Secrets of Shakespeare's Grave

The Shakespeare Mysteries #1

by Deron R. Hicks, Mark Edward Geyer (Illustrator)

Twelve-year-old Colophon Letterford has a serious mystery on her hands. Will she discover the link between her family’s literary legacy and Shakespeare’s tomb before it’s too late? Antique paintings, secret passages, locked mausoleums, a four-hundred-year-old treasure, and a cast of quirky (and some ignoble) characters all add up to a fun original adventure. Readers will revel in a whirlwind journey through literary time and space in real-world locales from Mont St. Michel to Stratford-Upon-Avon to Central Park!

Genres: Mystery, Middle Grade, Adventure, Young Adult, Childrens, Shakespeare, Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published September 11, 2012

About the author

I live in Warm Springs, Georgia with my wife Angela, daughter Meg, and son Parker. I am a proud graduate of the University of Georgia, where I obtained a bachelor of fine arts degree in painting. Having obtained a degree in painting, I took the next logical step in life -- I went to Law school (more specifically, Mercer Law School, which I loved). After years in private practice, I had an idea for a mystery novel that I thought my children would enjoy (and that might teach them a little bit about Shakespeare). That idea turned into THE SECRETS OF SHAKESPEARE"S GRAVE. A second book followed shortly thereafter - TOWER OF THE FIVE ORDERS. And coming in 2017, a new mystery - THE VAN GOGH DECEPTION, published by HMH Books for Children.

Reviews

[Dov Zeller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quoting Kirkus:

"Twelve-year-old Colophon Letterford deciphers clues in an old portrait that lead her and her father’s oddball cousin Julian to a literary treasure."

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...

This is a fun mystery with some great characters including the protagonist, 12 year old Colophon, and her uncle Julian. There are also some great comic moments with her brother and father including a bizarre but kind genius skunk situation.

I would say I'm hovering around a 3.5. I never really liked Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books (I don't if that is something I should admit). More than anything, I think, this just isn't my genre. The story was mainly plot, and kind of silly, though also really admirable and well-researched. Anyway, I'm glad I checked this one out and recommend it to middle-graders who like mysteries and stories in which siblings start out disliking each other but become something of a team. And Colophon is a great girl-detective.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deron Hicks, a local attorney and writer, was a welcome guest at our annual Friends of Library meeting. Because I enjoyed his presentation – and was a little curious about his book, especially since part of the story takes place just a few miles away – I decided to buy a copy, read it in one sitting, and then chalk up another number on my Goodreads.com list. A Junior Library Guild selection, “Secrets of Shakespeare’s Grave” is a well-written mystery for middle school kids. Heck, I even enjoyed it. If you’ve got kids or grandkids that age, stick a copy in their stocking this Christmas. They’ll be hooked within the first few pages.

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes indeed, Secrets of Shakespeare’s Grave has generally been engaging (and in certain parts of the featured plot also hilariously funny), albeit at the same time and unfortunately also a trifle too cinematic and predictable for my adult reading self (even though my inner child certainly has very much enjoyed author Deron R. Hicks’ presented narrative and my actual childhood self would most likely have absolutely loved Secrets of Shakespeare’s Grave, both the modern day mystery elements and the ample historical background details), a very quick and for the most part satisfying reading experience, but also not a novel that I would ever consider as a personal favourite or indeed as a story that if I had encountered Secrets of Shakespeare’s Grave as a child, as a middle grade reader, I would have wanted to keep rereading over and over again.

For although main protagonist Colophon Letterford is delightful and I appreciate her ingenuity, she also feels just a bit too good to be true, she is also simply too much of a total and utter genius who almost immediately and with ridiculous ease finds and understands precisely those very and important Letterford family treasure clues that have been languishing and hidden in plain sight for hundreds of years, and that even her adult and obviously well educated and interested cousin Julian has never been able to even remotely figure out (and at proverbial breakneck speed at that and by simply watching and thinking for usually only scant minutes and sometimes even seconds). Because honestly and in my humble opinion, Deron R. Hicks actually does in Secrets of Shakespeare’s Grave, while of course depicting Colophon Letterford as intelligent and as someone who unlike her older brother Case is actually interested in her family’s history as world famous booksellers, still first and foremost makes Colophon appear (at least from the beginning to about the middle of Secrets of Shakespeare’s Grave) as a typical teenager and not to and for my reading eyes as someone with totally supercharged brains, like a budding teenaged Sherlock Holmes.

