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In his critically acclaimed debut thriller, Martyr, Rory Clements introduced readers to the unforgettable John Shakespeare, chief intelligencer to Queen Elizabeth I and older brother to Will.
Now, five years later, the Queen needs Shakespeare’s services once more. Not only is England still at war with Spain, but her court is riven by savage infighting among ambitious young courtiers.
Shakespeare is summoned by Elizabeth’s cold but deadly Privy Councillor Sir Robert Cecil and ordered to undertake two linked missions: to investigate the mystery of the doomed Roanoke colony in North America—Sir Walter Ralegh’s folly—and to spy on Cecil’s rival, the dashing Earl of Essex.
Essex is the brightest star in the firmament, the Queen’s favorite. But when Shakespeare enters Essex’s dissolute world, he discovers not only that the Queen herself is in danger, but that he and his family are also targets. With a plague devastating the country, Catholics facing persecution and martyrdom at the hands of an infamous torturer, and John’s own wife, Catherine, possibly protecting a priest—Shakespeare has his own survival to secure, as well as that of his fading but still feisty Queen.
Filled with the flavor and facts of a tumultuous time in English history.
Now, five years later, the Queen needs Shakespeare’s services once more. Not only is England still at war with Spain, but her court is riven by savage infighting among ambitious young courtiers.
Shakespeare is summoned by Elizabeth’s cold but deadly Privy Councillor Sir Robert Cecil and ordered to undertake two linked missions: to investigate the mystery of the doomed Roanoke colony in North America—Sir Walter Ralegh’s folly—and to spy on Cecil’s rival, the dashing Earl of Essex.
Essex is the brightest star in the firmament, the Queen’s favorite. But when Shakespeare enters Essex’s dissolute world, he discovers not only that the Queen herself is in danger, but that he and his family are also targets. With a plague devastating the country, Catholics facing persecution and martyrdom at the hands of an infamous torturer, and John’s own wife, Catherine, possibly protecting a priest—Shakespeare has his own survival to secure, as well as that of his fading but still feisty Queen.
Filled with the flavor and facts of a tumultuous time in English history.
448 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
285 people are currently reading
969 people want to read
About the author
Rory Clements
35 books540 followersRory Clements has had a long and successful newspaper career, including being features editor and associate editor of Today, editor of the Daily Mail's Good Health Pages, and editor of the health section at the Evening Standard. He now writes full-time in an idyllic corner of Norfolk, England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
June 3, 2020
Excellent thriller as John Shakespeare, after five years teaching, is back investigating brutal murders and a plot by Essex to seize the English throne. Decent subplot about a lost colony of settlers in America and a cameo from Walter Raleigh. Intelligencer suits Shakespeare and nice to have him back - really good series.
June 22, 2025
John Shakespeare is back, pulled away from administrating a school to search for a colonist from the lost Roanoke colony, presumed dead, but sighted in London. Shakespeare's new boss is a violent, arrogant rich man, the task is likely a wild-goose chase, and two murders have occurred that may be related. Sixteenth century intrigue and all the violence, pomp, and poverty of the age, plus the resurgence of the plague. Off with their heads.
September 19, 2021
Read this book in 2010, and this story is the 2nd volume, the 4th in chronological order, of the amazing "John Shakespeare" mysteries set in Elizabethan England.
This book is set in the year, AD 1592, after the death of Queen Elizabeth I's Spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham, and John Shakespeare is summoned to attend his new spymaster, Robert Cecil.
In this exciting but deadly mystery, John Shakespeare is sent on a mission to retrieve vital papers to the Queen, who are now in the possession of the Earl of Essex.
Mother of the Earl of Essex is a Lady called, Lettice Knollys, queen of her own court of bad, dangerous and disaffected people, but loathed to the extreme by Queen Elizabeth.
When John Shakespeare and his loyal foot-soldier, Boltfoot Cooper, infiltrate this web of intrigue, he will find not only the Queen in peril, but his own family are targeted as well, and so what will follow is an action-packed mystery where danger lurks in every corner, and all this in an attempt to solve this mystery of loyalty, treachery, political survival and death.
Very much recommended, for this is a wonderful addition to this amazing series, and that's why I like to call this captivating encounter: "A Brilliant John Shakespeare Sequel"!
This book is set in the year, AD 1592, after the death of Queen Elizabeth I's Spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham, and John Shakespeare is summoned to attend his new spymaster, Robert Cecil.
In this exciting but deadly mystery, John Shakespeare is sent on a mission to retrieve vital papers to the Queen, who are now in the possession of the Earl of Essex.
