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In sixteenth-century London, Marlowe embarks on his final intelligence assignment, hoping to find his missing muse, as well as the culprits behind a high-stakes smuggling scheme.
In present-day New York, grad student turned private eye Kate Morgan is called in on an urgent matter. One of her firm's top clients, a London-based financier, has chanced upon a mysterious manuscript that had been buried for centuries - one that someone, somewhere is desperate to steal. What secret lurks in those yellowed, ciphered pages? And how, so many years later, could it drive someone to kill?" As Kate sets off for England, she receives a second assignment. An enigmatic art dealer has made an eleven-million-dollar purchase from an Iranian intelligence officer. Is it a black-market antiquities deal, or something far more sinister? Like Marlowe, Kate moonlights as a spy - her P.I. firm doubles as an off-the-books U.S. Intelligence unit - and she is soon caught like a pawn in a deadly international game. As the Intelligencer's interlocking narratives race toward a stunning collision, and Kate closes in on the truth behind Marlowe's sudden death, it becomes clear that she may have sealed a similar fate for herself.
David Liss bestselling author of The Coffee Trader Impressively learned and absorbingly entertaining. A fast-paced, engaging and witty thriller.
Lee Child bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series This is terrific — an intelligent, graceful, sophisticated novel that packs a real thriller's punch, like an iron fist in a velvet glove. Lead character Kate Morgan — like author Leslie Silbert, I suspect — has the mind of a scholar and the heart of a bare-knuckle street fighter. Very highly recommended — think Shakespeare in Love meets James Bond.
Margaret George bestselling author of Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles A fast-paced, entertaining romp through the worlds of both the Elizabethan literary scene and twenty-first century espionage. Exciting, engrossing, amusing, informative — fun from beginning to end!
David Morrell bestselling author of The Protector A fascinating blend of Renaissance espionage and modern intrigue. Codes and puzzles in abundance. If you liked The Da Vinci Code, you'll love The Intelligencer.
Sharon K. Penman bestselling author of The Dragon's Lair This book should come with a "Dangerous" label, for once you pick it up, you cannot put it down. I missed book deadlines, forgot to pay bills, gave up sleep for the duration, and it is all Leslie Silbert's fault!
Jack Devine former Acting Director for Operations at the CIA An artful and ingenious blend of Elizabethan history and twenty-first century espionage by a gifted and insightful observer of the age-old dark side of intelligence.
Leslie Silbert graduated from Harvard with a bachelor's and master's degree in the History of Science and studied Renaissance literature at Oxford. She works as a private investigator in New York City under the guidance of a former CIA officer and is currently writing her second Kate Morgan novel. For more information, please visit www.lesliesilbert.com.
Leslie graduated from Harvard College in 1998 with a degree in the History of Science. She'd spent the spring of her junior year abroad, reading Elizabethan drama at Oxford, and was so taken with the subject -- particularly the playwright and spy, Christopher Marlowe -- that she chose to enter Harvard's graduate program in her field in order to further immerse herself in the English Renaissance. Taking a blend of history, history of science and literature courses, she focused on sixteenth- and seventeenth-century ideas about curiosity and the pursuit of forbidden knowledge. At the heart of her research was the question: What type of knowledge was the most dangerous to pursue back then and why?
A year later, Leslie decided that the academic track wasn't for her, and applied for positions with the country's top private investigation firms. As she tells it, "School was great, but Marlowe had inspired me. As much as I loved libraries, I wanted to take my interests into the real world, to pursue secrets for a living."
Under the guidance of a former Acting Director for Operations at the CIA, Leslie has undertaken investigations involving art objects looted in World War II, an unsolved murder, elaborate fraud schemes, and crisis management for western businesses operating overseas. As one of the few young PIs in Manhattan who does fieldwork—obtaining her information through interactions with people rather than a computer—she has generated considerable interest from the media. She has been profiled in W, The New York Post, Women's Own, a variety of international magazines, and has appeared on Fox News Live and Extra. With the publication of The Intelligencer, the attention has continued. Leslie was a featured author in People, The Washington Post Book World, The Los Angeles Times Book Review, The New York Times Book Review, The Denver Post, The Houston Chronicle, and appeared on Court TV's Catherine Crier Live and ESPN's Cold Pizza, among others, to promote her debut.
At the moment, Leslie is writing her second Kate Morgan novel. Like The Intelligencer, it interweaves an exciting historical mystery with thematically linked modern intrigue. As Leslie likes to "scene scout," or explore the locales described in her novels, she is planning a fall trip to several Mediterranean and North African destinations, which will feature prominently in her forthcoming thriller.
