Martyr (John Shakespeare Series #1)

by Rory Clements

Overview

Martyr is the first installment in Rory Clements' acclaimed and bestselling John Shakespeare series of Tudor spy thrillers. Clements, winner of the Ellis Peters Historical Fiction Award, "does for Elizabeth's reign what CJ Sansom does for Henry VIII's" (Sunday Times).

England is close to war. Within days the axe could fall on the neck of Mary, Queen of Scots, and Spain is already gathering a battle fleet to avenge her.

Tensions in Elizabeth I's government are at the breaking point. At the center of the storm is John Shakespeare, chief intelligencer in the secret service of Sir Francis Walsingham. When an intercept reveals a plot to assassinate England's "sea dragon," Francis Drake, Shakespeare is ordered to protect him. Busy fitting out his ships on land, Drake is frighteningly vulnerable. If he dies, England will be open to invasion.

From the splendor and intrigue of the royal court to the sleek warships of Her Majesty's Navy and the teeming brothels of Southwark, Shakespeare soon learns that nothing is as it seems . . .

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062356321
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	10/21/2014
Series:	John Shakespeare Series , #1
Edition description:	Reissue
Pages:	448
Sales rank:	198,676
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

After a career in national newspapers, Rory Clements now lives in a seventeenth-century farmhouse in Norfolk and writes full time. When not immersing himself in the Elizabethan world, he enjoys village life and a game of tennis with friends. He is married to the artist Naomi Clements-Wright. There are five books in the John Shakespeare series of Elizabethan mysteries: Martyr, which was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey Award; Revenger, which won the 2010 CWA Ellis Peters Historical Fiction Award; Prince, which was shortlisted for the 2011 Ellis Peters Historical Fiction Award; Traitor; and Monarch. All are published by John Murray. A TV series based on the books is currently in development.

You can find out more about Rory, his writing and the world of John Shakespeare on his website www.roryclements.com and at www.johnmurray.co.uk.

Editorial Reviews

"Excellent.... The characters, action and period detail are all solid." ---Publishers Weekly Starred Review

From the Publisher

Simon Vance shifts vocal tones and accents as listeners enter this mystery of the sixteenth century. Vance reflects class, age, and gender to differentiate each of the real and imagined characters. The hero is investigator John Shakespeare, elder brother of William and assistant to Queen Elizabeth's secretary, Walsingham. Vance shades the sleuth's decisive actions with puzzlement and determination as Shakespeare works to thwart a plot to assassinate Sir Francis Drake, solve the brutal murder of Lady Blanche Howard, and tiptoe around the era's religious and political unrest. Vance renders place as well he draws portraits. The bawdiness and intrigue of London streets are sometimes as chilling as the malevolence of the ruthless murderer. S.W. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

JULY 2009 - AudioFile