What do you think?
Rate this book
John Shakespeare [Publication Order] #5
The Heretics
1595. When Spanish troops attack the Cornish coast in a daring raid, the Queen is speechless with rage. Is another Armada on the way? Is it revenge for the sacking of Spanish shipping? Or is there a more sinister motive?
As John Shakespeare desperately searches for answers, England's secret defences begin to crumble as, one by one, his network of spies is horribly murdered. But what has all this to do with Thomasyn Jade, driven to the edge of madness by the foul rituals of exorcism? And what is the link to a group of priests held prisoner in the bleak confines of Wisbech Castle?
As John Shakespeare desperately searches for answers, England's secret defences begin to crumble as, one by one, his network of spies is horribly murdered. But what has all this to do with Thomasyn Jade, driven to the edge of madness by the foul rituals of exorcism? And what is the link to a group of priests held prisoner in the bleak confines of Wisbech Castle?
448 pages, Hardcover
First published February 28, 2013
154 people are currently reading
708 people want to read
About the author
Rory Clements
35 books541 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
September 19, 2021
Read this book in 2013, this book the 5th in the series, but the 7th in chronological order, and thsi book is set in the year, AD1595.
Its AD 1595 and Queen Elizabeth is in danger from all sides, but especially from Spain.
John Shakespeare's network of spies gets murdered one by one, and who is the person behind all this treachery.
In this turmoil of events, Queen Elizabeth and his boss Spymaster Henry Cecil want answers, and so John Shakespeare is sent on a mission to unravel the thruths behind the unrest and the murders.
What is to follow is an most compelling mystery, where intrigue and deceit go hand in hand, and in these deadly world John Shakespeare must somehow find a way to thwart the enemies from harming his Queen and his country, and that effort many sacrifices will have to be made in order to survive this betrayal from within and without.
Highly recommended, for this is an excellent addition to this wonderful series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Fabulous Mystery Adventure"!
Its AD 1595 and Queen Elizabeth is in danger from all sides, but especially from Spain.
John Shakespeare's network of spies gets murdered one by one, and who is the person behind all this treachery.
In this turmoil of events, Queen Elizabeth and his boss Spymaster Henry Cecil want answers, and so John Shakespeare is sent on a mission to unravel the thruths behind the unrest and the murders.
What is to follow is an most compelling mystery, where intrigue and deceit go hand in hand, and in these deadly world John Shakespeare must somehow find a way to thwart the enemies from harming his Queen and his country, and that effort many sacrifices will have to be made in order to survive this betrayal from within and without.
Highly recommended, for this is an excellent addition to this wonderful series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Fabulous Mystery Adventure"!
August 6, 2015
The fifth book in the John Shakespeare series by Rory Clements, The Heretics, is quite a dark tale full of idolatry, superstition, exploitation and the vileness to which people will stoop to control others. Set seven years after the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, it nonetheless opens as foreign galleons threaten the Cornwall coast (according to the excellent historical notes, this kind of thing really happened after the Armada).
Enter, John Shakespeare stage right, who is asked to uncover whether this is a practice run or the beginning of a new threat from the sea. Just as he sets his spy network in motion, one after the other, they’re found murdered. Dismayed and determined to track down the killer, John finds himself not only embroiled in finding the victims of exorcisms gone wrong, but driven north to visit the prison of the marshes, Wisbech Castle, and the priests incarcerated there.
In the meantime, Shakespeare’s children are under threat as is Boltfoot’s wife, Jane who has taken it upon herself to visit the highly sexed and unscrupulous, Dr Simon Forman.
From the fens to the playhouses of London and everything in between, John has his work cut out for him, especially when, as usual, those who should be working with him, level against him, making his job that much harder and his employer less sympathetic.
A bleak instalment that is still a great read, even if some of the conditions described and real characters from history and events explored are difficult for modern readers to stomach. Exploring issues of faith, exploitation, internment, war, torture, women, superstition, women and marriage, quite a few stones are overturned and then some. The power of Clements’ writing is in his ability to not only meld fact and fiction but in a way that is at once poetic and striking. He brings the era to rollicking life – in all its ugly glory – crafting a splendid novel in the process.
Enter, John Shakespeare stage right, who is asked to uncover whether this is a practice run or the beginning of a new threat from the sea. Just as he sets his spy network in motion, one after the other, they’re found murdered. Dismayed and determined to track down the killer, John finds himself not only embroiled in finding the victims of exorcisms gone wrong, but driven north to visit the prison of the marshes, Wisbech Castle, and the priests incarcerated there.