Author biography courtesy of the author's official web site.
"Two friends and I formed a mischief club in grade school. We would do things like hide all the rulers from our despised metric-system workbooks, and leave a hex sign -- which I'd read about in Nancy Drew novels -- at the scene of the crime. One of the girls squashed a tadpole in the apropos section of another student's sex-ed book. We all felt guilty, and immediately laid down a proclamation that our club would not take another life. Another time, when I was rooting around my fifth grade teacher's desk, I got caught! He walked in and there I was, hands in the cookie jar. Or rather, shuffling through papers. I looked as guilty as could be. As my accomplice later pointed out, I froze and turned white. Then stammered something about looking for my vocabulary workbook, so I could start the next day's assignment. He pretended to believe me, perhaps because my friend and I got the best grades in our class. Or maybe it was just that we'd amused him. He didn't laugh out loud, and certainly made an effort to keep a straight, serious face, but an hour later, we were pretty sure we'd seen a furtive, secret smile."
"My fellow mischief club members and I were also eager participants in a very exciting event we called "Story Time." Twice a year, our class would visit this spot in the Shenandoah that our school called the Mountain Campus. At night, during our free time, we would gather behind someone's tent, and by flashlight, a boy named Marshall would read the naughty pages of romance novels that one of us had carefully dog-eared ahead of time."
"My eyes are different colors, and in high school, students and biology teacher alike had great fun discussing my mutant nature."
"One weekend a number of years ago, I was in Scotland and in need of adventure. I was in college at the time, and had received a fellowship to research my thesis in Britain. After doing six weeks' of research in Edinburgh, I set off. While training up to Loch Ness, I struck up a conversation with the young man sitting across from me. He was a serious athlete, and told me about how very recently, he'd biked from the northern tip of Scotland to the southwestern-most tip of Cornwall, England, in an impressively short time. Four days comes to mind, but maybe it was a bit more than that.
"At any rate, I told him I was planning to bike around Loch Ness and what was his advice? He said, well, the flat side was an easier ride, but had a few too many cars and tourists for his taste. He preferred the hilly side, which offered a more authentic dose of the Highlands, but was ‘quite challenging.' Now, why I saw fit to put myself in his shoes, and decide that what he could do, I could do... well, that's a mystery for the ages. Four hours later, I'm doing these sad, pathetic S-shaped loops up a never-ending hill. Unlike most other places I've been, there are no tourist stops, no 7-11s, nothing. It's raining every fifteen minutes, then sunny, then rain again. The sheep are looking at me like I'm an alien. My bike chain keeps dislodging, and to fix it, I have to turn my bike over and pull the chain back on track, and my fingers are covered with grease. Forgetting this fact, I use them to wipe the sweat and raindrops from my face.
"Then, I see an oasis! I forget the exact name, but it definitely ended in ‘Lodge.' ‘Loch Ness Lodge,' or something like that. And I thought, fabulous! I had reservations at an inn at the far end of Loch Ness, but surely, there was some fee I could pay to stop at this hotel and use the restroom and get a drink, finally! I go up to the front door, and knock, but there's no answer. Hmm, I think. I walk around to the side, and see an older man carrying a basket of eggs. Like the sheep, he looks at me like I'm an alien. (I was still wearing my orange bike helmet and my face was covered with black bike grease.) As politely as I could, I asked if I could just pay him something for a quick rest stop, since I already had somewhere else to spend the night. He looked puzzled, but invited me in, showed me the restroom, and brought me tea and snacks. We had a great time, but it wasn't till I was leaving that I learned why he'd been looking at me so strangely. In the Highlands, ‘lodge' does not mean "inn" or "hotel." I'd waltzed into a private home!"
"I'm particularly taken with deft verbal skill, with rhetorical power. I love watching Tony Blair give a speech, or even better, answer the Prime Minister's Questions. Whatever else people might say about him, they can't argue with one thing: the man can speak!"
I'm fascinated by politics in general, and got my first campaign experience recently when I started volunteering for my favorite presidential candidate's campaign. I'm definitely hooked -- think I'll always be politically active."
"Favorite ways to unwind? Well, in addition to watching reruns of The West Wing or reading a Frederick Forsyth novel, I love a great dance class. Very recently, I was thrilled to find a new teacher who I swear could dance Justin Timberlake under the table, or at least give him a run for his money. If we'd spoken before, you'd understand the full import of this claim. You see, I think Justin's dancing ability is through the roof!"