Mother of the Earl of Essex is a Lady called, Lettice Knollys, queen of her own court of bad, dangerous and disaffected people, but loathed to the extreme by Queen Elizabeth.
When John Shakespeare and his loyal foot-soldier, Boltfoot Cooper, infiltrate this web of intrigue, he will find not only the Queen in peril, but his own family are targeted as well, and so what will follow is an action-packed mystery where danger lurks in every corner, and all this in an attempt to solve this mystery of loyalty, treachery, political survival and death.
Very much recommended, for this is a wonderful addition to this amazing series, and that's why I like to call this captivating encounter: "A Brilliant John Shakespeare Sequel"!
January 27, 2011
Rory Clements (MARTYR) returns to the waning years of Elizabeth I's tumultuous reign in this excellent second installment of his series featuring the intelligencer John Shakespeare, older brother of the famous playwright. With the death of his former master Walsingham, Shakespeare is managing his school for boys and trying, though not very well, to contend with the religious fissures in his marriage caused by his devout Catholic wife, Catherine, who has been targeted by the fanatic persecutor, Topcliffe.
Soon, Shakespeare is drawn into another mission by Robert Cecil, hunchback son of Elizabeth’s aged and trusted Lord Burghley — this time, as a double agent to ferret out the secret machinations of the pampered earl of Essex, who may be intent on hastening the queen’s demise. Shakespeare is also charged with uncovering the whereabouts of a lone survivor of a New World colony whose inhabitants have mysteriously disappeared. Hot on Shakespeare’s elegant heels are the brutal mercenary McGunn and his coterie of henchmen, who appear to exert a deadly hold over their clientele and may be involved in a several brutal murders.
Fans of historical mysteries and thrillers will revel in Mr. Clements’s fascinating, erudite description of an England slowly crumbling under the pressures of Elizabeth I’s long reign — a time when the defeat of the Spanish Armada and fear of another potential invasion created an ambiance of paranoid suspicion that uncannily echoes our own post-9/11 world. His cast of characters is rich and varied, from the maimed, courageous Boltfoot Cooper to tenacious Bess of Hardwick; her naïve charge, Arabella Stuart; and a voluptuously decadent Penelope Rich, the sister of Essex. From the squalor of London's seedy back alleys to the treachery lurking its palatial noble mansions, Clements propels his reluctant yet dedicated hero through enough twists and turns to keep us reading long into the night.
I, for one, cannot wait to see what happens to Mr. Shakespeare next!
Soon, Shakespeare is drawn into another mission by Robert Cecil, hunchback son of Elizabeth’s aged and trusted Lord Burghley — this time, as a double agent to ferret out the secret machinations of the pampered earl of Essex, who may be intent on hastening the queen’s demise. Shakespeare is also charged with uncovering the whereabouts of a lone survivor of a New World colony whose inhabitants have mysteriously disappeared. Hot on Shakespeare’s elegant heels are the brutal mercenary McGunn and his coterie of henchmen, who appear to exert a deadly hold over their clientele and may be involved in a several brutal murders.
Fans of historical mysteries and thrillers will revel in Mr. Clements’s fascinating, erudite description of an England slowly crumbling under the pressures of Elizabeth I’s long reign — a time when the defeat of the Spanish Armada and fear of another potential invasion created an ambiance of paranoid suspicion that uncannily echoes our own post-9/11 world. His cast of characters is rich and varied, from the maimed, courageous Boltfoot Cooper to tenacious Bess of Hardwick; her naïve charge, Arabella Stuart; and a voluptuously decadent Penelope Rich, the sister of Essex. From the squalor of London's seedy back alleys to the treachery lurking its palatial noble mansions, Clements propels his reluctant yet dedicated hero through enough twists and turns to keep us reading long into the night.
I, for one, cannot wait to see what happens to Mr. Shakespeare next!
June 5, 2025
I'm enjoying this series - I'm going straight on to book three.
February 11, 2017
British writer Rory Clements' new novel, "Revenger", the second in his Elizabethan setting, is even better than is first, "Martyr". Clements' central character - John Shakespeare (older brother to you-know-who) - is an "intelligencer" for Sir Francis Walsingham, principal secretary to Elizabeth I. Meaning he investigates and "looks into" problems at court and in the country as a whole. In the first book, Shakespeare helps foil a plot against Sir Francis Drake and becomes involved in the Protestant/Catholic on-going struggle.
