery set within the splendour and intrigue of the Elizabethan age. The John Shakespeare series: 1. Martyr 2. Revenger 3. Prince 4. Traitor 5. The Heretics 6. The Queen's Man
From Rory Clements, winner of the Ellis Peters Historical Fiction Award, comes REVENGER, the second in his acclaimed bestselling John Shakespeare Elizabethan mystery series. 'Does for Elizabeth's reign what CJ Sansom does for Henry VIII's' Sunday Times The John Shakespeare series: 1. Martyr 2. Revenger 3. Prince 4. Traitor 5. The Heretics 6. The Queen's Man
Martyr is the first in the acclaimed and bestselling John Shakespeare Elizabethan mystery series by Rory Clements, winner of the Ellis Peters Historical Fiction Award. Click here to see the new book in the John Shakespeare series, The Queen's Man. In addition to our Lovereading expert opinion some of our Reader Review Panel were also lucky enough to read and review this title.
For readers of Robert Harris, C J Sansom and William Boyd, this is a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat - by the Sunday Times bestseller and Crime Writer's Association award-winning author of Corpus and Nucleus, Rory Clements. Can a ruthless spy ring change the course of war? In a great English house, a young woman offers herself to one of the most powerful and influential figures in the land - but this is no ordinary seduction. She plans to ensure his death . . . On holiday in France, Professor Tom Wilde discovers his brilliant student Marcus Marfield, who disappeared two years earlier to join the International Brigades in Spain, in the Le Vernet concentration camp in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Wilde secures his release just as German tanks roll into Poland. Meanwhile, a U-boat sinks the liner Athenia in the Atlantic with many casualties, including Americans, onboard. Goebbels claims Churchill put a bomb in the ship to blame Germany and to lure America into the war. As the various strands of an international conspiracy begin to unwind, Tom Wilde will find himself in great personal danger. For just who is Marcus Marfield? And where does his loyalty lie? For readers of Robert Harris, C J Sansom and William Boyd, this is a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat - by Sunday Times bestseller and author of Corpus and Nucleus, Rory Clements. 'A masterpiece of spies, intrigue and political shenanigans' Sunday Express Praise for RORY CLEMENTS 'A dramatic, twisty thriller' Daily Mail 'Dramatic . . . pacy and assured' Daily Mail 'Political polarisation, mistrust and simmering violence' The Times 'A standout historical novel and spy thriller' Daily Express 'Enjoyable, bloody and brutish' Guardian 'Sends a shiver down your spine' Daily Mail 'A colourful history lesson . . . exciting narrative twists' Sunday Telegraph
For readers of Robert Harris, C J Sansom and William Boyd, this is a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat - by the Sunday Times bestseller and Crime Writer's Association award-winning author of Corpus and Nucleus, Rory Clements. Can a ruthless spy ring change the course of war? In a great English house, a young woman offers herself to one of the most powerful and influential figures in the land - but this is no ordinary seduction. She plans to ensure his death . . . On holiday in France, Professor Tom Wilde discovers his brilliant student Marcus Marfield, who disappeared two years earlier to join the International Brigades in Spain, in the Le Vernet concentration camp in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Wilde secures his release just as German tanks roll into Poland. Meanwhile, a U-boat sinks the liner Athenia in the Atlantic with many casualties, including Americans, onboard. Goebbels claims Churchill put a bomb in the ship to blame Germany and to lure America into the war. As the various strands of an international conspiracy begin to unwind, Tom Wilde will find himself in great personal danger. For just who is Marcus Marfield? And where does his loyalty lie? For readers of Robert Harris, C J Sansom and William Boyd, this is a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat - by Sunday Times bestseller and author of Corpus and Nucleus, Rory Clements. 'A masterpiece of spies, intrigue and political shenanigans' Sunday Express Praise for RORY CLEMENTS 'A dramatic, twisty thriller' Daily Mail 'Dramatic . . . pacy and assured' Daily Mail 'Political polarisation, mistrust and simmering violence' The Times 'A standout historical novel and spy thriller' Daily Express 'Enjoyable, bloody and brutish' Guardian 'Sends a shiver down your spine' Daily Mail 'A colourful history lesson . . . exciting narrative twists' Sunday Telegraph
FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE 2018 CWA HISTORICAL DAGGER WINNER, NUCLEUS. Can a ruthless spy ring change the course of war? In a great English house, a young woman offers herself to one of the most powerful and influential figures in the land - but this is no ordinary seduction. She plans to ensure his death . . . On holiday in France, Professor Tom Wilde discovers his brilliant student Marcus Marfield, who disappeared two years earlier to join the International Brigades in Spain, in the Le Vernet concentration camp in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Wilde secures his release just as German tanks roll into Poland. Meanwhile, a U-boat sinks the liner Athenia in the Atlantic with many casualties, including Americans, onboard. Goebbels claims Churchill put a bomb in the ship to blame Germany and to lure America into the war. As the various strands of an international conspiracy begin to unwind, Tom Wilde will find himself in great personal danger. For just who is Marcus Marfield? And where does his loyalty lie? For readers of Robert Harris, C J Sansom and William Boyd, this is a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat - by Sunday Times bestseller and author of Corpus and Nucleus, Rory Clements. Praise for RORY CLEMENTS 'A dramatic, twisty thriller' DAILY MAIL 'Dramatic...pacy and assured' Daily Mail 'Political polarisation, mistrust and simmering violence' The Times 'A standout historical novel and spy thriller' Daily Express 'Enjoyable, bloody and brutish' Guardian 'Sends a shiver down your spine' Daily Mail 'A colourful history lesson . . . exciting narrative twists' Sunday Telegraph
For readers of Robert Harris, C J Sansom and William Boyd, this is a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat - by the Sunday Times bestseller and Crime Writer's Association award-winning author of Corpus and Nucleus, Rory Clements. Can a ruthless spy ring change the course of war? In a great English house, a young woman offers herself to one of the most powerful and influential figures in the land - but this is no ordinary seduction. She plans to ensure his death . . . On holiday in France, Professor Tom Wilde discovers his brilliant student Marcus Marfield, who disappeared two years earlier to join the International Brigades in Spain, in the Le Vernet concentration camp in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Wilde secures his release just as German tanks roll into Poland. Meanwhile, a U-boat sinks the liner Athenia in the Atlantic with many casualties, including Americans, onboard. Goebbels claims Churchill put a bomb in the ship to blame Germany and to lure America into the war. As the various strands of an international conspiracy begin to unwind, Tom Wilde will find himself in great personal danger. For just who is Marcus Marfield? And where does his loyalty lie? For readers of Robert Harris, C J Sansom and William Boyd, this is a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat - by Sunday Times bestseller and author of Corpus and Nucleus, Rory Clements. 'A masterpiece of spies, intrigue and political shenanigans' Sunday Express Praise for RORY CLEMENTS 'A dramatic, twisty thriller' Daily Mail 'Dramatic . . . pacy and assured' Daily Mail 'Political polarisation, mistrust and simmering violence' The Times 'A standout historical novel and spy thriller' Daily Express 'Enjoyable, bloody and brutish' Guardian 'Sends a shiver down your spine' Daily Mail 'A colourful history lesson . . . exciting narrative twists' Sunday Telegraph
WINNER OF THE CWA HISTORICAL DAGGER 2018. The eve of war: a secret so deadly, nothing and no one is safe June 1939. England is partying like there's no tomorrow . . . but the good times won't last. The Nazis have invaded Czechoslovakia, in Germany Jewish persecution is widespread and, closer to home, the IRA has embarked on a bombing campaign. Perhaps most worryingly of all, in Germany Otto Hahn has produced man-made fission and an atomic device is now possible. German High Command knows Cambridge's Cavendish Laboratory is also close, and when one of the Cavendish's finest brains is murdered, Professor Tom Wilde is drawn into the investigation. In a conspiracy that stretches from Cambridge to Berlin, and from the US to Ireland, can he discover the truth before it's too late? Praise for NUCLEUS 'Rory Clements evokes the nervous, reckless build-up to the outbreak of war in a convincingly detailed thriller' Daily Mail 'The series really hits its stride with the second volume. The murder of a physicist is one of many storylines that Clements juggles with aplomb' Daily Express 'A pulsating story that brings alive the fraught, paranoid and terrifying months when the world stood on the brink of war. Dark history with a thrilling fictional edge' Lancashire Evening Post 'Well-researched and plausible, Nucleus offers an attractive combination of history and suspense' Shots Magazine 'A pacy