The Malevolent Comedy

Nicholas Bracewell #15

by Edward Marston

The theaters of Elizabethan England can be a very dangerous environment. With dozens of troupes competing for the attentions of a fickle theater-going public, rival companies regularly resort to nefarious activities to thwart a competitor's success, tensions occasionally erupt into violence and, in some instances, the result is murder.

So it is no surprise that Westfield's Men, the most successful troupe in London and a prime target for jealousy and resentment, are plagued by a series of practical jokes. But when one of their actors is murdered, the humor turns distinctly sour. Appalling events continue: Lawrence Firethorn, actor-manager, is stalked by a mysterious lady; the sole copy of The Malevolent Comedy, the company's new play, is stolen; their leading apprentice is abducted; and there is an attempt on the life of Lord Westfield, their patron.

It's soon clear that someone more vicious than a practical jokester is trying to destroy the troupe. Nicholas Bracewell, the resourceful book holder, has an almighty struggle to save his beloved company from certain demise. Of course thwarting disaster is Nick's specialty, and Edward Marston's longtime readers will thoroughly enjoy this suspense-filled, raucous romp filled with the delightful backstage antics of mystery fiction's favorite ensemble cast.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Fiction, Tudor Period, British Literature, Crime

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

A pseudonym used by Keith Miles
AKA A.E. Marston

Keith Miles (born 1940) is an English author, who writes under his own name and also historical fiction and mystery novels under the pseudonym Edward Marston. He is known for his mysteries set in the world of Elizabethan theatre. He has also written a series of novels based on events in the Domesday Book, a series of The Railway Detective and a series of The Home Front Detective.


Series contributed to:
. Malice Domestic
. Crime Through Time
. Perfectly Criminal

Reviews

[Karen Barber · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Malevolent Comedy is the name of a wonderful play brought to the attention of the Westfield’s Men. The playwright, Saul Hibbert, annoys virtually everyone he comes into contact with though his play is a hit.
Unfortunately, every time it is performed something awful occurs. This leads the actors to feel increasingly reluctant to perform it…and suggests someone has ulterior motives for trying to stop the play being seen.
Apparently every book in the series features the book keeper of the theatre company being placed in a terrible situation. Though it might seem repetitive in style and content, as a one-off read it was a pleasant enough diversion.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

We are in greater London in the Elizabethan era and the theatre troop of Westfield's Men has been experiencing a downturn. A new play written by a new comer to the London theatre scene raises their hopes for a comeback, but someone does not want the show to succeed and resorts to the extremes of poisoning and kidnapping in order to stop it. Nick Bracewell, the book holder for the troop, is determined to ferret out, not only the culprit, but the reason for the extreme animosity towards the play. An entertaining read.

[Helene Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review - I am getting a bit fed up with Nicholas Bracewell being beaten up and Richard Honeydew being kidnapped or bullied. However, this has been one of the better ones of the series regardless, as, for once, we see Lawrence Firethorn struggle. What really appeals to me about this series, and this one in particular, is how easy they are to read - they keep you engaged right until the last page, even if you're not interested in historical fiction, because they are funny and mysterious as well, and even though it is set over 400 years ago you can still relate to the characters.

Genre? - Historical / Crime / Mystery

Characters? - Nicholas Bracewell / Lawrence Firethorn / Edmund Hoode / Saul Hibbert / Barnaby Gill / Richard Honeydew / Owen Elias / Leonard / Anne Hendrik / Margery Firethorn

Setting? - London (England)

Series? - Nicholas Bracewell #15

Recommend? – Yes

Rating - 18/20

[Anne Tanner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read! I wanted to know who was the villain, so it was interesting enough to read to the end. But I’ve just read a previous book of Mr Marston’s and this was almost it’s double. My fault for reading 2 in quick succession.

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 2005, 'The Malevolent Comedy' is the 15th tale in a series of Elizabethan mysteries set amongst a London-based acting troupe. In this instalment, the troupe enlists a new playwright, a man blessed with no interpersonal skills whatsoever. And then, some 'incidents' occur... As usual, a simple and often predictable plot is counterbalanced by some terrific eccentric characters. Fun.

[Meinwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bit different. Enjoyed.

[Annette O'grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

another very good read

[Matthew Harwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entertaining piece of historical crime fiction with a dramatic background. This is a unique setting with likeable characters and exciting twists and turns making it an easy and enjoyable read.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this newest Marston mystery, Westfield’s Men seem to be drawing smaller audiences and they are looking for a new play that might boost their fortunes. Edmund Hoode, their playwright, has temporarily lost his creative spark when a stranger, Saul Hibbert, appears with a new play to sell to the troupe. ‘The Malevolent Comedy’ is a hit with audiences but every time it is performed, some catastrophe happens during the performance or to a member of the cast. It is soon apparent that Hibbert has a giant ego which has to be constantly fed and he becomes very unpopular with the rest of the troupe. Things go from bad to worse to worst until Nicholas is able to discover who has been causing all the trouble and why, and that Hibbert is not who he claims to be.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

New author brings ‘Malevolent Comedy’ to Westfield’s Men. A boy is poisoned, dogs run wild on the stage, the book is stolen. Possibly the best book in this fine series.

[Sylvia S]

Enjoyed it. This was my first read by Edward Marston, and I will be reading him again. Would recommend.

[Luk · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was only after I picked this book up, that I noticed it was the fifteenth installment in a long running series. Had I known beforehand, I probably wouldn't have bothered. Anyway the title and the cover spoke to me and thought it was interesting.

Unfortunately, it was a huge disappointment. The plot is very thin, in Belgium we've got a kids show called Samson & Gert. And it really feels like something (barring a few non child friendly events) that they might have thought up. The cast is filled with personalities which only represent a certain stereotype. You're either good or bad. Anything in between does not seem to exist in this sixteenth century drama.

It was a thin book and a light read, so I decided to stick to it until the end. But the plot did not so much surprise, it just happened. Perhaps I wasn't invested enough in the story. Perhaps the fourteen books that preceded this one, alleviates some of my issues with it.

In the end I don't think I'll be picking up other books in this series.