"I also love to travel. Both to familiar places, like my parent's cabin in New Hampshire, which makes for great hiking and swimming -- at sunset, you get a great view of a nearby mountain from the middle of the lake. I also like new adventures, such as exploring Rome for the first time, and seeing multiple layers of history with every step. At the moment, Sicily, Southeast Asia, and Peru top my list of next destinations."
Chapter 1
What, will you thus oppose me, luckless stars...That I may vanish o'er the earth in air,
And leave no memory that e'er I was?
No, I will live...
— BARABAS, in Marlowe's The Jew of Malta
SOUTHWARK, ENGLAND — DUSK, MAY 1593
His rendezvous was set for nightfall and the sun was sinking quickly. The young man had no time to spare. But as he neared London Bridge, the familiar sounds along that particular stretch of the Thames were hard to resist. His pace slowed. His ears perked up. The clamor of the bear-baiting arena beckoned — a chained bear howling as canine jaws tore at its flesh, frenzied dogs shrieking with every swipe of the bear's claws, groundlings hollering out bets and cheering wildly.
Halting midstride, with one tall black boot hovering a few inches above the ground, he tested his resolve. It failed.
He veered off the riverside path and headed toward the arena. En route, a swath of bold colors drew his attention — the canopy of an unfamiliar booth. Curious, he approached. Long scarlet tresses came into view, then the gnarled face of an old woman, smiling with red-stained lips that matched her shiny wig. At first she appeared to be selling decks of playing cards, but after looking him over, she lifted a small sign advertising her forbidden trade: Grizel's Tarot. With his rakish clothing and brown hair hanging loose, it was clear he was no prim city official.
Slapping a few pennies on her table, the young man asked, "Should I put my money on the bear?"
"You would rather hear the bear's fortune than your own?"
He looked away for a moment, as if thoughtful, then turned back with a mischievous smile. "Yes."
"It would be more worth your while to attend to yourself."
"Well, that is a subject I'm fond of." He took a seat.
She laid her battered cards out slowly, several ill-fitting rings sliding along her shriveled fingers. When the tenth card had been carefully placed facedown upon the table, the woman looked up.
"May we skip to the end? I haven't much time."
"Why don't you let Grizel be the judge of that? First, I must know who you are." Near her left hand, five cards were arranged in the shape of a Celtic cross. She picked up the central card. "Your soul." Turning it over, she gazed reverently at the faded image of a man in a red cloak and cap. "The Magician. Manipulator of the natural world...loves tricks and illusions. Has a powerful imagination. A master of language, he is most nimble with words."
"Mmm-hmm."
Raising a gray brow at his inarticulate response, she double-checked the card. With a shrug, she set it down, then selected the bottommost card of the cross. "The card of the present moment. Oh, my, the Page of Swords. You have a passionate mind, don't you, my friend? Always searching, seeking to uncover the hidden truth. Indeed, you begin such a quest today."
The young man leaned forward with interest. "Sweet lady, you're good."
Flattered, she began flipping over the cards that formed the remainder of the cross. "The Ten of Coins — in reverse. You like gambling. And risk, grave risk. Toeing the edge of a precipice."
"Keeps life interesting, and my pockets full."
"Outside influences...let me see. The Three of Swords — a dangerous triangle, a fierce conflict. Two powerful forces threaten you." Looking up, she noticed that his expression remained calm. "You'd best take heed," she declared sternly. "Danger discovered in this position is real, but it can be survived."
"Threats, conflicts...such things are everyday occurrences." He waved his hand dismissively. "If you please, my last card?"
Grumpily she turned to the second formation of cards on her table: a column five cards high. Lifting the top one, she peered at the image for a moment, hesitated, then showed it to him — a hand-painted skeleton, skull on the ground, toe bones in the air. "How could this be? Upside down, the Death card signifies an impending brush with danger, but one that will be survived. Here, in the afterlife position, it seems to mean you will live after your death..."
Puzzled, she tilted her head and studied his face.
"Does seem odd, I admit," he said. "Though some have called my looks otherworldly, perhaps — "
She scowled, then broke into a toothless grin. "Ah, of course. I forgot who you are, Magician. Now I understand. It is your magic that is to survive. Long after you take your last breath."
The young man bowed his head bashfully. Though Grizel didn't know it, she was talking to London's most popular playmaker, a writer whose deft pen had worked magic upon the theatrical stage. He marveled at her insight. Then his jaw muscle twitched. A pox on it! The cursed thought had wormed its way back into his head — the very one he had been chasing away for months. Would he make such magic again? Of course he would. When the time was right, he told himself.