In the meantime, Shakespeare’s children are under threat as is Boltfoot’s wife, Jane who has taken it upon herself to visit the highly sexed and unscrupulous, Dr Simon Forman.
From the fens to the playhouses of London and everything in between, John has his work cut out for him, especially when, as usual, those who should be working with him, level against him, making his job that much harder and his employer less sympathetic.
A bleak instalment that is still a great read, even if some of the conditions described and real characters from history and events explored are difficult for modern readers to stomach. Exploring issues of faith, exploitation, internment, war, torture, women, superstition, women and marriage, quite a few stones are overturned and then some. The power of Clements’ writing is in his ability to not only meld fact and fiction but in a way that is at once poetic and striking. He brings the era to rollicking life – in all its ugly glory – crafting a splendid novel in the process.
November 3, 2021
“ The Heretics” the fifth in the enjoyable medieval detective stories by Rory Clements which are set in the later years of the reign of Elizabeth I. The hero is John Shakespeare, who is employed as an investigator by Lord Cecil, the chief spymaster for the Queen.
The story begins with Shakespeare who is on the way out his door being stopped by a visibly agitated man adorned in an actor’s costume who says he has information about a a Spanish plot to attack the Queen. The man is an player in John Shakespeare’s brother Will’s acting ensemble and offers the information in return for money upfront. John , who hears of many plots , puts him off , telling to return tomorrow with the details before any money is paid. But the man’s pleas trouble John as he goes about his day. As it should , for the plot proves to be a real danger to Queen and country.
The story is told in exciting detail as the author unwraps a tale of ongoing religious hatred between extremist Catholics who want to bring back the glorious days of Queen Mary when protestant dissidents were burned at the stake , and the anti -Catholic dissenters who want to bring the “popish” plotters to the execution scaffold. As the hero travels across England to investigate the truth of the plot, he begins to wonder whom can trust.
There is the beautiful and licentious lady -in - waiting to the Queen . Is the beauty what she appears - a loyal lady of noble birth? Does the Dutch businessman have a hidden agenda? How does Will’s theater figure in the threats? Does the fanatic Jesuit under close arrest in a castle’s keep pull strings of treason?
There is Mr. Clements usual attention to historic detail as to dress, eating and drinking , households , human rights ( or the lack thereof) , horrific jails, brutal justice, and religious strife. It is the relious chasm that is the essence of the times, and the book. In the history of the world ( as someone recently wrote) how many gallons of shed blood… have been tied… to religious differences.
There are Historical end notes attesting the historical bases for the plots, as well as historic persons and facts of the book, and are worth reading.
For those of tenders sensibilities there are some bedroom scenes, not graphic, as wells as much as bawdy language and behavior. Also rough handling of people.
It all makes for a good story, well told. I recommend the entire series.
The story begins with Shakespeare who is on the way out his door being stopped by a visibly agitated man adorned in an actor’s costume who says he has information about a a Spanish plot to attack the Queen. The man is an player in John Shakespeare’s brother Will’s acting ensemble and offers the information in return for money upfront. John , who hears of many plots , puts him off , telling to return tomorrow with the details before any money is paid. But the man’s pleas trouble John as he goes about his day. As it should , for the plot proves to be a real danger to Queen and country.
The story is told in exciting detail as the author unwraps a tale of ongoing religious hatred between extremist Catholics who want to bring back the glorious days of Queen Mary when protestant dissidents were burned at the stake , and the anti -Catholic dissenters who want to bring the “popish” plotters to the execution scaffold. As the hero travels across England to investigate the truth of the plot, he begins to wonder whom can trust.
There is the beautiful and licentious lady -in - waiting to the Queen . Is the beauty what she appears - a loyal lady of noble birth? Does the Dutch businessman have a hidden agenda? How does Will’s theater figure in the threats? Does the fanatic Jesuit under close arrest in a castle’s keep pull strings of treason?
There is Mr. Clements usual attention to historic detail as to dress, eating and drinking , households , human rights ( or the lack thereof) , horrific jails, brutal justice, and religious strife. It is the relious chasm that is the essence of the times, and the book. In the history of the world ( as someone recently wrote) how many gallons of shed blood… have been tied… to religious differences.
There are Historical end notes attesting the historical bases for the plots, as well as historic persons and facts of the book, and are worth reading.
For those of tenders sensibilities there are some bedroom scenes, not graphic, as wells as much as bawdy language and behavior. Also rough handling of people.
It all makes for a good story, well told. I recommend the entire series.