In this second in the series, Shakespeare has retired from "intelligencing" after Walsingham's death. He marries a Catholic woman and has a child and begins a school for poor children in London. But in 1595, Shakespeare is "persuaded" to head back into the life of an intelligencer. Put to work by Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex - young boy-toy of the aging Elizabeth - to find an elusive woman in London, who may - or may not - be Eleanor Dare, a possible survivor of the lost Roanoke Colony. Added into the mix is a plot against the life of Elizabeth - in the waning days of her rule - by the Devereux family, as well as the on-going, simmering dispute between Protestants and Catholics. And those are the major plot points; there are quite a few smaller ones. Somehow, though, Clements never gets the plot lines confused in his writing, so the reader doesn't.
Life in Elizabethan England was often, to paraphrase Thomas Hobbes, "short, brutish, and nasty". Plague often swept the cities, and daily life was not easy. Certainly many of the characters in "Revenger" didn't meet particularly happy ends; death by horrific means was depressingly common. Clements doesn't make light of ugly death in his work. It appears as an often justifiable end to many a badly-lived life.
Rory Clements has really developed an interesting set of characters in his series. Brother William makes a couple of appearances in the books, but the main character is John Shakespeare. I'm pleased that there is a third book in the series, already published in England and that I ordered from AmazonUK. Clements is a good writer; seemingly getting better with each book.
In this second in the series, Shakespeare has retired from "intelligencing" after Walsingham's death. He marries a Catholic woman and has a child and begins a school for poor children in London. But in 1595, Shakespeare is "persuaded" to head back into the life of an intelligencer. Put to work by Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex - young boy-toy of the aging Elizabeth - to find an elusive woman in London, who may - or may not - be Eleanor Dare, a possible survivor of the lost Roanoke Colony. Added into the mix is a plot against the life of Elizabeth - in the waning days of her rule - by the Devereux family, as well as the on-going, simmering dispute between Protestants and Catholics. And those are the major plot points; there are quite a few smaller ones. Somehow, though, Clements never gets the plot lines confused in his writing, so the reader doesn't.
Life in Elizabethan England was often, to paraphrase Thomas Hobbes, "short, brutish, and nasty". Plague often swept the cities, and daily life was not easy. Certainly many of the characters in "Revenger" didn't meet particularly happy ends; death by horrific means was depressingly common. Clements doesn't make light of ugly death in his work. It appears as an often justifiable end to many a badly-lived life.
Rory Clements has really developed an interesting set of characters in his series. Brother William makes a couple of appearances in the books, but the main character is John Shakespeare. I'm pleased that there is a third book in the series, already published in England and that I ordered from AmazonUK. Clements is a good writer; seemingly getting better with each book.
April 11, 2020
I have nothing against the John Shakespeare series, in fact, they're generally really very good. Rory Clements is a decent author of historical fiction; not quite up there with the likes of Bernard Cornwell, but good, nonetheless.
Revenger is an interesting tale. It weaves together the rise of the Earl of Essex with the disaster of the Roanoke Colony, and charts a path of alternative history that is shoe-horned to fit in to reality with some convenient silence on the part of some protagonists, and under the guise of a war of secrets against the King of Spain. Now, the plot here contains a number of threads, and they ravel and unravel at differing speeds throughout the course of the novel. There are twists and turns that aren't so much hard to keep up with as they are complex to explain, and it can leave the reader befuddled as to who certain people are. Everyone has a back story, some of the motives don't make sense, and the convenient way in which some of England's legendary characters are woven in to the tale make it hard to take even with a pinch of salt.
The atmosphere is solid, and the capturing of England at the time appears to be solidly researched and well wrought. There is a fascination with plague that rings scarily true as I write this, in the midst of a global pandemic, and it made me shudder to think that the world has been through this many times before. We have never been more prepared than we are now, but at the same time, the same challenges are proving to be our undoing.
I would recommend the author, for the Shakespeare series, and for his other, World War Two themed fiction. These are good, they are summer reads, and they sit firmly in the range of a three or a four. I started with a four, but thought again when completing this review.
Revenger is an interesting tale. It weaves together the rise of the Earl of Essex with the disaster of the Roanoke Colony, and charts a path of alternative history that is shoe-horned to fit in to reality with some convenient silence on the part of some protagonists, and under the guise of a war of secrets against the King of Spain. Now, the plot here contains a number of threads, and they ravel and unravel at differing speeds throughout the course of the novel. There are twists and turns that aren't so much hard to keep up with as they are complex to explain, and it can leave the reader befuddled as to who certain people are. Everyone has a back story, some of the motives don't make sense, and the convenient way in which some of England's legendary characters are woven in to the tale make it hard to take even with a pinch of salt.