Looking back up, he flashed his mischievous smile once more. "My lady, could you tell me just one thing I do not yet know?"
Grizel tried to frown, but the twinkle in his eye was contagious. Lifting the second highest card in the column on her right, she glanced at it, then slammed it down as if it burned her fingertips.
"What is it?"
Sadly she placed a hand over his. "Barring angelic intervention, you'll not live to see the next moon."
Vaguely startled, he slid his right hand into the pocket of his close-fitting silk doublet. "There's nothing like a second opinion. Particularly when the first suggests your end is nigh. Do not mistake me, you've been a delight, but there's another lady I always consult when it comes to matters of fate." He produced a silver coin. "If it's her face that greets me, I've nothing to worry about."
He tossed the coin up in the air. Glinting now and again, it flipped over a few times before falling into his left palm, landing face up. "Ah, not to worry, Grizel. The queen here says all will be well. And as her dutiful subject, I am honor-bound to take her word over yours."
With a blown kiss and a smile, the young man left the Tarot booth and hurried once more on his way to London Bridge. Tilting his coin to catch the setting sun's orange glow, he looked closely at the metallic image of Queen Elizabeth's face. He winked at her, and as always, she winked back; he'd scratched off a fragment of the silver over her left eye, revealing just a speck of the darker metal beneath. The trick coin, which had more silver plate on one side than the other, was a counterfeit English shilling he'd fashioned with an associate while on a clandestine mission in the Netherlands the previous year. The fates are fickle. Better to manufacture your luck, than hope for it.
Luck of any kind was a precious commodity to him. After all, he was not just a writer in search of his muse. Young Christopher Marlowe was a spy in the queen's secret service...a spy with no idea that the old crone was right.
Copyright © 2004 by Leslie Silbert
Discussion Questions for The Intelligencer
1) The action in this novel moves rapidly between Elizabethan England and modern times, shifting centuries with each chapter. How did this atypical structure affect your reading of the story? What does the juxtaposition of two time periods offer that novels confined to one period do not?
2) Christopher Marlowe is presented as a complex man: poet, spy, patriot, friend, and enemy. And while he doesn't follow many rules, his ultimate commitment to doing what he thinks is right never wavers. This becomes clear in chapter six: "It was a delicate balance to maintain-satisfying his handlers while operating according to his own set of principles-but somehow, he was managing it." What do you think of this policy? Given that Marlowe knows his delicate balancing act is "doomed to an unpleasant end," why does he persist? Would you?
3) Kate admits that she has always admired "the Cat," the burglar who initially tried to steal the manuscript. The Cat was described as a modern-day Robin Hood, stealing from the rich and giving the proceeds to charity. Do you think Kate would ever change teams and become a thief herself? She seems to relish the thrill of thwarting the bad guys; do you see her getting involved in other, perhaps not so legal, work? Do the connections between her character and the character of Marlowe help to answer this question?
4) Talk about the way that human nature is portrayed in this novel. Does it seem to change between Marlowe's day and the modern era, or do you see certain commonalities that transcend time? To what extent do you criticize a character like Robert Cecil, a man who will do anything tofurther his own interests? To what extent is he a product of his environment? What about his descendant, Cidro Medina? Do you consider it more forgivable to be a villain in what some might call a more villainous age?
5) While Marlowe and Kate are parallel characters in many ways, their cultures are not so similar. In fact, some might say that more comparisons can be made between Marlowe's England and Hamid Azadi's Iran. As noted in chapter 3, beneath the glitter, Elizabethan England was an "ugly police state," a Protestant theocracy similar in ways to the Islamic theocracy of today's Iran, which also represses and tortures religious and political dissidents. Discuss these parallels.
6) While backstabbing, thievery, and deception have been the norm for spies since the first days of espionage, there are glimmers of integrity in some of The Intelligencer's most unscrupulous characters. Even Robert Poley, a man who seduces married women for sport, is often characterized in a somewhat positive light: "Betrayal might be his livelihood and greatest form of pleasure, but when it involved someone he respected, he lost interest. And beyond that, he wanted to help whoever was trapped in the tangle of government plotting." What is your impression of Poley-is he a good man, or an inherently immoral character? What about Luca de Tolomei? In many ways, his grief-induced obsession with revenge is understandable. By the end of the novel, do you think he feels satisfied, or rather, avenged? Did you still consider him a villain? Do you see similarities between his character and that of Robert Poley?