And therefore, it has stretched and it does stretch my belief when suddenly in Secrets of Shakespeare’s Grave, when push comes to shove, when the Letterford family future and fortunes are being threatened by Cousin Treemont (who is also rather a tediously stereotypical villain), Colophon basically develops into a genius sleuth quasi overnight so to speak and really also into someone whose guesses and deductions are always and immediately right (and not to mention that Case’s transformation from slacker and annoying older brother into a valued helper and someone as proud of the family bookselling tradition as his sister, as Colophon, this all really feels too fast and instantaneous to be all that realistic). So three rather forced stars for Deron R. Hicks’ presented narrative, for his Secrets of Shakespeare’s Grave, for a decent and fun middle grade mystery and family history story which nevertheless does for me as an adult reader feel a bit artificial and overly simplistic in particular with regard to how easily and painlessly the Letterford mystery has been solved (but yes, I do remain engaged enough to most likely want to read the sequel, and sooner rather than later).

[Katie Hanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little sister recommended this to me and it was fun & cute.

[Madilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Star Rating:

*3.25 stars*


Plot:

An ancient riddle etched into the frame of a family portrait.

Rumors of a hidden family treasure.

A string of unexplained accidents and mishaps.

These are Colophon Letterford's only clues to a mystery that is threatening to destroy her family. Time is running out, and she will need more than book-smarts to unearth secret passageways and to brave locked mausoleums by moonlight. Will Colophon solve the mystery of her family's fortune and rewrite the pages of literary history? Will she discover the link between her family and Shakespeare's tomb-before it's too late?
-description from the dust jacket


Opinion:

I honestly don't know why I waited so long to read this book. It was recommended to me almost a year ago! Maybe it just didn't interest me at the time, I don't know. But I'm glad I read it! It was very good! Very quick, and lighthearted. I enjoyed the writing style a lot.
I really had no idea what the plot of the book was beyond what the title told me, and I really liked that. It made it more mysterious.
I do wish that Shakespeare's grave had played a bigger role in the book though. It didn't have as much about Shakespeare as I thought it would.


Recommendation:

Anybody 9-10 and up! People who enjoy historical things will enjoy it a lot.

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am starting a new review system I will give a clip of WIIA (what it is about) Then the Pros, Cons, and iffy things (bad language, romance and so on)

WIIA: This is a mystery that takes you with a girl and her brother as they try to figure out to mysteries. One: is there a family treasure? Two: who is sabotaging her father's business? It gives back and forth perspectives from lots of different people including the bad guys. At the end it ends with a cliffhanger so I will be starting Book 2 immediately!

Pros: His writing is easy to understand, not action packed. Yet there is just enough excitement to keep you going! I never once felt like I wanted to skip a paragraph!

Cons: The prologue. I think it was a necessary part but could of been shorted so it would be easier to understand.

Iffy: Word frigging appears once. Several negative comments from her brother in the beginning but his character evolves.

[Diego Gutierrez · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
It is true that the title is a little misleading in that there's not that much Shakespeare in the book. Nevertheless, a good middle-grade, treasure-hunt story. Good enough that made me go and buy the second book in the series.

[Aspasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rick Riordan made Greek mythology relevant and relatable to kids and now Deron Hicks has done the same thing with William Shakespeare in his two books, The Secrets of Shakespeare's Grave and Tower of the Five Orders. Although Shakespeare is widely acknowledged as one of the best playwrights in the world, little is known about his personal life, but Deron Hicks turns the mysteries surrounding Shakespeare's life into two intriguing and fast paced middle grade mystery novels.

In Secrets we are introduced to Colophon Letterford and her family's prestigious publishing house. Alas, all is not financially well at Letterford and Sons. A mutiny is happening amongst the family members of the publishing house. Mulls Letterford must sign three new best selling authors to Letterford and Sons by midnight of December 24th or the greedy Treemont Letterford becomes the new head of Letterford and Sons. Colophon and her cousin Julian believe that a mysterious family portrait contains clues that will help save the family's business. The painting's clues take Colophon and Julian on a whirlwind scavenger hunt from Georgia to London.

In Tower, the family nemesis returns and threatens the newfound tranquility and financial stability of Letterford and Sons. This time clues from the life of Chrisopher Marlowe will lead Colophon and Julian on another fast-paced journey to save the Letterford family from ruin. Will they find the business-saving treasure in time?

You can read more of my reviews at www.thesouthernbookworm.blogspot.com

[Lenni Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book hoping that it would be a little more about Shakespeare. Plus, it sounded supremely awesome. And it was very good. Not amazing or excellent, but very good. The ending was great and I really can't wait to read book two. It was a little hard to get into in the beginning, but very funny and exciting throughout the rest of the book. Maybe a little slow, but very exciting. I don't have much more to say, so happy reading!

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

the vocabulary had all the fancy (i mean, who uses ‘heretofore’ in a middle grade?) but the mystery of the treasure was far too simple.. (also, the mystery of the sabotage was no mystery at all and it definitely would’ve made things more interesting if it had been)

[Mikayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a huge fan of Shakespeare but this was still a fun mystery with some good twists and turns. Everything fell conveniently into place for the main characters (always a tad anoying) and the writing is simplistic.
But it was a cute read.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main message in Secrets of Shakespeare’s Grave is that one must keep following what they believe in to make a difference. Secrets of Shakespeare’s Grave begins in present day Manchester, Georgia in the Letterford house, a three story dark red bricked home on a rolling hill with an impressive library. Letterford and Sons is a publishing company that has suffered many accidents, and is not running very well right now. Colophon Letterford, daughter of Mull Letterford, the owner of Letterford and Sons, has just gotten out of school and Thanksgiving break is now upon her. Colophon has figured out that her family is thinking of replacing her father if he cannot fill certain criteria by the end of the year. On Thanksgiving, all of her relatives come over to her house, but their is one man who she has never seen before, an unshaven man named Julian who wants to examine a portrait of the founder of Letterford and Sons, Miles Letterford. Colophon soon learns that Julian thinks that the portriate is a clue to a family treasure, which many others think is fake, the clue hidden in the frame. Colophon becomes interested in solving the mystery, with hopes that the treasure could help her father stay the owner of Letterford and Sons. She travels to England with Julian, running all around England trying to follow clue by clue to find the treasure. Meanwhile, Colophon’s brother, Case Letterford, stays in Manchester with his father, trying to figure out if someone is trying to sabotage his father. In this third person omniscient narrative, Colophon, Julian, and Case must follow and crack the clues to save their father’s job and uncover a ground breaking discovery.
Secrets of Shakespeare’s Grave was a suspenseful, adventurous, and exciting story. One concept of this book that I like was that the story went back and forth from England, with Colophon and Julian, to Case in Manchester, always leaving you on a cliffhanger and making you want to read more to find out what happens next. One of my favorite parts of the book was when Colophon and Julian sneak into the mausoleum, to try to find the next clue, “Colophon tried to get to her knees, but she felt as if she were moving in slow motion. The light from Julian’s flashlight illuminated the opening into the mausoleum, but it was growing dimmer. The stone door was starting to shut. Suddenly the light was gone. She was trapped”(198). This was one of the most exciting adventure packed scene of the book, making me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Another reason this book was so great was because the characters are very interesting and special in their own way. Colophon and Julian are smart, but have a good taste for adventure, Case is cunning and energetic, and all the other characters make the story more fun to read because it actually seems real. This story has a very good message for anyone, because everyone is unique, and in the story the characters embrace who they really are, which lets them follow their own dreams and make a difference. It inspires others to keep going at what they believe in, and never let anyone push them down. This theme could be applied to running a business, to believe in your idea to make it real, and to make a difference in someone’s life. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone, I didn’t find any faults in it, especially if the reads likes exciting books or mysteries.

[Maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Letterford family has been in the publishing business for hundreds of years. Yet, today, under the guidance of Mull Letterford, present day head of the company, it is facing upheaval from nefarious family members. Mull's cousin Treemont, is questioning his ability to run the company profitably with substantial growth in its future. He, and other relatives, give Mull until Christmas Eve to sign well-known author(s) to publish 3 works. Mull has these potential authors lined up and is traveling to New York to meet with them.

Meanwhile, Mull's children, Colophon and Case are trying to help their father in his quest to keep the company afloat. Colophon and adult cousin, Julian are sure there is some truth to the myth that a treasure is hidden for the current president of the company. They travel between Georgia and England to follow the clues to the treasures. Case accompanies his father to New York ensure that meetings go as planned. They don't. Treemont is doing everything in his power to thwart the success to publishing best-selling novels.

In the nick of time, Julian and Colophon return to the Georgia mansion where Mull is meeting with his no-good relatives. They have news. Is it the news that Mull is hoping for though? Full of mystery and almost seemingly wild goose chases, Secrets of Shakespeare's Grave keeps your interest while interacting with both likeable and despicable characters. Historical references are snuck into the story, so the young reader will actually be learning something about Shakespeare and his time period. A great mystery in an un-put-down-able story.

Clearly, there is another book in the series, as the ending and epilogue hint at more evilness from Treemont. Came close to giving this work 5 stars, but I do not hesitate to give it 4 1/2.

[A. Somers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those cases that justifies the saying" Don't judge abook by its cover." I was somewhat reluctant to try the book because of the cartoonish nature of the cover picture. I'm so glad that I decided to give it a try. It is a kid's version of a Dan Brown novel, full of adventure, suspense, and historical intrigue. The characters are well developed and there is just the right touch of humor. The contemporary dialogue will attract 4th through 7th grade readers but it does not talk down to the them. It is full of beautiful descriptive language that would make it a good mentor text for word choice and vivid vocabulary usage. This book had everything; secret codes and passageways, humorous chase scenes, nail biting adventures in a cemetary and of course the evil plotting villian. I can't wait for the sequel. Sign me up for the Letterford Mystery Series fan club!