The atmosphere is solid, and the capturing of England at the time appears to be solidly researched and well wrought. There is a fascination with plague that rings scarily true as I write this, in the midst of a global pandemic, and it made me shudder to think that the world has been through this many times before. We have never been more prepared than we are now, but at the same time, the same challenges are proving to be our undoing.
I would recommend the author, for the Shakespeare series, and for his other, World War Two themed fiction. These are good, they are summer reads, and they sit firmly in the range of a three or a four. I started with a four, but thought again when completing this review.
September 14, 2023
Probably as good as the first book which I thoroughly enjoyed . The reason it's a 3 is because it does nothing better than the first one which I gave four . So why is it a four ? Rory is a solid historical writer but he is not outstanding and if I'd known how to judge good read books the first one might have been a 3 too .
It's solid enough for me to want to read the next book so it's really a 3.5 book.
It's solid enough for me to want to read the next book so it's really a 3.5 book.
April 10, 2018
Great historical novel
An interesting historical novel which touches on the lost colony of Roanoake. The plot is solid and the characterization is very good. However, the best aspect of Clements' books are the descriptions and feel you get for the period that the novel is set in.
An interesting historical novel which touches on the lost colony of Roanoake. The plot is solid and the characterization is very good. However, the best aspect of Clements' books are the descriptions and feel you get for the period that the novel is set in.
June 28, 2021
Il libro è scorrevole, la trama ben strutturata e il contesto storico è preciso e raccontato in modo fedele.
Tuttavia alterna momenti vivaci, ad altri più soporiferi.
Nel complesso mi è piaciuto, più per il lato storico rispetto alla vicenda di spionaggio.
Tuttavia alterna momenti vivaci, ad altri più soporiferi.
Nel complesso mi è piaciuto, più per il lato storico rispetto alla vicenda di spionaggio.
October 12, 2011
This is a tale of altered history, using John Shakespeare, the brother of William, as the sleuth. William even makes a brief appearance and plays a role. The first in this series was “Martyr” and introduced Shakespeare as an “intelligencer” for Her Majesty, the Queen of England, Elizabeth I.
As the second book opens, John has retired from a palace and political intrigue to serve as headmaster of the Margaret Woode School for Poor Boys. His first main problem is an instructor who is too harsh with the students, but whom he is stuck with. The instructor was foisted upon him by the Protestant Bishop as an agent to keep track that no Roman Catholic leanings creep into the curriculum. His second worry is the Roman Catholic faith of his beloved wife, Catherine. She refuses to keep it hidden, a dangerous position in England at this time. John worries for his wife and his young daughter.
Queen Elizabeth, to whom John is loyal, has enemies. England has defeated the Spanish Armada, but Spain is regrouping and King Philip remains a threat. There may also be a plot to arrange a marriage between Lady Arabella Stuart, generally acknowledged to be next in line to the English throne, to Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex. This would be a powerful alliance and could topple the queen.
Some rough characters convince John to get back into the intrigue game, some working for Sir Robert Cecil, some for Essex. John isn’t quite sure who is on the side of the queen and who is against her. When John’s wife quits speaking to him after she narrowly misses a trip to the Tower with the Catholic priest she follows, his troubles are compounded. Somehow, his family is entangled in a plot to overthrow his monarch and he must use his wits to keep this from happening.
The book is quite long for a mystery, but there’s excitement and conspiracy on almost every page to keep the reader’s interest.
Reviewed by Kaye George, Author of “Choke”, for Suspense Magazine
As the second book opens, John has retired from a palace and political intrigue to serve as headmaster of the Margaret Woode School for Poor Boys. His first main problem is an instructor who is too harsh with the students, but whom he is stuck with. The instructor was foisted upon him by the Protestant Bishop as an agent to keep track that no Roman Catholic leanings creep into the curriculum. His second worry is the Roman Catholic faith of his beloved wife, Catherine. She refuses to keep it hidden, a dangerous position in England at this time. John worries for his wife and his young daughter.
Queen Elizabeth, to whom John is loyal, has enemies. England has defeated the Spanish Armada, but Spain is regrouping and King Philip remains a threat. There may also be a plot to arrange a marriage between Lady Arabella Stuart, generally acknowledged to be next in line to the English throne, to Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex. This would be a powerful alliance and could topple the queen.
Some rough characters convince John to get back into the intrigue game, some working for Sir Robert Cecil, some for Essex. John isn’t quite sure who is on the side of the queen and who is against her. When John’s wife quits speaking to him after she narrowly misses a trip to the Tower with the Catholic priest she follows, his troubles are compounded. Somehow, his family is entangled in a plot to overthrow his monarch and he must use his wits to keep this from happening.