7) By chapter 24, it is clear that both of Marlowe's employers are trying to bring about his doom. It's a different story for Kate. There's no question that her boss, Jeremy Slade, values her and wants to protect her. Do you think this is a reflection of certain differences between the intelligence services in Marlowe's day versus those today? Also, while the actions of Marlowe's bosses are clearly unforgivable, what about the lies that Jeremy Slade told Kate? Do you think Kate will forgive him in Silbert's next novel? What about her father, Don Morgan? Now that Kate has had her absolute trust in her boss shattered, do you think she'll keep working for the Slade Group?Do you think she'll take on Marlowe's policy of lying to his superiors and carrying out assignments how he sees fit?
8) Late in the novel, as Thomas Phelippes attempts to break into Essex's bedroom, we learn that, "He liked to surprise people now and then because you didn't really know someone if you only saw them the way they wanted to be seen." In what ways might Phelippes' secret habit inform a discussion on the nature of truth? Is it possible to ever truly know someone you've never caught in a private moment? Silbert shifts points of view frequently in this novel, allowing us to get to know most of the main characters and see the action and meet others through their eyes. Did you like this narrative structure? What do you see as its advantages and disadvantages when it comes to novels of suspense? Do you think it allows you to more fully "know" the characters, than does a novel told entirely from the first person perspective?
9) Kate told Medina that while in school, she studied the pursuit of secrets and forbidden knowledge in the Renaissance, focusing on the question: What type of knowledge was the most dangerous to pursue back then and why? Reflecting back upon the story, and Kate's discussion with Medina from chapter 17 in particular, what would you say was the most highly protected secret knowledge in Marlowe's day and what is it now? Who pursues it and who is the most threatened by its exposure? What is at stake for the pursuer, the government, and the culture if it is obtained and revealed?
10) Do you think it significant that the object that sets the modern-day adventure in motion is nothing more than an old manuscript? In chapter 7, as Kate and Max consider who might be trying to steal it, they discuss secrets with the power to transcend time. Kate speculates that the manuscript might contain evidence invalidating someone's claim to a valuable estate, while Max wonders if the secret in the manuscript is something that a government or church wishes to cover up. Were you surprised to learn what Jade Dragon was really after? In real life, do you believe there are secrets having nothing to do with the prospect of financial gain, for which people would kill, to keep quiet?
Discussion Questions for The Intelligencer
1) The action in this novel moves rapidly between Elizabethan England and modern times, shifting centuries with each chapter. How did this atypical structure affect your reading of the story? What does the juxtaposition of two time periods offer that novels confined to one period do not?
2) Christopher Marlowe is presented as a complex man: poet, spy, patriot, friend, and enemy. And while he doesn't follow many rules, his ultimate commitment to doing what he thinks is right never wavers. This becomes clear in chapter six: "It was a delicate balance to maintain-satisfying his handlers while operating according to his own set of principles-but somehow, he was managing it." What do you think of this policy? Given that Marlowe knows his delicate balancing act is "doomed to an unpleasant end," why does he persist? Would you?
3) Kate admits that she has always admired "the Cat," the burglar who initially tried to steal the manuscript. The Cat was described as a modern-day Robin Hood, stealing from the rich and giving the proceeds to charity. Do you think Kate would ever change teams and become a thief herself? She seems to relish the thrill of thwarting the bad guys; do you see her getting involved in other, perhaps not so legal, work? Do the connections between her character and the character of Marlowe help to answer this question?
4) Talk about the way that human nature is portrayed in this novel. Does it seem to change between Marlowe's day and the modern era, or do you see certain commonalities that transcend time? To what extent do you criticize a character like Robert Cecil, a man who will do anything to further his own interests? To what extent is he a product of his environment? What about his descendant, Cidro Medina? Do you consider it more forgivable to be a villain in what some might call a more villainous age?
5) While Marlowe and Kate are parallel characters in many ways, their cultures are not so similar. In fact, some might say that more comparisons can be made between Marlowe's England and Hamid Azadi's Iran. As noted in chapter 3, beneath the glitter, Elizabethan England was an "ugly police state," a Protestant theocracy similar in ways to the Islamic theocracy of today's Iran, which also represses and tortures religious and political dissidents. Discuss these parallels.