[Dena McMurdie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for an article I wrote. I checked it out of the library and read the entire book in one sitting. It was easy to read and a fun mystery to get lost in.

It’s a current-day mystery about a young girl trying to figure out how to save her family business. Someone is sabotaging her father’s hard work, so she joins her middle-aged cousin in a hunt for a family treasure.

The combination of humor and intrigue made this book enjoyable and fun to read. The characters go on a National Treasure style treasure hunt where they find a series of clues and have to figure them out in order to move on to the next one.

While it’s a classic idea, it was done well. Who doesn’t love a treasure hunt?

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love books for kids that include literary characters, especially Shakespeare. It plants seeds that will hopefully lead to a feeling of accessibility to classic literature. My favorite part of this book is the ending, a complete set up for book 2 and maybe beyond. But, the story took a long time to come together, I hope 4th- 6th graders will give the book a chance and not stop after the first 50 pages. It was very obvious who was going to fill the role of villain, other than that I really liked the book and will recommend it to students who enjoy mysteries.

[Lee Födi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book; it reminded me of the National Treasure movies, what with all the intrigue and booby traps. It also is sprinkled with some humor; kids are sure to love the smelly shoe scene. Perhaps the thing I loved the most was the author's choice of character names. Colophon, Case, and Mull . . . these names all pay homage to the history of books. The only thing I didn't like about this book was the cover; the design just doesn't seem to quite fit the tone and style of the writing.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a fun mystery, and I love Shakespeare! After spending a good two weeks in Stratford Upon Avon and moving my daughter there to become a Shakespearean scholar, I loved the opportunity to revisit the Bard's hometown in prose and mentally retrace my own steps at the Trinity Church. When older brother Case was pursuing clues and helping his Dad in NYC, I was right with them through Central Park! I highly recommend this book for my middle school students. I can't wait to get the next book.

[C.J. Milbrandt · Rating 4 out of 5]

When her father seems to be at risk of losing his place at the head of the family business, Colophon decides to lend her support. With the help of her big brother and their dad's cousin, they follow centuries-old clues to find the Letterford family treasure.

Rules of inheritance and family meetings. Publishing powerhouses and best-selling authors. Portraits and monuments. Plots and obstacles. Sonnets and keys. This is a fun race to the finish as Colophon chases down clues. Bits of history and lines from Shakespeare throughout. Looking forward to the next book!

[Moushumi Ghosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Colophon a 12 year old uses her brain to solve a 400 year old mystery of a treasure that is rumoured to be in her family. What a good well-plotted mystery! After a long time, I am reading a book that combines all my favourite elements -- Shakespeare, mystery, books, and publishing. What imaginative names - Colophon, Case, Letterford! A crackling good yarn. More I believe are coming up. Can't wait for them.

[Tracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent story about a young girl from a distinguished publishing family who tries to uncover a secret code left by one of her one of her ancestors even as her father's position as head of the family is threatened from within. Great start to a series though this is a satisfying read on it's own.

[Kori · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's not to love? Mysterious codes, family secrets, hitory, creepy mausoleums, a hilarious dog chase, and a case of bad smelly feet. Not to mention featured passages by the Bard himself. My son and I loved this book - and I was pretty surprised at the end when my 11 year old boy asked for the sequel to a book featuring a FEMALE heroine! Well done, Mr. Hicks. Well done!

[Leona · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book. I thoroughly enjoyed it, to the way it switches locations from one Letterford to another, the clues, the suspense, and the ending. I can't wait to read the second book.

A page turner without a doubt, I finished it within a few hours, and I do not regret it. Now on the the second one.

[Alan Chiu · Rating 5 out of 5]

To all readers:

It was awesome! Why, because it had hard vocabulary , unlike the Thea Sisters series, and it had a juicy plot that could let your mind turn and think. To sum it up, it deserved a well earned 5 stars.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written story that has events happening in two places that eventually go together at the end (reminded me of Dan Brown books) - and you learn a little about Shakespeare along the way. Would be a great read aloud - Grades 4-6.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good mystery with a treasure hunt. Well-written, with some mild suspense.

[Munro's Kids · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun mystery romp for good readers 9-12. Though the clues are sometimes rather complicated, the characters and plot are enjoyable.

[Surani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very exciting and an engaging read!! Enjoyed reading about mysteries around the famous playwright and traipsing through old buildings and graveyards looking for clues to age old mysteries!!

[Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story rocks! Looking forward to reading more books from this series.