The book is quite long for a mystery, but there’s excitement and conspiracy on almost every page to keep the reader’s interest.
Reviewed by Kaye George, Author of “Choke”, for Suspense Magazine
March 8, 2014
The year is 1592; four years since the Spanish Armada and five years since the last time we met John Shakespeare. I had read and enjoyed the first book so decided that I would try his second adventure.
How can the death of 2 young lovers be linked to a plot by the Earl of Essex to take over the English throne when the ageing Queen Elizabeth I finally dies, the mystery of a colony in the new world and the hunt for an elusive woman all be linked?
Also thrown into the story is a falling out between Shakespeare and his wife Catherine over her desire to practice Catholicism. This murder, mystery, marital disharmony and double crossing make this an excellent second novel.
The dark, dank atmosphere of 16th century London on the brink of a plague epidemic is fantastically recreated. The horrors of the period are also exposed through the (somewhat gruesome) torture techniques that would be handed out should you cross the wrong person. The book has obviously been expertly researched and the author's love of the period shines through.
This a smashing Elizabethan murder mystery/thriller which had me gripped from start to finish - superb!
How can the death of 2 young lovers be linked to a plot by the Earl of Essex to take over the English throne when the ageing Queen Elizabeth I finally dies, the mystery of a colony in the new world and the hunt for an elusive woman all be linked?
Also thrown into the story is a falling out between Shakespeare and his wife Catherine over her desire to practice Catholicism. This murder, mystery, marital disharmony and double crossing make this an excellent second novel.
The dark, dank atmosphere of 16th century London on the brink of a plague epidemic is fantastically recreated. The horrors of the period are also exposed through the (somewhat gruesome) torture techniques that would be handed out should you cross the wrong person. The book has obviously been expertly researched and the author's love of the period shines through.
This a smashing Elizabethan murder mystery/thriller which had me gripped from start to finish - superb!
April 14, 2015
This book - the second in the John Shakespeare series - much surpasses the first one!
Given the time in which the series is set, it being a murder-mystery, and the relationships and views of the characters it was impossible not to draw comparisons to C.J. Sansom's Shardlake series - and the first book undoubtedly fell short. However, this second instalment is far more sophisticated in its style, characterisation, plot.. everything.
I felt the series coming into its own (I'm not always comparing it to Shardlake) and was completely captivated by it. The third instalment of the series has affirmed this further and doesn't disappoint - I've just started it and love it even more!
I definitely recommend.
Given the time in which the series is set, it being a murder-mystery, and the relationships and views of the characters it was impossible not to draw comparisons to C.J. Sansom's Shardlake series - and the first book undoubtedly fell short. However, this second instalment is far more sophisticated in its style, characterisation, plot.. everything.
I felt the series coming into its own (I'm not always comparing it to Shardlake) and was completely captivated by it. The third instalment of the series has affirmed this further and doesn't disappoint - I've just started it and love it even more!
I definitely recommend.
July 20, 2021
John Shakespeare has developed a bit of a back bone compared to the first novel. He is still too ridiculous over his wife, Catherine being her name, and her Catholicism considering it was a time when one really was not encouraged to broadcast one's religious leanings.
My continuing criticism of this series and the reason I do not think I can bear to read further novels is the constant and altogether disturbing references to the torture, death and describing of the killing of animals or their suffering. In the first twelve pages there were already too many.
I am sorry for this as I was looking for a new and excellent series of historical novels to get into but this one has upset me too much.
At least the great mystery of the Roanoke settlers has been solved!
My continuing criticism of this series and the reason I do not think I can bear to read further novels is the constant and altogether disturbing references to the torture, death and describing of the killing of animals or their suffering. In the first twelve pages there were already too many.
I am sorry for this as I was looking for a new and excellent series of historical novels to get into but this one has upset me too much.
At least the great mystery of the Roanoke settlers has been solved!
September 25, 2012
The main character is a fictitious older brother to William Shakespeare - a conceit popular in writing lately that I don't agree with. However. Not quite as good as the first but still very interesting. The elder Shakespeare is a spy and a loyal supporter of Queen Elizabeth I. His wife is Catholic and headstrong in her faith. Two close advisors to the Queen are scheming and both have pulled Shakespeare into their conflicting plans.
September 12, 2012
Second in the series and apart from the despicable baddie folding like a cheap deck chair right at the end, it is a good read. Plenty of atmosphere for the Elizabethan period and a cast of characters who appeal enough to make you want to root for the good guys and seethe about the bad ones. I'd happily read the 3rd if there is one.