6) While backstabbing, thievery, and deception have been the norm for spies since the first days of espionage, there are glimmers of integrity in some of The Intelligencer's most unscrupulous characters. Even Robert Poley, a man who seduces married women for sport, is often characterized in a somewhat positive light: "Betrayal might be his livelihood and greatest form of pleasure, but when it involved someone he respected, he lost interest. And beyond that, he wanted to help whoever was trapped in the tangle of government plotting." What is your impression of Poley-is he a good man, or an inherently immoral character? What about Luca de Tolomei? In many ways, his grief-induced obsession with revenge is understandable. By the end of the novel, do you think he feels satisfied, or rather, avenged? Did you still consider him a villain? Do you see similarities between his character and that of Robert Poley?
7) By chapter 24, it is clear that both of Marlowe's employers are trying to bring about his doom. It's a different story for Kate. There's no question that her boss, Jeremy Slade, values her and wants to protect her. Do you think this is a reflection of certain differences between the intelligence services in Marlowe's day versus those today? Also, while the actions of Marlowe's bosses are clearly unforgivable, what about the lies that Jeremy Slade told Kate? Do you think Kate will forgive him in Silbert's next novel? What about her father, Don Morgan? Now that Kate has had her absolute trust in her boss shattered, do you think she'll keep working for the Slade Group? Do you think she'll take on Marlowe's policy of lying to his superiors and carrying out assignments how he sees fit?
8) Late in the novel, as Thomas Phelippes attempts to break into Essex's bedroom, we learn that, "He liked to surprise people now and then because you didn't really know someone if you only saw them the way they wanted to be seen." In what ways might Phelippes' secret habit inform a discussion on the nature of truth? Is it possible to ever truly know someone you've never caught in a private moment? Silbert shifts points of view frequently in this novel, allowing us to get to know most of the main characters and see the action and meet others through their eyes. Did you like this narrative structure? What do you see as its advantages and disadvantages? Do you think it allows you to more fully "know" the characters, than does a novel told entirely from the first person perspective?
9) Kate told Medina that while in school, she studied the pursuit of secrets and forbidden knowledge in the Renaissance, focusing on the question: What type of knowledge was the most dangerous to pursue back then and why? Reflecting back upon the story, and Kate's discussion with Medina from chapter 17 in particular, what would you say was the most highly protected secret knowledge in Marlowe's day and what is it now? Who pursues it and who is the most threatened by its exposure? What is at stake for the pursuer, the government, and the culture if it is obtained and revealed?
10) Do you think it significant that the object that sets the modern-day adventure in motion is nothing more than an old manuscript? In chapter 7, as Kate and Max consider who might be trying to steal it, they discuss secrets with the power to transcend time. Kate speculates that the manuscript might contain evidence invalidating someone's claim to a valuable estate, while Max wonders if the secret in the manuscript is something that a government or church wishes to cover up. Were you surprised to learn what Jade Dragon was really after? In real life, do you believe there are secrets having nothing to do with the prospect of financial gain, for which people would kill, to keep quiet?
Anonymous
Posted August 18, 2012
I read this novel when it first came out but decided I wanted to revisit it--and I'm glad I did. This is smart, well-written spy fiction with a delicious twist for English geeks like me: the parallel story to the contemporary mystery is set in Elizabethan England featuring that most fascinating of engimas--Christopher Marlowe. If you read Silbert's "afterword" (and everyone should) she explains the balance between the factual and what she "twisted" to some degree and she explains the historical background for those unfamiliar with Marlowe and/or Tudor England.
However, the problem for me is that there are simply too many plots and threadlines going at once--when they converge it generally makes sense--but it takes far too long for it to happen. In the meantime, it's easy to get really frustated with the many characters, red herrings and plot threads. Then when Silbert ties it together, I found myself having to go back in a couple of cases and remind myself of how I got to where I was. Also, while there are some fun twists--my favorite is Marlowe at the end--some of this is just terribly obvious. The most annoying of those is the identify of Acheron, the captured spy--that just hits you over the head on the first page it's introduced. Having that be less predictable would have been nice.
Some reviewers here expressed frustration with the ending--I had no problems at all with the ending; the ending is clear in terms of the Tudor/Marlowe mystery and the contemporary one--BUT it is obvious that the ending has been set up for a sequel--there are many loose ends in relation to Kate, Rhys, Donovan, Jack and etc. Even the author's "Q/A" at the end of the book reveals Silbert working on a follow up.
