Shakespeare's Sword

by Alan Judd, James Naughtie (Foreword)

From the author of  Legacy , now a major BBC Film, comes a brilliant new historical crime novella for fans of Antonia Hodgson and CJ Sansom.

‘To Mr Thomas Combe my sword.’  These six words in Shakespeare’s will tell us that Shakespeare had a sword. Did he wear it?  Did he use it?  What sort was it?  When and why did he get it?  What happened to it?  Might it – does it – still exist?
 
These questions plague Simon Gold, an antiques dealer.  He believes he has identified the sword as belonging to a customer, an unworthy owner indifferent to cultural icons and uninterested in history.  Simon is desperate to acquire the sword, but how?  How far is he prepared to go to get it?  In alliance with Charlotte, his customer’s attractive and disaffected wife, Simon finds himself going farther than he had intended - and finds, too, that Charlotte is rather more than she appears.

Praise for Alan Judd:

'Judd has an infallible grasp of intelligence' Spectator
'Wonderful. One of the best spy novels ever' Peter Hennessey on Legacy 
'Plotting in the best le Carré tradition' Mail on Sunday
'Belongs to the classic tradition of spy writing' Guardian

Genres: Novella, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Shakespeare

192 pages, Paperback

First published December 13, 2018

About the author

Alan Judd is a pseudonym used by Alan Edwin Petty.

Born in 1946, he graduated from Oxford University and served as a British Army officer in Northern Ireland during 'The Troubles', before later joining the Foreign Office; he currently works as a security analyst. He regularly contributes articles to a number of publications, including The Daily Telegraph, and The Spectator as its motoring correspondent. His books include both fiction and non-fiction titles, with his novels often drawing on his military background.

He lives in Sussex with his wife and daughter.

Reviews

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Gerald and Charlotte enter the shop of antiques dealer Simon Gold, they bring him into their circle where he discovers they own a sword that most likely belonged to the great man. This leads to a series of events as Simon is led deeper into Charlotte's sway. I thought this was going to be an action packed adventure but it's more of a character driven study into the lengths that some people will go to. More of a cosy mystery type but still worth a read.

[Karen Keane · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable and interesting novella. Simon Gold, an antiques dealer finds what he thinks is Shakespeare's sword in a prospective customers house. He tries to think of ways that he could claim the sword for himself and in doing so becomes embroiled with the customers wife. It reminded me of Ronald Dahl's adult short stories and had quite a twist to the tale.

[Christy Grace · Rating 1 out of 5]

This felt like the author desperately wanted you to know he was smart.
There was so much info dumping of historical and generic information about things like swords and Shakespeare (what a surprise) that was dull and not engaging.
The sociopathic, homicidal, thieving and selfish characters were annoying. I didn’t care about anyone.
Boring and over the top all at once.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘One, two! One, two! And through and through | The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!’
—Lewis Carroll, ‘Jabberwocky’.

With a title declaring itself as featuring “Shakespeare’s sword” one may have hopes that in these pages one might – figuratively of course – meet the genuine article. After all, antiques dealer Simon Gold, operating out of a Sussex town somewhat like Rye, believes that ‘There is life in things we touch and use, something of ourselves clings to them.’

But what if the rapier (now functioning as a fireside poker in Winchelsea) has a Shakespearean significance other than that our narrator Simon believes the case from his extensive researches into provenance, genealogy and metalworking?

And what if he realises, too late, that he is fulfilling the role played by some Jacobean tragedian, and that the role may have ramifications in the real world? And what if that role involves death?

‘I realise now that words are not merely labels for thoughts but that they embody the thought, they are the thought incarnate. If you don’t have the word for it you can’t think it and if you do have a word it is the word that determines how you think of it.’
— Chapter Five..

Simon, long divorced, is caring for his sister Stephanie in a flat above his shop. Business in a tourist town can vary quite a lot, but Simon is generally very knowledgeable and skilled at his trade. When absent-minded but irascible Gerald Coombes visits his shop with his attractive wife Charlotte in tow, Simon gets drawn into a dangerous situation where his obsession with the ‘poker’ in the Coombes’ Winchelsea home competes with his infatuation for Charlotte.

This is a clever little thriller of a novella, historical facts and factoids competing with comic Interludes in which Simon makes a fool of himself and allows himself to be manipulated. There’s enough incidental action to misdirect the reader from what’s actually in progress, but also enough Shakespearean references to hint where the author may be leading us towards in the reveal. That is, if you’ve correctly interpreted the thoughts behind the labels used!

Whether you view this simply as a diverting potboiler or more as a tragicomedy – for all Simon’s pretended sophistication his ‘beamish boy’ posturing with a rapier in front of a mirror may have unforeseen repercussions – Shakespeare’s Sword has enough throwaway quotes from the Scottish play to get the reader creasing their brows with thought; and Charlotte’s humourously reiterated avowal that she ‘loves Shakespeare’ may seal our suspicions.

‘Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,
And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full
Of direst cruelty.’

— Lady Macbeth, in Act I Scene 5, Macbeth’

[Teresa Bower · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose this book because I was attracted by the cover and the blurb sounded interesting. I thought it was going to be a book of historical intrigue and it started out like that but then it descended into a rather predictable crime story. Another reviewer summed it up perfectly - it was like one of those Roald Dahl Tales of the Unexpected. Having said that, it was a page turner and it also broadened my knowledge of Shakespeare, which another reviewer commented on. Disappointing but worth a quick read.

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light, east read. Quite entertaining

[Jeni Meadows · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting, and I certainly didn't see the twist at the end coming, but I was probably facepalming the whole way through. It's mildly ridiculous.
Judd clearly did a lot of impressive research, but he inserted it into the narrative with about as much subtlety as Victor Hugo on one of his rants about Parisian architecture - i.e. none at all.
5/10. I do not recommend, but I'm not cursing the loss of the hours it took to read, either.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great cover which tempted me to read the book. It has an oddly old fashioned feel to it, as another reviewer noted it has shades of Roald Dahl's early adult short stories. I thought it was a bit predictable, the end anyway, although the route to get there had a few unexpected curves along the way. I think this book would have huge appeal to people who say they don't read much because they don't have the staying power to finish a book. This is a beautifully written and crafted novella that would make a satisfactory read for such a reader. Please don't misinterpret this comment to suggest that this would be a contender for the easy read shelf for readers who struggle. I loved the background to Shakespeare's sword about which I knew nothing....and now I know something!

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read and thoroughly enjoyed "The Devil's Own Work" by this author many years ago and this looked to be equally intriguing. It wasn't as original as that, in fact it reminded me very much of a Tales of the Unexpected story (Roald Dahl) but it made for a compelling read. The narrative is teasing in terms of the plot development and has well drawn characters and a good sense of place (East Sussex) though the final twist was a little predictable with perhaps too many hints along the way.

[Stephen Gage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top notch thriller. Will he, won’t he? Will they, won’t they?
Set in a well to do area of the South Coast, we are led through events wondering if it’s going to be fraud and theft, love or murder that is on the cards. With an interesting understanding of mental problems in the young and old, interlaced with historical information, we are informed but not lectured to in this excellent story. And I didn’t foresee the twist at the end.

[Alice Clarkson · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book felt like an attempt to let us know that this author is in fact very smart and knows so many facts (the large paragraphs of info dumping that wasnt intergrated), it also felt like the author hadnt ever encountered a woman in real life. The slightly sociopathic, homicidal and sometimes downright creepy narrator/main character made me wonder if this novella was just one big fantasy of a clever man persuing the rich mans wife with a hint of shakespeare and swords on the side lol

[Calum Mackenzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novella (150 pages hard copy) was a bit meh. The story is really not believable, it’s so brief that there’s no explanation or character development. The ‘twist’ isn’t shocking and is one of those reads that leave you asking ‘what was the point?’

Don’t recommend - the 2 stars is for semi aintersting historical references.

[John Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable short read, made more so because I know the locations very well indeed. I can quite imagine this sort of thing going on in Winchelsea, where I lived for a couple of months waiting for a house to complete. Alsan Judds non-spy novels are always a delight.

[Harvard · Rating 3 out of 5]

for a cosy story that can be ploughed through in a little over an hour, it's fine for what it is. I liked the slightly offputting narrator and would've even wanted to see him work in his antique store a bit more, before everything starts falling apart around him in the third act.

[J. S. Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting characters. Narrator/MC was an antique dealer and so had a lot of insight and interesting things to say but his choice of language could be a drawl at times.
Short thriller with unique plot and visual storytelling. Short at 150 pages so made for a nice read.

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alan Judd can definitely write; there were moments of brilliance in this novella. But only moments, the rest was a bit of a Trainwreck. It's a shame as the subject of the sword was very interesting.

(paperback)

[Kappa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being dead would be all right, just like before you were born.

There is life in things we touch and use, something of ourselves clings to them.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A novella rather than a novel, pleasant rather than gripping, well-written and with a (for me) surprising twist at the end. Doesn't leave me longing to read more of this author's books, though.

[Jojo · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok, I finished it!

[BrokenTune · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Arianne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found myself skimming pages just to get to the "point". It all felt a bit... what is the point?

Very quick read, wouldn't recommend to others

[Joanne Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

A delightful novella. A little predictable but a page turner non-the-less.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick good short read 🙃