May 13, 2017
Good period stuff
It's not Sansom, lacks both the drive and the subtleties, but it is a good tale, mostly historically accurate, and we'll told.
If you have run out of Sansom and Mantell this is a good stopgap.
It's not Sansom, lacks both the drive and the subtleties, but it is a good tale, mostly historically accurate, and we'll told.
If you have run out of Sansom and Mantell this is a good stopgap.
April 20, 2012
I enjoyed the first but loved this one. Felt more rounded and developed and can't wait to read the next one
September 2, 2018
Not well written. The dialog is often flat, motivations and actions of characters swing wildly without explanation (i.e., Boltfoot tortures than tries valiantly to protect girl---without clear reason why the dramatic shift), interrogations of suspects by main character are abrupt and not believable nor are the responses he gets, and dubious plot devices, where he is protected at every turn when he is about to die by phantom bowman who couldn't possibly have followed him into these situations, and certainly not without obvious detection. Also, the connection to Wm Shakespeare is a cheep ploy to spike the plot.
1592. England and Spain are at war, yet there is peril at home, too. The death of her trusted spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham has left Queen Elizabeth vulnerable. Conspiracies multiply. The quiet life of John Shakespeare is shattered by a summons from Robert Cecil, the cold but deadly young statesman who dominated the last years of the Queen's long reign, insisting Shakespeare re-enter government service. His mission: to find vital papers, now in the possession of the Earl of Essex. Essex is the brightest star in the firmament, a man of ambition. He woos the Queen, thirty-three years his senior, as if she were a girl his age. She is flattered by him -- despite her loathing for his mother, the beautiful, dangerous Lettice Knollys who presides over her own glittering court -- a dazzling array of the mad, bad, dangerous and disaffected. When John Shakespeare infiltrates this dissolute world he discovers not only that the Queen herself is in danger -- but that he and his family is also a target. With only his loyal footsoldier Boltfoot Cooper at his side, Shakespeare must face implacable forces who believe themselves above the law: men and women who kill without compunction. And in a world of shifting allegiances, just how far he can trust Robert Cecil, his devious new master?
1592. England and Spain are at war, yet there is peril at home, too. The death of her trusted spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham has left Queen Elizabeth vulnerable. Conspiracies multiply. The quiet life of John Shakespeare is shattered by a summons from Robert Cecil, the cold but deadly young statesman who dominated the last years of the Queen's long reign, insisting Shakespeare re-enter government service. His mission: to find vital papers, now in the possession of the Earl of Essex. Essex is the brightest star in the firmament, a man of ambition. He woos the Queen, thirty-three years his senior, as if she were a girl his age. She is flattered by him -- despite her loathing for his mother, the beautiful, dangerous Lettice Knollys who presides over her own glittering court -- a dazzling array of the mad, bad, dangerous and disaffected. When John Shakespeare infiltrates this dissolute world he discovers not only that the Queen herself is in danger -- but that he and his family is also a target. With only his loyal footsoldier Boltfoot Cooper at his side, Shakespeare must face implacable forces who believe themselves above the law: men and women who kill without compunction. And in a world of shifting allegiances, just how far he can trust Robert Cecil, his devious new master?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2019
John Shakespeare is back, and I’m so happy! Five years after he decides that he wants a quiet life, and hangs up his boots as intelligencer for the crown, instead running a school for poor boys, and married to a catholic woman, he is called back to action. Firstly, by Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, in the hunt for a woman, who may or may not be Eleanor Dare, one of the members of a colony set up in the new world, who mysteriously vanished without any trace. There has been sightings in London, supposedly of Eleanor, and Essex wants John Shakespeare to get to the bottom of it. However, unbeknown to Essex, Robert Cecil also enlists Shakespeare, as a double agent. Cecil knows that Essex is plotting treasonous crimes, he just needs proof. So if Shakespeare can gain the trust of Robert Devereux, and his family, Cecil is certain that the plots will become apparent. As a subplot, we are introduced to an Irish man, Charlie McGunn, associate of Essex. The title of this book is actually taken in honour of McGunn, as the majority of the plots are all linked in with him, trying to extract his revenge on Sir Walter Raleigh, for an act of despicable violence committed by Raleigh and his men whilst privateering in and around Ireland.
The plots and sub plots of this novel are all woven together so seamlessly, that despite the fact they are quite complicated, it’s really easy to keep abreast of what’s going on, and how they’re all linked together. There are some really brutal acts of violence within the story, often resulting in the characters coming to grisly deaths, but it feels so authentic of the time. I really enjoyed reading this, and although it’s 2.05am, I’m about to make a start on book three in the series.