September 6, 2015
I enjoyed "The Heretics", it read like a genuine spy thriller albeit set in the Elizabethan era. Our hero, John Shakespeare, is alerted to a plot against the state which, initially, he doesn't take seriously and, by the time he does, his source goes missing. At the same time he is given a task, to seek out a missing girl, the victim of fanatical religious rites. In this adventure we are taken to the dangerous Fenlands in an era when they were still liable to serious flooding, and to the coast of Cornwall under assault by the Spanish. We are placed in the company of elegant yet pampered ladies of the Court, conflicting religious mania and intrigue. We are led this way and that as we follow Shakespeare's investigations, witness violent assault and the steady elimination of the English spy system as would grace the murky world of the Cold War.
November 20, 2022
Violence and religion
A book with a lengthy, sprawling plot. These were perilous days in which tolerance was absent. Graphic writing in a book with reciprocal violence!
A book with a lengthy, sprawling plot. These were perilous days in which tolerance was absent. Graphic writing in a book with reciprocal violence!
December 9, 2018
I am reviewing Rory Clements new novel and I am comparing it against the previous four books in the series, as well as other historical novels of the time period. I feel that most people reading this review will be long time readers of Clement' work. It's also unfair to compare a work of historical fiction to works of more general fiction.
Well, it's 1595 and Queen Elizabeth is still on the British throne and the Spanish are still the pesky nuisance they were eight years earlier when the Armada was pushed back by bad weather and good British naval tactics. And along with the Spanish menace, there are threats to the Queen and her throne by Catholic dissidents, both home-grown and those from Spain. Elizabeth and her advisers - who she plays against each other with the skill of a chess master - are trying to access the threats. One of her close advisers, Sir Robert Cecil, employs John Shakespeare, older brother of William, as an "intelligencer". Shakespeare is a tough guy - though not as quick to "rack" someone who won't talk, as others are in Cecil's employ. No, John Shakespeare is more the stiletto. Shakespeare, while based in London, travels the country to ferret out spies and threats to the throne. Many of these threats are secret Catholic priests, often secreted in "hidey-holes" in castles and large homes.
"The Heretics" is Clements' fifth book, and like many newer books in a series, the characters and the plots are beginning to "creak" a bit. The villains - both at Elizabeth's court and in the wider world - are a bit old hat and the plot, with a dual threat of a Spanish invasion and Catholic uprising, is coming a bit frayed at the edges. Clements does a good job at moving John Shakespeare and his family and "team" forward in age, so it's not that, but rather the reader basically knows what will happen because there aren't too many plot twists.
I read a fair number of historical novels, and I find this is a common problem in long-running series. It's almost impossible for an author to keep characters and plots "fresh". Daniel Silva is a prime example of this; his Gabriel Allon character is so worn out I don't understand how Silva maintains any sort of interest in him. But, the avid readers of the Allon series don't seem to mind the repetitious plot and characters and the books seem to sell like hotcakes. I don't want to see Rory Clements fall into the same trap of tediousness that often come with the success of series books. (Jacqueline Winspear is another author who I think might be losing interest in her best-selling series.)
In any case, "The Heretics" is still a very good read. John Shakespeare, with the help of his trusty Boltfoot, do manage to do what they're charged to do by Sir Robert, and the native Catholic-threat-to-the-throne is explored more intensely by including a fens-area castle/gaol called Wisbech. So, as a long-time reader of Rory Clements, I'm not a bit dissatisfied with "The Heretics" in itself. I'm just thinking about the future of the series.
Well, it's 1595 and Queen Elizabeth is still on the British throne and the Spanish are still the pesky nuisance they were eight years earlier when the Armada was pushed back by bad weather and good British naval tactics. And along with the Spanish menace, there are threats to the Queen and her throne by Catholic dissidents, both home-grown and those from Spain. Elizabeth and her advisers - who she plays against each other with the skill of a chess master - are trying to access the threats. One of her close advisers, Sir Robert Cecil, employs John Shakespeare, older brother of William, as an "intelligencer". Shakespeare is a tough guy - though not as quick to "rack" someone who won't talk, as others are in Cecil's employ. No, John Shakespeare is more the stiletto. Shakespeare, while based in London, travels the country to ferret out spies and threats to the throne. Many of these threats are secret Catholic priests, often secreted in "hidey-holes" in castles and large homes.