So my question is WHERE is the follow up? Good grief, this novel was published around 2004--2005; this novel shows a great deal of promise for a fun, smart series--but it's been so long that if/when Silbert does publish the sequel will anyone care? It all seems like a bit of a waste.
fireside-reader
Posted April 23, 2012
I actually enjoyed this one. It was interesting. I read it some time ago, but would like to read more by this author.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 10, 2007
I enjoyed this book and raced to the end. I thought there were too many characters so at times I had trouble keeping track of who was doing what. I did not know anything about 1500 London so I learned a little.
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Posted October 7, 2006
This novel was full of great suspense, action, and mystery... that led up to..... nothing. do not read this book. it is horrible. the ending makes you want to chuck it out your window, just because it is so retarted. if you like good books, then dont read this one.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 24, 2005
Ok, so I picked this book up on a whim thinking it would be a good page turner, and it was up to a point. I liked the present day aspect of the novel more so than the past chapters. I don't know what it was but they just seemed more smooth to me. The plot is sometimes confusing because of sudden shifts, but these shifts were usually well marked so you could get back into the story. The characters are not exactly flat so that was a plus. I don't like how Silbert had Marlowe survive, it made the novel seem a bit to perfect ending. The ending of the novel was not well put either in my view. The reader is left with to many loose ends like de Tolomei and the boyfriend. What exactly happens to them. I would suggest this novel to friends, but I would hint to them the ending is not spectacular. I will still look forward to the next novel from Silbert though.
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Posted July 1, 2005
I thought I was an excellent book. A quick read but really good. I thought the characters were awesome. I really enjoyed the two different time periods aspect. I also liked the twist Marlowe ending.! I strongly recommend it!
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Posted June 20, 2005
This was a good story and interesting mix between the present and the 16th century Elizabethan england. The mystery was along the lines of Dan Brown/Katherine Neville. A slightly predible ending but still excellent story with well developed characters.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.In New York, London-based forensic accounting wizard Cidro Medina meets with former English Renaissance scholar turned sleuth Kate Morgan to discuss the corpse he found in his home. A thief broke into Cidro¿s home to steal a leather-bound volume of 16th-century intelligence reports written in cipher, but was trapped by cops so he chose poison instead of prison. Kate who is a deep operative for a United States Intelligence Agency investigates the sudden interest in the tome. --- In England Kate begins breaking the book¿s code and finds herself on the verge of not solving today¿s mystery, but a cold case involving the sudden death of Elizabethan most popular playwright Christopher Marlowe in 1593. She learns that Christopher lived a double life using his writings as a cover for his undercover espionage work to expose smuggling. Kate is also asked to look into an eleven million dollar art deal that triggered alerts of a possible black market sale. Billionaire art dealer Luca de Tolomei sold an antiquity to Iranian senior intelligence officer Hamad Azadi. Unbeknownst to Kate, she is the pawn of revenge by a person targeting her father, U.S. Senator Donovan Morgan. --- Though the story line is all over the place, THE INTELLIGENCER is a fine thriller that rotates chapters globally mostly in the present, but also includes stops in the late sixteenth century. Because of the constant shifts of focus, the story line takes time to develop; thus the action-packed thrill seekers might find the secondary plotting tedious while those in the audience who appreciate insightful filler will enjoy the sidebars. Leslie Silbert writes an interesting tale with a wonderful premise that is overloaded but fun to follow.--- Harriet Klausner
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Posted December 8, 2004
I normally take mystery novels for what they are, cheap thrills, but this book severely dissapointed me. I thought the ending, while predictable was unrealistic in the books context. The characters were so generic also, either they all seemed alike, or just did not fit their roles. I thought she did a decent job with the setting of early England, which is why I gave it 2 stars. But I honestly feel that I wasted a few hours of my life reading it.
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Posted October 5, 2004
This talented young author has written a thriller. No skimming needed here every word is worth reading and every page a must. The tension builds to a satisfying ending. I can't wait for the next book.