The plots and sub plots of this novel are all woven together so seamlessly, that despite the fact they are quite complicated, it’s really easy to keep abreast of what’s going on, and how they’re all linked together. There are some really brutal acts of violence within the story, often resulting in the characters coming to grisly deaths, but it feels so authentic of the time. I really enjoyed reading this, and although it’s 2.05am, I’m about to make a start on book three in the series.
April 19, 2019
“Revenger” is the second book in a series of historical mysteries by Rory Clements. It is the first book of the series I have read , but I intend to get the first book and then read my way through the rest. I recommend the same to all.
“ Revenger” is set in the late sixteenth century, when men plot the succession to the Virgin Queen, John Shakespeare, brother to THE Shakespeare, is a family man, schoolmaster and former “ intelligencer” or secret agent. Lord Cecil of Queen Elizabeth First’s Privy Council Calls him back to duty to delve into a conspiracy to put the Earl of Essex on the throne as king. The novel ranges from the manor houses of the rich to the hovels of the poor, from London to The Lost Colony of Roanoke, from the persecution of Catholics to the search for the titled men behind the succession plot .
Mr. Clements has an easy to read writing style so that one never loses the threads of the conspiracy, nor does one lose interest despite the length of the novel. His characters are strong. John Shakespeare's wife is a Catholic who does not hide her religious affiliation, which is dangerous, and he is worried about her safety. Stalking his family is an odious prosecutor named Topcliffe, who enjoys torturing Catholics. Other villains include The Earl of Essex, a vain and ambitious man, has associate, a burly Irishman named McGunn enjoys killing people and is suspicious of John; McGunn’s henchman with the Dickensian name of Slygubb who likes to use shears to clip fingers— and other things. Characters like these, sprinkled among actual historical figures, E.g. Francis Bacon, Raleigh
and other names familiar to watchers of Masterpiece theater drama illuminate the drama of high stakes danger. An added complication is a plot plot to find and kill is a survivor of Roanoke Colony. Why Shakespeare, wonders: If she is alive, what does she know about the colony’ s demise?
All of it. plot , characters, settings are extremely well handled, with the result that the reader has in his or her hands a very entertaining and rewarding h historical mystery. The book includes historical notes of the real characters and the plot, and a dictionary of Elizabethan usage, in case you read a print version ( the Kindle version links those odd words to a neat dictionary- super!)
Highly recommended .
“ Revenger” is set in the late sixteenth century, when men plot the succession to the Virgin Queen, John Shakespeare, brother to THE Shakespeare, is a family man, schoolmaster and former “ intelligencer” or secret agent. Lord Cecil of Queen Elizabeth First’s Privy Council Calls him back to duty to delve into a conspiracy to put the Earl of Essex on the throne as king. The novel ranges from the manor houses of the rich to the hovels of the poor, from London to The Lost Colony of Roanoke, from the persecution of Catholics to the search for the titled men behind the succession plot .
Mr. Clements has an easy to read writing style so that one never loses the threads of the conspiracy, nor does one lose interest despite the length of the novel. His characters are strong. John Shakespeare's wife is a Catholic who does not hide her religious affiliation, which is dangerous, and he is worried about her safety. Stalking his family is an odious prosecutor named Topcliffe, who enjoys torturing Catholics. Other villains include The Earl of Essex, a vain and ambitious man, has associate, a burly Irishman named McGunn enjoys killing people and is suspicious of John; McGunn’s henchman with the Dickensian name of Slygubb who likes to use shears to clip fingers— and other things. Characters like these, sprinkled among actual historical figures, E.g. Francis Bacon, Raleigh
and other names familiar to watchers of Masterpiece theater drama illuminate the drama of high stakes danger. An added complication is a plot plot to find and kill is a survivor of Roanoke Colony. Why Shakespeare, wonders: If she is alive, what does she know about the colony’ s demise?
All of it. plot , characters, settings are extremely well handled, with the result that the reader has in his or her hands a very entertaining and rewarding h historical mystery. The book includes historical notes of the real characters and the plot, and a dictionary of Elizabethan usage, in case you read a print version ( the Kindle version links those odd words to a neat dictionary- super!)
Highly recommended .
October 9, 2020
I loved the first book in the series and I started off not being so keen on this one. The longer I read though the more into it I became and I think it's just as good as the first one. I do think that it is a bit funny that the successful novels in this genre have a man at the centre who has modern views on women. I think it has to be that way though because if not the characters would be unlikeable by today's standards, and you have to have a likeable character to centre a series on. I was a bit bothered by the use of the sexual agression in this novel although I know it was of its time. Also the language when talking about Catholic women 'popish whore' was at times uncomfortable but again, I know that's how it was. All in all it was good and I will read on with the series.