"The Heretics" is Clements' fifth book, and like many newer books in a series, the characters and the plots are beginning to "creak" a bit. The villains - both at Elizabeth's court and in the wider world - are a bit old hat and the plot, with a dual threat of a Spanish invasion and Catholic uprising, is coming a bit frayed at the edges. Clements does a good job at moving John Shakespeare and his family and "team" forward in age, so it's not that, but rather the reader basically knows what will happen because there aren't too many plot twists.
I read a fair number of historical novels, and I find this is a common problem in long-running series. It's almost impossible for an author to keep characters and plots "fresh". Daniel Silva is a prime example of this; his Gabriel Allon character is so worn out I don't understand how Silva maintains any sort of interest in him. But, the avid readers of the Allon series don't seem to mind the repetitious plot and characters and the books seem to sell like hotcakes. I don't want to see Rory Clements fall into the same trap of tediousness that often come with the success of series books. (Jacqueline Winspear is another author who I think might be losing interest in her best-selling series.)
In any case, "The Heretics" is still a very good read. John Shakespeare, with the help of his trusty Boltfoot, do manage to do what they're charged to do by Sir Robert, and the native Catholic-threat-to-the-throne is explored more intensely by including a fens-area castle/gaol called Wisbech. So, as a long-time reader of Rory Clements, I'm not a bit dissatisfied with "The Heretics" in itself. I'm just thinking about the future of the series.
August 14, 2019
Book 5 in Clements’s Shakespeare series, sees John Shakespeare investigating brutal catholic exorcisms and religious rituals, performed illegally by catholic priests. He seeks a girl named Thomasyn Jade, whom was driven to madness by the torturous acts performed on her. He travels to the Fens, to Wisbech Castle, to speak to imprisoned priests there who were involved in the brutalities.
Meanwhile, a small fleet of Spanish ships has landed off the coast of Cornwall. After sacking Cornish towns, the men are able to enter England without much difficulty.
One by one, Robert Cecil’s intelligencers are being brutally tortured and murdered, and obviously the Spanish invaders are prime suspects.
How do these storylines all link together? The answer is, very cleverly. Once again, Clements has woven an absolute gripping number of threads together and created a masterpiece. From the Cornish coast of England, to southern Spain, to the playhouses of London, to the stews of Southwark, to the Fens, and finally to the royal courts of Elizabeth, this book took me on a thrilling ride, with brutality, blood, gore, mystery, sex, religious fanaticism, rituals, and intricate plots, and had me guessing until the very end.
Meanwhile, a small fleet of Spanish ships has landed off the coast of Cornwall. After sacking Cornish towns, the men are able to enter England without much difficulty.
One by one, Robert Cecil’s intelligencers are being brutally tortured and murdered, and obviously the Spanish invaders are prime suspects.
How do these storylines all link together? The answer is, very cleverly. Once again, Clements has woven an absolute gripping number of threads together and created a masterpiece. From the Cornish coast of England, to southern Spain, to the playhouses of London, to the stews of Southwark, to the Fens, and finally to the royal courts of Elizabeth, this book took me on a thrilling ride, with brutality, blood, gore, mystery, sex, religious fanaticism, rituals, and intricate plots, and had me guessing until the very end.
January 28, 2022
Set in the period towards the final years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, following the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, the heretics in question are those still bent of her assassination followed by an invasion by Spain, and the restoration of Roman Catholicism, and a puppet monarch. The Babbington Plot has failed. The Spanish Armada has failed, so only the wholesale removal of Elizabeth and her Court, will provide any chance of success.
But, a chance is perhaps all they need?
Bruno is embroiled in the plot, attempting to uncover the participants and, most especially, the ringleaders. The trail leads far and wide, and even into the Fenlands, where notable conspirators are held. Do any of them hold the information to uncover the leads that may crack the case wide open?
Once again, a real page-turner, with many twists and turns, before the truth is uncovered.
But, a chance is perhaps all they need?
Bruno is embroiled in the plot, attempting to uncover the participants and, most especially, the ringleaders. The trail leads far and wide, and even into the Fenlands, where notable conspirators are held. Do any of them hold the information to uncover the leads that may crack the case wide open?
Once again, a real page-turner, with many twists and turns, before the truth is uncovered.
May 26, 2021
Good novel about the Elisabethian period of England and the threat of Catholic Spain. John Shakespeare is the pirvate eye of Queen Elisabeth and is investigating the disappearance of a girl kidnapped by Heretics. Quite impressive scenes of inquisition tortures perpetrated by Papist spies. Shakespeare's investigation nest is murdered one by one. Vivid description of the horrors perpetrated by religious fanaticism. But I found the plot qıite complex and difficult to follow. May be more focuses on the adverse side would have been more realistic and helpful to read. Still exciting and joyful reading.
