Dark Entry

Kit Marlowe #1

by M.J. Trow

First in the thrilling new Kit Marlowe historical mystery series - Cambridge, 1583. About to graduate from Corpus Christi, the young Christopher Marlowe spends his days studying and his nights carousing with old friends. But when one of them is discovered lying dead in his King’s College room, mouth open in a silent scream, Marlowe refuses to accept the official verdict of suicide. Calling on the help of his mentor, Sir Roger Manwood, Justice of the Peace, and the queen’s magus, Dr John Dee, a poison expert, Marlowe sets out to prove that his friend was murdered.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical, Historical Mystery, British Literature, 16th Century, Crime

352 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2011

About the author

Meirion James Trow is a full-time teacher of history who has been doubling as a crime writer for seventeen years. Originally from Ferndale, Rhondda in South Wales he now lives on the Isle of Wight. His interests include collecting militaria, film, the supernatural and true crime.

Reviews

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

M. J. Trow is not a “one-trick pony.” Where his marvelous “Lestrade” series is set in the era of the fictitious Sherlock Holmes (but also of various historical figures who make “cameo” appearances in the adventures of the author’s smarter version of the “great detective’s” foil), the Christopher Marlowe (or “Kit” Marlowe, as many were wont to call him) adventures take place in the first Elizabethan Era (assuming one could call the present era by the name of the current reigning monarch). Where the Lestrade adventures have a nature that is fully tongue-in-cheek with its malapropisms and dreadful puns, the Marlowe adventures are, judging from my only encounter in Dark Entry, of a much more sedate and respectful style. While the latter has memorable moments, it rarely offers the chuckle-out-loud reaction of the former.
Both styles are terrific and, as any good author would be expected to do, Trow allows his subject matter to dictate the style. Since Lestrade is often lampooned in the Holmes canon, the humor in those novels is often at his expense in spite of his competence as a detective. Conversely, since Marlowe is a would-be scholar at Corpus Christi (one of the colleges at Cambridge University) and many of the characters are churchmen, the style is more elevated.

I must admit that I rather like Kit Marlowe as a protagonist. Though the era overlaps that of Shakespeare, the style of these Elizabethan mysteries is significantly different than the raucous comments and events of Simon Hawke’s Shakespearean mysteries. Marlowe is neither self-conscious nor careful. There is a reckless “derring-do” quality about the character that one would expect of a poet/playwright who dies in a tavern brawl. Dark Entry offers a consistent characterization with what the character was to become, presenting both his hunger to write, his well-documented charisma, and his risk-taking nature which led him to adopt a nom de guerre as “Machiavel,” a clear reference to the master of Italian subterfuge, politics, and diplomacy.

While our “Machiavel” struggles with his identity crisis, he gropes with the connection between a poisoned colleague, a drowned former nun, an attempted poisoning, and a subsequent poisoning. Compounding Marlowe’s frustration is a coroner who continues to place verdicts of accidental death and suicide in front of the jury and the future playwright’s awareness that none of these premature deaths fit the coroner’s self-serving instructions at the inquest. Thwarting the investigation is a group of provosts and professors whose devotion to the letter of the law forces “Kit” to riskier and riskier behavior.

Dark Entry paints a vivid picture of the tension and violence between “Town and Gown” within Cambridgeshire, the mysterious tolerance for the Queen’s Magus (John Dee) and his boundary-pushing both in terms of perceived magical manipulation and unethical scientific investigation, the powder’s keg of potential violence brought by the populace toward a troupe of players (both allegedly in God’s name and actually in terms of protecting one’s financial interests), and the avarice in the church at the time. Indeed, the murders of all the victims do tie together in something so significantly unnecessary that it seems like the murderer couldn’t hold herself/himself back from the deeds any more than the congenital liar can spout unadorned truth.

The mystery surrounds a graduate fellow poisoned in his chambers while the rationale for his death appears to be hidden in a journal where several languages appear. One reference appears to refer to the Dark Entry and one quickly realizes that the answer to the murders is to be found in the eponymous passageway. Along the way to the solution, Trow introduces a few mysteries that cannot be solved. What happened in the graveyard? Is Master John Dee a charlatan or a master of esoteric knowledge? The answers (and non-answers) to some of these questions makes for inspired reading.

[Shomeret · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a fun read with a few lines of great dialogue here and there, and I always love to read books in which Marlowe is the protagonist. I find him irresistible.

This had nothing to do with the murder case, but it was the Puritan activity that astonished me. There was a Puritan whipping students for roistering and later a group of Puritans caused a rather uncivil disturbance. I hadn't been aware that the Puritans were as prominent as that during the reign of Elizabeth I.

I'm definitely going to read the rest of this series.

[Lexie Conyngham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book - Kit Marlowe makes an excellent hero and the historical detail and interweaving of real characters is cleverly done. A sensible mystery, with humour and sensitivity.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh dear, where to begin? It's a Kit Marlowe Murder Mystery which could easily be called, Law & Order: Elizabethan Edition.

Best reading weather: Blustery and rainy

Best reading music: "Fun & Games" and "Jousting" by Trevor Morris

Best food to accompany: Dark beer & smokehouse almonds

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty entertaining! I love Marlowe, so I'm biased toward anything that involves him, but this was truly a fun little read. The mystery kept me guessing, the atmosphere was good, and the characters are fun.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I checked this out of the library three times before I finally managed to read it. Busy days, and so forth. I wasn't sure it would be to my taste, but I liked it. In this first book in Trow's mystery series, Christopher Marlowe is on the verge of graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cambridge University. He went sneaking "off campus" with his friends to celebrate their mutual graduations, but one didn't show. In fact, no one has seen him in a few days. And when Kit goes looking for him, he finds his friend dead in his rooms. Suspiciously dead. Possibly murdered. But the official inquiry into the death proclaims him a suicide, which sticks in Kit's craw. So he asks his mentor for help. The story wraps around life in Cambridge, what it was like in the university and in the town. Kit's friends are flogged, bad enough to scar, for sneaking into town. There's a riot at the opening of a play performed by traveling players started by a group of scholars with a puritanical bent trying to shut the play down, that results in the town magistrate hauling out an ancient cannon and setting the stage and most everything else on fire. The mystery was likewise fascinating and
tied to events of the time, or the upheavals before Elizabeth's rise to the throne. I liked it. It's a good read.

[wally · Rating 3 out of 5]

finished 25th july 2025 good read three stars i liked it no less no more kindle library loaner first from trow m.j. entertaining read set in or around 1583? if i have that right. but for the most characters speak present day english. which does not distract from the story. but there are certain customs and rituals that are definitely not 20th century. someone has been murdering others and the story moves around that, discovering who, why, how. good read. first in a series if the title is any indication. will look for #2

[RollingPenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Irritably vague in places, frustratingly over-specific in others, too much passing “historical detail” without any context, no likable characters, uninteresting and poorly executed mystery. I know when I witness a murder, I always confront the murderer then wait days to tell anyone else, but make cryptic references about it in my journal. Written backward. With the letters mixed up. Always. Doesn’t everyone?

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A happy treat when I borrow a book which was a 'stab in the dark' selection and it turns out to be well worth reading. I will be seeking out others by the author. Kit Marlow is an interesting main character and the setting seems well researched. It was quite evocative and even visceral in many of the locations and events. So - some history lessons as well as a murder mystery and quite a bit of intrigue. Much to recommend it!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

1583 Cambridge. Christopher Marlowe is concerned when his friend Ralph Whitingside has not been seen for several days, especially as they are about to graduate. He is found dead in his chambers and Kit investigates because he believes he was murdered. But when another body is discovered what could be the possible motive or is there any connection.
An entertaining well-written historical mystery with various likeable characters. A good start to the series.

[R · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this because of Upstart Crow and Shakespeare in Love and I couldn’t think of Kit as anyone except for Rupert Everett. And I’m not sure if I missed vital bits but I had no fckng idea what was going on but it was pretty good and a bit funny.

I got a two-in-one so I’m reading the second - if this gets good...

[Duane · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is competently written, but never really immerses the reader in the historical setting; most importantly, I would love to read an interesting book about Christopher Marlowe--but not see him solving who-dunits. There are a few moments of really good story and characterization here, so if I see something else by this author with a less silly premise, I may well check it out.

[Annette Gisby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quirky tale with Kit Marlowe as an amateur sleuth while a student at Cambridge. Good sense of humour. Kit mentions to a theatre company that he isn't a playwright, he's a poet. And I think MJ Trow has some poetic prose of his own here. Lovely turn of phrase.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick and entertaining. Not especially well-written.