and dramatic historical spy thriller' Historical Novel Society 'I am already looking forward to the next Tom Wilde novel. This is a great read' Nudge Books 'Nucleus is a fascinating historical thriller which is totally convincing in its authenticity, alive with menace and teeming with characters that stay with you long after the last page is turned' Jaffa Reads Too Blog Praise for CORPUS 'Dramatic . . . pacy and assured' Daily Mail 'Political polarisation, mistrust and simmering violence' The Times 'A standout historical novel and spy thriller' Daily Express Praise for RORY CLEMENTS 'Enjoyable, bloody and brutish' Guardian 'Sends a shiver down your spine' Daily Mail 'A colourful history lesson . . . exciting narrative twists' Sunday Telegraph
WINNER OF THE CWA HISTORICAL DAGGER 2018. The eve of war: a secret so deadly, nothing and no one is safe June 1939. England is partying like there's no tomorrow . . . but the good times won't last. The Nazis have invaded Czechoslovakia, in Germany Jewish persecution is widespread and, closer to home, the IRA has embarked on a bombing campaign. Perhaps most worryingly of all, in Germany Otto Hahn has produced man-made fission and an atomic device is now possible. German High Command knows Cambridge's Cavendish Laboratory is also close, and when one of the Cavendish's finest brains is murdered, Professor Tom Wilde is drawn into the investigation. In a conspiracy that stretches from Cambridge to Berlin, and from the US to Ireland, can he discover the truth before it's too late? Praise for Rory Clements 'Dramatic . . . pacy and assured' Daily Mail 'Political polarisation, mistrust and simmering violence' The Times 'A standout historical novel and spy thriller' Daily Express 'Enjoyable, bloody and brutish' Guardian 'A colourful history lesson . . . exciting narrative twists' Sunday Telegraph 'Well-researched and plausible, Nucleus offers an attractive combination of history and suspense' Shots Magazine 'A pacy and dramatic historical spy thriller' Historical Novel Society
WINNER OF THE CWA HISTORICAL DAGGER 2018. The eve of war: a secret so deadly, nothing and no one is safe June 1939. England is partying like there's no tomorrow . . . but the good times won't last. The Nazis have invaded Czechoslovakia, in Germany Jewish persecution is widespread and, closer to home, the IRA has embarked on a bombing campaign. Perhaps most worryingly of all, in Germany Otto Hahn has produced man-made fission and an atomic device is now possible. German High Command knows Cambridge's Cavendish Laboratory is also close, and when one of the Cavendish's finest brains is murdered, Professor Tom Wilde is drawn into the investigation. In a conspiracy that stretches from Cambridge to Berlin, and from the US to Ireland, can he discover the truth before it's too late? Praise for NUCLEUS 'Rory Clements evokes the nervous, reckless build-up to the outbreak of war in a convincingly detailed thriller' Daily Mail 'The series really hits its stride with the second volume. The murder of a physicist is one of many storylines that Clements juggles with aplomb' Daily Express 'A pulsating story that brings alive the fraught, paranoid and terrifying months when the world stood on the brink of war. Dark history with a thrilling fictional edge' Lancashire Evening Post 'Well-researched and plausible, Nucleus offers an attractive combination of history and suspense' Shots Magazine 'A pacy and dramatic historical spy thriller' Historical Novel Society 'I am already looking forward to the next Tom Wilde novel. This is a great read' Nudge Books 'Nucleus is a fascinating historical thriller which is totally convincing in its authenticity, alive with menace and teeming with characters that stay with you long after the last page is turned' Jaffa Reads Too Blog Praise for CORPUS 'Dramatic . . . pacy and assured' Daily Mail 'Political polarisation, mistrust and simmering violence' The Times 'A standout historical novel and spy thriller' Daily Express Praise for RORY CLEMENTS 'Enjoyable, bloody and brutish' Guardian 'Sends a shiver down your spine' Daily Mail 'A colourful history lesson . . . exciting narrative twists' Sunday Telegraph
1936 and the huge canvas of Europe in chaos is superbly portrayed by this renowned author of historical fiction. Previously writing about the spy world of the Tudor period we know we are in good hands here. If you have not read one of his John Shakespeare thrillers you should. (I understand TV is on the cards.) This new series introduces Tom Wilde, a Cambridge history don, a bit of a recluse who buries himself in his work and period spy novels. His next door neighbour is self-employed publisher Lydia whose best friend, Nancy, dies mysteriously. Lydia enlists Tom’s help. Then Nancy’s right-wing gentry parents are brutally murdered and a conspiracy seems afoot. Enter a reporter, Eaton, whom Tom believes works for MI5. Now the death toll mounts and so does the danger for Tom and Lydia. But it turns out the real plot is much higher up the international scene. Terrific. An excellent start to what promises to be a cracking series. ~ Sarah Broadhurst