February 27, 2024
A tale of intrigued and theater
John Shakespeare is an intelligencer, who works for Queen Elizabeth. Instructed by his former mentor to look for the plot behind the plot, Shakespeare threads all the pieces together of a daring assassination attempt against the crown. From dirty prisons, to flooded, lands and noble deellings Rory Clements brings the era to life, and death. A wonderful book in his series.
John Shakespeare is an intelligencer, who works for Queen Elizabeth. Instructed by his former mentor to look for the plot behind the plot, Shakespeare threads all the pieces together of a daring assassination attempt against the crown. From dirty prisons, to flooded, lands and noble deellings Rory Clements brings the era to life, and death. A wonderful book in his series.
August 23, 2017
A fine medical mystery starring John. Shakespeare
If you love a good mystery, then this is a book for you. It is set in the medival period of Queen Elizabeth. It has lots of twists and turns to keep you quessing. I highly recommend it to mystery lovers everywhere. Kathy R. Blackman
period of Queen Elizabeth, and involves a complicated attempt at an assination
If you love a good mystery, then this is a book for you. It is set in the medival period of Queen Elizabeth. It has lots of twists and turns to keep you quessing. I highly recommend it to mystery lovers everywhere. Kathy R. Blackman
period of Queen Elizabeth, and involves a complicated attempt at an assination
February 15, 2019
1595 and John Shakespeare receives information that there is a threat to the realm. He is sent out to investigate. But is the invasion on the Cornish coast the threat and who is killing Sir Robert Cecil's men. How much more danger is Shakespeare and his family in and why.
Another very enjoyable read in this series
Another very enjoyable read in this series
May 2, 2019
This was twisty - why did the Spanish invade Penzance? My growing problem with this series is how our hero is in a pretty much constant state of exhaustion. That makes me tired and I'm reading for enjoyment.
July 28, 2019
Fantastic once again
I thought that this was an excellent novel. John Shakespeare battles against another plot with more hidden parts. Rory Clements has produced another great adventure for our top Tudor spy.
I thought that this was an excellent novel. John Shakespeare battles against another plot with more hidden parts. Rory Clements has produced another great adventure for our top Tudor spy.
October 3, 2019
Excellent read
Another really good mystery/thriller from Rory Clements. I liked the pace of this one better than some of the earlier books. But as with all the others you really get the sense of history and life in Elizabethan England
Another really good mystery/thriller from Rory Clements. I liked the pace of this one better than some of the earlier books. But as with all the others you really get the sense of history and life in Elizabethan England
May 9, 2020
Shakespeare sees more of his brother in this story as the intrigue involves the theatre and players. Boltfoot goes through the mill again, and John Shakespeare has an unpleasant close encounter with religious fanatics (insane people).
April 12, 2024
Another good story in the John Shakespeare series. England in the time of Elizabeth I lives in constant fear of the Spanish invading. Robert Cecil's spy must try to ensure this doesn't happen! Entertaining, and with a factual basis.
May 7, 2017
This series just gets better. When do we get a TV series?
January 19, 2018
Always love reading John Shakespeare. Thoroughly good romp through Elizabethan M15.
See the sights and smells of Tudor England.
See the sights and smells of Tudor England.
May 16, 2019
Great historical context with a mixture of intrigue, rumbustious romance and swift action.
September 10, 2019
Totally reliable.
Once you know the main characters they never let you down, although I would gladly see the back of Topcliffe... Next!
Once you know the main characters they never let you down, although I would gladly see the back of Topcliffe... Next!
November 5, 2019
Good plot, kept up the pace similar to previous books.
A good continuation for the series.
A good continuation for the series.
July 12, 2020
Hope this won't be the last John Shakespeare thriller.
July 14, 2020
Excellent again Rory Clements, another tale of intrigue and terror. Look forward to another instalment of this fine series.
December 28, 2020
Good thriller with twists and turns, but a bit predictable about whodunnit.
January 1, 2021
I want to like this book, but it just doesn’t have the pull and appeal of Shardlake. It’s readable, but found this one quite slow in places and never got invested in the plot.
May 8, 2021
Wow! The latest in the never ending story of the elder Shakespeare brother, who by daring and might saves again Queen Elizabeth from assassination!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2022
Best one so far.
April 13, 2025
another in the series of John Shakespeare novels of which, I believe, this is the weakest. The story builds well enough but has a disappointing and rather abrupt ending.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews