The Counterfeit Crank

Nicholas Bracewell #14

by Edward Marston

Nicholas Bracewell finds his job with the London theater troupe Westfield's Men complicated by an ailing playwright, the disappearance of the group's costumes, a troublesome gambler, a pair of con artists, and murder, in a new historical mystery from the Edgar-nominated series.

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

272 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2004

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

[Maria Thermann · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a splendidly convoluted and complex mystery this is! Edward Marston is a master plotter at work, testing his protagonist Nicholas Bracewell and the troupe of actors, Lord Westfield's Men, to the very limit of endurance. It's a story of many different types of counterfeit cranks.

Several thrilling and complex subplots make this easily the most accomplished of the series I've read so far. I hugely enjoyed reading this, the Elizabethan era conjured up with such ease by the author that one is tempted to believe Mr Marston has got his very own TARDIS and is able to travel back and forth in time. Surely only somebody whose been to 16th century London could portray that great city with such a wealth of detail?

Plot: When their playwright, the lovable Edmund Hood, is struck down by a mysterious illness, his concerned actor friends are relieved to find that a new playwright, Michael Grammaticus, jumps into the breach to help them out with a new play. As Edmund continues to languish at his quarters and a competent doctor, paid for by a grateful usurper Grammaticus, takes over Edmund's treatment, the troupe of actors face yet another challenge:

The lugubrious landlord of the Queen's Head, where they perform all their plays, is called away to his brother's sickbed. As one landlord leaves, his replacement arrives from Rochester. Adam Crowmere is the complete opposite to the miserable landlord Alexander Marwood. A genial host, a generous landlord and a helpful friend, he soon persuades actors and staff that they are all one happy family. The arrival of a mysterious guest, the meek and pious Philomen Lavery, proves yet another challenge to the inmates of the Queen's Head. Lavery is an enthusiastic card player, enticing the actors to join him in a game or two over night.

As one by one actors begin to lose large sums of money and have to beg Nicholas for an advance on their wages, Nicholas becomes convinced that the harmless looking Lavery is not what he seems.

While all this is going on, the main plot thrusts itself upon the reader's attention with the force of a blow into the stomach: two young beggars, the girl Dorothea and the young man Hywel, arrive in London. Their counterfeit crank exploits are soon being exposed and when the two come across Nicholas Bracewell and his actor colleague Owen Elias in a narrow side street, their deceitful ways come to an end - or seemingly so, for they shun the helping hand Nicholas and Owen extend to them and try to make a living as beggars on the streets of London.

Before long, the two are arrested and thrown into the workhouse at Bridewell. Here some truly horrific experiences await them - Bridewell is ruled with an iron fist by two scoundrels who'll stop at nothing to make money, not even rape or murder.

Now Nicholas must solve a multitude of riddles. Who robbed Lord Westfield's Men of their afternoon's takings? Who stole their precious stage costumes? Who is Lavery - a card shark or an honest man? How can be bring justice to the victims of Bridewell?

Told with much bawdy humour and a firm grip on the historical background, the story unfolds with the pace and tension of a tournament at court. Beleaguered from all sides, Lord Westfield's Men must rally and work together, if they are to survive their present difficulties. Old loyalties are tested severely, new ones are questioned. At the very end, they discover, sometimes the devil you know is better than anything new.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 14th in Marston’s Elizabethan Theater mystery series, but the first one I have read. It won’t be the last. Nicholas Bracewell is the book holder and stage manager for Westfield’s Men, an acting troupe living and performing at The Queen’s Head, in London. In this installment, Nicholas deals with the illness of their playwright, the absence of their landlord, the appearance of a young couple who want to work for the company, and the corruption of the men who run the local workhouse.

[Debbie Jolley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book in the Nick Bracewell series - the counterfeit crank was effectively any conman in those days - and you get introduced to a really obvious one early in the book. As the drama unfolds you start to realise there are a few other characters who probably aren't all they seem either - and this gets confirmed as Nick Bracewell and his fellows help uncover various deceits which affect both the whole of the acting troupe and some other characters introduced in this book.
If you like this series, this book won't disappoint

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Westfield's Men believe they have had great good fortune when their landlord is called away and his substitute arrives. So begins one of many plots and subplots winding through the inns, stages and beggars prisons of London, each tied neatly to the other and by the central theme of counterfeits and cons. Another well done historical mystery in this series.

[Helene Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review - There seemed to be so many counterfeits in this one that I wasn't entirely sure who the title is referring to! Nevertheless, I really enjoyed seeing what could have happened in Bridewell and the corruption that invaded all aspects of life. I do feel sorry for Nicholas Bracewell, who always seems to take the worst of the punishment for Westfield's Men, but keeps getting into scrapes to help people - he is a character to admire. This story is well-written and makes you think.

Genre? - Historical / Crime / Mystery

Characters? - Nicholas Bracewell / Lawrence Firethorn / Margery Firethorn / Owen Elias / James Ingram / Richard Honeydew / Edmund Hoode / Barnaby Gill / Anne Hendrik / Alexander Marwood / Dorothea Tate

Setting? - London (England)

Series? - Nicholas Bracewell #14

Recommend? – Yes

Rating - 18/20

[BeesReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one, and it's the last of the series I had to read (not read in order so this isn't the last of the series!). Btw you can read these pretty much standalone as there is sufficient repetition of the salient points in each book.
Nicholas Bracewell once more being Mr Goody Twoshoes though it was slightly less in evidence in this book that in most of them.
Owen Elias - the Welsh actor - & Nick Bracewell come across two beggars in London, a Welsh young man and a young woman and misadventure befalls the two. Marwood, the grumpy landlord of The Queens Head is called to his brother's deathbed and a far-less grumpy cousin of his takes over as pub landlord for a few weeks while Marwood is away.
The acting troop get a great new play author while Edmund Hoode is incapacitated with illness, and suffer from stolen takings & stolen costumes.
Shan't give away the ending, suffice to say I guessed pretty early on that someone was not as he seemed!

My main (but not very important) criticism of these books is the very tenuous titles which are rather shoe-horned in. Very much the case here!

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

First published in 2004, 'The Counterfeit Crank' is the 14th in the popular series of Elizabethan mysteries centred around the members of a theatre troupe based in a London Inn called 'The Queen's Head. Most of these stories are character-based, with basic plots but this instalment has three seemingly disparate threads to make things more interesting, and it works well.

[Soozee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable book in this series, bringing Elizabethan England and the world of theatre to life. The characters are well portrayed, the plot is convincing and there is a good dollop of humour as well. Very enjoyable.

[Annette O'grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

another great story by this author loving the storylines

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully plotted, with strong characters and fascinating historical background

[Matthew Harwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entertaining and unique piece of crime and historical fiction, the story is filled with plenty of action and it is easy to read.

[Sarahjoy Maddeaux · Rating 2 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed reading a book in Marston's Railway Detective series, so I was looking forward to this novel set a couple of hundred years earlier. Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book anywhere near as much.

Firstly, the language was awkward. Marston seemed to try to write narration as well as dialogue in a sixteenth-century style, but it was perhaps a few centuries too far for him to reach. I was misled by the cover, which suggested this was 'An Elizabethan Mystery', but there were too many plots and sub-plots going on to call it a mystery. It was more of a story about things that were happening to a theatre troupe. With some unnecessarily graphic sex scenes. It was interesting, and I got attached to some of the characters, but it wasn't a thrilling read. And I'm still not entirely sure which 'Counterfeit Crank' the title refers to.

I'd read more Railway Detective novels, but not another Nicholas Bracewell novel.

[Cat. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The troupe has a new author, as their regular writer Edmund Hoode has come down with a mysterious illness.

[Cheri Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible series,....each book, once it gets going never lets up....until the end, of course. This particular volume was an excellent read.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nick Bracewell and a poisoner of Hoode. Good.

[Jane Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really quite a good historical mystery. Loved the Elizabethan setting. Well portrayed.