A gripping spy thriller for fans of ROBERT HARRIS and WILLIAM BOYD from award-winning Sunday Times bestseller Rory Clements and author of the 2018 CWA HISTORICAL DAGGER WINNER, NUCLEUS 1936. Europe is in turmoil. The Nazis have marched into the Rhineland. In Russia, Stalin has unleashed his Great Terror. Spain has erupted in civil war. In Berlin, a young Englishwoman evades the Gestapo to deliver vital papers to a Jewish scientist. Within weeks, she is found dead, a silver syringe clutched in her fingers. In an exclusive London club, a conspiracy is launched that threatens the very heart of government. When a renowned society couple with fascist leanings are found brutally murdered, a maverick Cambridge professor is drawn into a world of espionage he knows only from history books. The deeper Thomas Wilde delves, the more he finds to link the murders with the girl with the silver syringe - and even more worryingly to the scandal surrounding the Abdication . . . Set against the gathering drumbeat of war and moving from Berlin to Cambridge, from Whitehall to the Kent countryside, and from the Fens to the Aragon Front in Spain, this big canvas international thriller, like C J Sansom's WINTER IN MADRID, marks the beginning of a brilliant new direction for Rory Clements. Praise for CORPUS 'Dramatic . . . pacy and assured . . . Well crafted, it has all the pleasures of an intriguing lead character, intricate plot and fascinating historical context' Daily Mail 'Rory Clements's timely spy thriller set in the 1930s evokes a period of political polarisation, mistrust and simmering violence. Corpus is fast-paced and there are plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing. This is the first of a promising series and Wilde is a likeable hero' The Times 'This clever novel, rich in deceptions and intrigue, shows the reach of Stalin and Hitler into every class of British society, threatening violence on horrific scale. Corpus is a standout historical novel and spy thriller' Daily Express Praise for RORY CLEMENTS 'Enjoyable, bloody and brutish' Guardian 'Sends a shiver down your spine' Daily Mail 'A colourful history lesson . . . exciting narrative twists' Sunday Telegraph
A gripping spy thriller for fans of ROBERT HARRIS and WILLIAM BOYD from award-winning Sunday Times bestseller Rory Clements and author of the 2018 CWA HISTORICAL DAGGER WINNER, NUCLEUS 1936. Europe is in turmoil. The Nazis have marched into the Rhineland. In Russia, Stalin has unleashed his Great Terror. Spain has erupted in civil war. In Berlin, a young Englishwoman evades the Gestapo to deliver vital papers to a Jewish scientist. Within weeks, she is found dead, a silver syringe clutched in her fingers. In an exclusive London club, a conspiracy is launched that threatens the very heart of government. When a renowned society couple with fascist leanings are found brutally murdered, a maverick Cambridge professor is drawn into a world of espionage he knows only from history books. The deeper Thomas Wilde delves, the more he finds to link the murders with the girl with the silver syringe - and even more worryingly to the scandal surrounding the Abdication . . . Set against the gathering drumbeat of war and moving from Berlin to Cambridge, from Whitehall to the Kent countryside, and from the Fens to the Aragon Front in Spain, this big canvas international thriller, like C J Sansom's WINTER IN MADRID, marks the beginning of a brilliant new direction for Rory Clements. Praise for CORPUS 'Dramatic . . . pacy and assured . . . Well crafted, it has all the pleasures of an intriguing lead character, intricate plot and fascinating historical context' Daily Mail 'Rory Clements's timely spy thriller set in the 1930s evokes a period of political polarisation, mistrust and simmering violence. Corpus is fast-paced and there are plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing. This is the first of a promising series and Wilde is a likeable hero' The Times 'This clever novel, rich in deceptions and intrigue, shows the reach of Stalin and Hitler into every class of British society, threatening violence on horrific scale. Corpus is a standout historical novel and spy thriller' Daily Express Praise for RORY CLEMENTS 'Enjoyable, bloody and brutish' Guardian 'Sends a shiver down your spine' Daily Mail 'A colourful history lesson . . . exciting narrative twists' Sunday Telegraph