July 14, 2018
A fine second book in this series - almost but not quite as good as the Shardlake series, but with a bit more action and violence. I was surprised that we had moved on five years from the previous book, Walsingham is dead, his role now in the hands of Robert Cecil. Once again we are in the world of political expediency, this time John Shakespeare is enmeshed in the “Essex” attempted coup, as well as remaining mired in the Protestant / Catholic struggle. John has become a schoolmaster, but not for long, as Clements takes us at a clattering pace through murders, plague, missing women and the misdeeds of the mighty. I thoroughly recommend this book.
May 30, 2019
While I enjoyed Martyr, Clements' first book in the John Shakespeare series, I have to say that this book was even better.
Clements paces his mysteries slowly at the front, simply because there are so many details to help the reader that he must include that he can't race through them. Be patient, enjoy the immersion in his world. It's important to understand not just what but why things are the way they are. Armed with that knowledge, you'll be swept up in the story that gets faster and faster.
Again, highly recommended, especially if you are fascinated in the late reign of Elizabeth the First, and courtiers such as the Earl of Essex and Sir Walter Raleigh.
Clements paces his mysteries slowly at the front, simply because there are so many details to help the reader that he must include that he can't race through them. Be patient, enjoy the immersion in his world. It's important to understand not just what but why things are the way they are. Armed with that knowledge, you'll be swept up in the story that gets faster and faster.
Again, highly recommended, especially if you are fascinated in the late reign of Elizabeth the First, and courtiers such as the Earl of Essex and Sir Walter Raleigh.
October 2, 2020
Second instalment of the John Shakespeare novels from Rory Clements. A fairly complex set-up propels Shakespeare and his associates into action on behalf of Elizabeth I, although almost everyone in the book seems to be acting for, or on behalf of the queen in some way! Clements knows how to tell a good story, and there's plenty of action and what seems like authentic dialogue. In this story, the more famous brother, Will has a more central role, although he was portrayed as quite naïve for someone who must have been relatively used to hanging out with the rich and powerful of the day.
Recommended and am looking forward to the next John Shakespeare adventure.
© Koplowitz, 2020
Recommended and am looking forward to the next John Shakespeare adventure.
© Koplowitz, 2020
December 22, 2021
I'm always excited for a historical fiction/non fiction book and that can be applied to my feelings towards this read. To begin with, I was a bit apprehensive but as I slowly got into the rhythm of it, I began to enjoy it more and more.
It is very well written and I was intrigued to find out more and more, I did quite a bit of googling whilst reading it (and that is a very good sign).
As I was reading, I became aware that this was in fact the second volume of three, the first one I didn't obviously read having not known about it. Personally, although I did get into the book, I don't think I'll read the first or last book but that does not change the fact that I did, essentially, enjoy it.
It is very well written and I was intrigued to find out more and more, I did quite a bit of googling whilst reading it (and that is a very good sign).
As I was reading, I became aware that this was in fact the second volume of three, the first one I didn't obviously read having not known about it. Personally, although I did get into the book, I don't think I'll read the first or last book but that does not change the fact that I did, essentially, enjoy it.
January 9, 2022
Absolutely loved it....the first in the series, Martyr,was very good but this second in the series is even better....the author really makes you feel like you are right there....the smells,the sounds,the sights.The wonderful descriptive settings remind me very much of Bernard Knight who is also a brilliant historical fiction author.A fascinating but scary time to live in.The actual story is really very interesting with some well crafted characters.i am so looking forward to reading the others in the series now which are currently sat on my shelf....more please Mr.Clements!
April 27, 2019
Really enjoyed book 1 in the John Shakespeare series so eager to get to this one. Set in Elizabethan England we follow John Shakespeare an intelligencer working for Robert Cecil. The Queen is ageing but will not name a successor. Catholics are regarded as 'the dirt under peoples feet' and persecuted at every opportunity
I really enjoyed my time with this character and would wholly recommend this series.
I really enjoyed my time with this character and would wholly recommend this series.
December 7, 2022
There are things in this book I liked. I didn't get more than 30 pages into it before there were a couple of fairly explicit sex scenes and a scene of torture. Neither of those things, when portrayed with any detail appeal to me. I've never been into the "fly on the wall" thing. I'm fine with reading that those things are happening in a story. I just don't need them described. My imagination can do the rest if it needs to.
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