[Carolyn Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

He had me at Kit Marlowe, but lost me along the way with a story that wasn't all I'd hoped for.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this because I'd read & enjoyed the books in the same author's Maxwell series, because I quite enjoy historical novels and I find the story of Christopher Marlowe intriguing.
I have no idea how accurate the history is but the author was/is a history teacher and he's written a non-fiction book on Marlowe so I assume he knows what he's talking about to some extent.
I enjoyed the book. It involves murders, ambition, intrigue and I slike the version of Marlowe you find in this book. It's entertaining & relatively undemanding. A good distraction from the current political mess.

[Will Hogarth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written in what I would consider a very ‘flowery’ and elegant style, which suits the period it is set, very well. As the main characters, of which there are quite a few, are introduced they are immediately fleshed out and made real to the reader, this again, is done in a well constructed manner, possibly because a number of them have their origins in fact.

Both the plot and the story it contains are well thought out, and although the book is a piece of historic fiction, it works exceptionally well as a murder mystery – and, in my opinion, up there with some of the best.

As I have eluded to, there are quite a few characters in this book, not just main and primary but also secondary and walk on, so at times things can seem ‘complicated’ but in my opinion not overly so and the ‘heavy traffic’ helps move the plot a long at a pace where I found it hard to put this book down.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and rate it as excellent and I will be watching out for more in the series, and may go back and read some of Trow’s other novels to see if this quality is consistent throughout his work.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a solid start to the series. I found that it had a little more hostility to it that I like in a book - the senior scholars on staff hostile to their juniors, all of them to the students, the students to those from other colleges, the college to the town, the town to the college, the people of different forms of Christianity against one another. Virtually none of it added to the plot, but all added gratuitous hostility to the book, which I disliked. However, the plot line was generally good, and I though the characters well-developed and both plot and characters were interesting. The book also got better as it went along.

I will read book #2 to see where it goes. I am optimistic that it will be a good read.

[Avid Series Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dark Entry by M. J. Trow is the first book of the Kit Marlowe historical mystery series, set in 1583 Cambridge, England. Christopher Marlowe is about to graduate from Corpus Christi, the ringleader of a band of students who sneak off campus at night to pubs. The point of the book seemed at first the grim punishments given to students caught sneaking back to campus by the control-freak sadistic professors. Then it dwelled on nitty-gritty unsavory details of life in a dorm without modern conveniences. Finally the book got to the mystery: Christopher discovered the dead body of a friend, decided it was murder, and determined to solve it. Christopher had contacts from other schools and high-ranking officials to help. The setting is so historic it’s hard to relate to characters, scenes, motives, relationships, or much of anything. The resolution is a bit surprising.

[Melisende · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in Elizabethan England 1583, the main character is the playwright and student, Christopher "Kit" Marlowe.

A very simple premise - Kit must solve the mystery surrounding the deaths of his school chums, and in the course of his investigations, calls upon his old mentor, Sir Roger Manwood, and the enigmatic Court Magician, Dr John Dee.

I found it a highly enjoyable read with a story line that will keep you guessing to the end.

This was my first novel from MJ Trow whose biography on "Vlad the Impaler" was a dark and fascinating read.

[Cate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent narration, OK story, but I'm not sure I'll read more of the series. It doesn't get into spy work in this book, but I think it will in others and that might help with the plot. I initially added this one because I saw a book later in the series, Scorpions' Nest, that looked good. I think that one's book 5.

[MC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another elibrary selection... I'd say this book was 'fine.' I didn't feel particularly attached to the characters, though several were interesting. And, I wasn't incredibly driven to see how the mystery would be solved, though I found it interesting as the investigation proceeded. In other words, I enjoyed the time I spent reading this book, but it wasn't so good that I'd recommend it to others.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't bad, but it just didn't hold my interest. I didn't find the mystery or the characters all that compelling and the sense of time and place wasn't strong. Christopher Marlowe is such an interesting person and I didn't feel that this did him justice. I also could have used a lot more background on how the college system was organized.

[Karyn The Pirate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book to be a bit confusing because I am not familiar with the set-up of universities in England. I was lost on what college which Lord or Master belonged to and exactly where the fit in the ranking. Other than that, this was a good mystery.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It is set in 1583 in Cambridge, UK. It is a good mystery, well written, well researched. I enjoyed the time period.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay mystery, but a pretty unlikeable protagonist and indistinct characterizations of most of the Cambridge set otherwise.

[Margareth8537 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Kit Marlowe - mind I had a soft spot for Tamburlaine having had to do it for A level in the far and distant past.

[Maryam]

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