February 2017 Book of the Month. 1936 and the huge canvas of Europe in chaos is superbly portrayed by this renowned author of historical fiction. Previously writing about the spy world of the Tudor period we know we are in good hands here. If you have not read one of his John Shakespeare thrillers you should. (I understand TV is on the cards.) This new series introduces Tom Wilde, a Cambridge history don, a bit of a recluse who buries himself in his work and period spy novels. His next door neighbour is self-employed publisher Lydia whose best friend, Nancy, dies mysteriously. Lydia enlists Tom’s help. Then Nancy’s right-wing gentry parents are brutally murdered and a conspiracy seems afoot. Enter a reporter, Eaton, whom Tom believes works for MI5. Now the death toll mounts and so does the danger for Tom and Lydia. But it turns out the real plot is much higher up the international scene. Terrific. An excellent start to what promises to be a cracking series. ~ Sarah Broadhurst
A galloping good yarn, stuffed full to the brim with double-crossing intrigue, yet intelligently braced against historical fact and figures. The mostly cool, calm and collected spy John Shakespeare is surrounded by a writhing vibrant cast of often unscrupulous or just plain villainous miscreants. The most vivid character of them all is the turbulence that is London in 1586, artfully written so that the reek, the uproar, the menace feels completely authentic. The threads of two investigations weave together, one based on historical fact, the other fictional and characters slip from one story to the next with ease. Clements has developed a wonderfully entertaining series, and ‘Holy Spy’ keeps with tradition as a compelling and immensely satisfying read. ~ Liz Robinson
December 2014 Book of the Month. It is 1582 and John Shakespeare, brother of William, spy for Walsingham, is sent with his loyal servant Boltfoot on a mission to his home town, Stratford-on-Avon, to investigate a conspiracy to free Mary Queen of Scots. The conflict between crown and Catholics has seeped into the Shakespeare family, or almost for Anne Hathaway, engaged to William has signed a document claiming loyalty to the Church in Rome! Much now ensues: murder, duplicity, missing documents, plots of treason and skulduggery all bounce off the pages at a hell of a lick. This is great stuff, a terrific addition to an excellent series which, if you haven’t discovered it, then you have a treat in store.
England is a vipers nest of conspiracy.It is 1852, and the conflict between Protestants and Catholics threatens to tear the country in two. While Queen Elizabeth I holds the reins of power, there are those whose loyalty lies with her imprisoned cousinMary, Queen of Scots.On his first major mission for Sir Francis Walsingham, the young John Shakespeare is ordered to untangle a conspiracy to free the Stuart queen from Sheffield Castle. All too soon, he realizes that the tentacles of the plot reach deep into his native Warwickshire and threaten his own friends and family. His duty lies with Elizabeth but how far will he go to protect those he loves?
Walsingham spy now in the service of Sir Robert Cecil, John Shakespeare, older brother of William, finds his trusted band of fellow spies are being picked off one by one, oh, and the Spanish are landing in Cornwall and somehow the exorcising of mad women is bothering him. Shakespeare always has lots to contend with which is what makes these adventures so compulsive. This is his fifth, as good as ever. The historical detail is terrific and the action fast and furious. Do read them. Click here to see the new book in the John Shakespeare series, The Queen's Man. In addition to our Lovereading expert opinion for The Heretics a small number of Lovereading members were lucky enough to be invited to review this title - 'A tremendous read. Absolutely grips your imagination. Once again religion and politics are at the fore front of this fabulous book.' – Susan Walsh. Scroll down to read more reviews.
An exorcism a siege a stealthy killer What else could go wrong?John Shakespeareintrepid private detective and brother to a rising young playwright in Elizabethan Londonis approached by a condemned Jesuit priest with an unusual proposition: the Father is haunted by the memory of Thomasyn Jade, a teenage girl subjected to brutal exorcism rites a decade past.He wants Shakespeare to track her down and offer reparations for her treatment.As Shakespeare begins his investigation, a plot to assassinate the Queen is underway, and rumors of a papist conspiracy begin swirling from Seville. And when, one by one, Shakespeares trusted spies are horribly murdered, all clues seem to be linked to the mysterious Thomasyn Jade Heart-pounding and packed with fascinating historical detail, The Heretics is a thriller to rival the best of C. J. Sansom and Alex Grecian.
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