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Posted August 30, 2004
This novel had the same obnoxious overly didactic tone as the da Vinci Code;like spending time with a know-it-all teenager. Although, I have to say Silbert employs some clever, if not subtle techniques for explaining everything for the culturally impaired. My favorite so far is the discussion of the island of Capri being a sin bin. Kate is told that the suspect has a house on Capri and she says it figures, whereupon her co-worker asks why. Kate sensed that her boss wanted to exercise his expertise in classics history, so she let him explain. Then, of course, we get the requistite tidbit of trivia The Kirkus Review is right on, although you can't see it unless you click on 'See All Eight 'From the Critics''
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Posted April 9, 2004
When I heard the author on the radio talking about her real-life experiences as a PI, her ex-CIA boss, and U.S. attorney father, I decided to give this book a try. I like authenticity, and too many thrillers are painfully over the top...you know, so implausible you roll your eyes. But this one, wow! I loved it. It's got a very authentic, informative feel, but is also inventive, fresh and exciting. Kept me up till dawn. The Marlowe chapters come to life so vividly. Really enjoyed Marlowe's banter with Tom Walsingham and the tavern whore, as well as the way he was inspired to start writing 'Hero and Leander.' And learning so much about the Elizabethan underworld--spies and spymasters, con men, codes, ciphers, etc was fascinating. Very cool how the present day chapters paralleled those set in the past--you get to see Marlowe and Kate get their espionage assignments one after the other, begin them, get in danger, etc, in alternating chapters. And I loved Kate, found her more likable and believable than other mystery/spy heroines I've come across, probably because she's modeled so closely on the author... Whose ex-CIA boss endorsed the book so glowingly that I trust the PI know-how, international intrigue, and intelligence aspects, which made the whole reading experience much more fun for me. Lastly, I was thrilled that the endings to both storylines were unpredictable, clever and witty--for me, totally satisfying. Which is so rare in this genre. And when you're done (and only then because it contains spoilers), definitely stick around for the author's note. It tells you how most events from the sixteenth-century chapters are based on historical evidence, and explains something really interesting about the structure of the novel.
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Posted April 9, 2004
I flew through this novel. I've never read a thriller that was so well written, creative and thought provoking. I loved reading about Elizabethan spies, ciphers and black-market arms dealing, paired with a parallel espionage tale set in the present day. You learn so much turning these pages while being entertained non-stop...I was especially fascinated by the discussion between the modern-day heroine, Kate Morgan, and her client, about which was more dangerous to pursue in the Renaissance: state secrets or God's secrets, and why. Marlowe got killed for one of those dangerous pursuits, Kate says, but which? That's one of the mysteries revealed in the last chapters, as Kate deciphers Marlowe's final intelligence report. Speaking of which, I thought the way she figured out that particular code was clever and really interesting.
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Posted April 9, 2004
Overall it was well written and interwove two interesting mysteries. However, I would have preferred an introduction, Part I-Marlowe; Part II Kate Morgan and Part III the connections between them. Flip-flopping chapters, many of them just a few pages long, was annoying. I may reread it by reading the Marlowe chapters and then the Kate Morgan chapters and suggest other readers try the book that way.
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Posted June 13, 2004
I loved Leslie Siebert's deft combination of Marlowe's Elizabethan England and the quest of modern day scholar-turned-PI Kate Morgan. The continuously interconnected storyline was quite entertaining. I was never distracted moving between eras. There were moments when I couldn't wait to get to the next Kate chapter then couldn't wait to continue Marlowe's story. This book has been on my 'Recommend to Others' list since finishing it. I am already looking forward to Silbert's next Kate Morgan novel.
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Posted March 17, 2004
I was trapped into reading this and was shocked at how quickly I was sucked in. Great Characters!
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Posted April 7, 2004
This book is somewhat of a disappointment for me. Kate Morgan, the main character is so predictable, it is kind of funny in some respects. The rest of the characters are so thin (including Marlowe)that they all seem to meld together. The book is organized by flip flopping chapters from the the present (Kate's time) and 16th century England (Marlowe's time). I found myself so bored by Marlowe's story that I wanted to just skip over them. In an interview, the author admits that she had never written fiction before and was actually approached by an agent to write this book. It shows. The writing leaves little to be desired. The potential was there, and I think with a little practice the author could do very well writing in this genre since she has some inkling of how to build a suspense novel. But maybe she should have waited and practiced a little bit longer....
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Posted March 10, 2004
I started the book expecting to like the 'thriller' elements and intrigue. And I did. Big time. But what surprised me was how attached to the characters I became... particularly Marlowe! I'm going to go buy his plays.
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Posted February 22, 2004
this book blew me away. it's that rare combination of page-turner/spy thriller that actually makes you feel smarter for having read it. the way she weaves jet-set modern NYC private-investigator hijinks with brooding elizabethan england -- i couldn't put the book down. maybe it's the author's real-life PI experience...her harvard education...her good looks...whatever it is, keep your eye on leslie silbert. highly recommended.
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Posted December 10, 2008
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Overview
In sixteenth-century London, Marlowe embarks on his final intelligence assignment, hoping to find his missing muse, as well as the culprits behind a high-stakes smuggling scheme.
In ...