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Shakespearean Murder #6
An Honorable Murderer
It is the summer of 1604, many years after the defeat of the Armada, and the Spanish are in London to negotiate a peace treaty. Nick Revill’s theater company— newly promoted to the King’s Men now that James I is on the throne—are given a ceremonial role at the celebrations. But not everybody welcomes this outbreak of peace.
Sir Walter Raleigh, imprisoned in the Tower of London, is far from inactive—he has many friends on the outside who may try to sabotage the negotiations. Nick, meanwhile, has been invited by Shakespeare’s rival, Ben Jonson, to take part in a masque at Somerset House, where the Spanish are lodged. He soon finds himself unwillingly caught up in a conspiracy.
During a rehearsal, the courtier Sir Philip Blake dies an apparently accidental death when he tumbles from a chair in which he is being lowered to the stage. But this is only the first of a series of suspicious deaths, and Nick must look hard at those around the robust Ben Jonson, once imprisoned for killing a fellow player; the embittered and satirical playwright Martin Barton; the smooth courtier Giles Cass; and Maria More, devoted companion to the bereft Lady Blake.
Sir Walter Raleigh, imprisoned in the Tower of London, is far from inactive—he has many friends on the outside who may try to sabotage the negotiations. Nick, meanwhile, has been invited by Shakespeare’s rival, Ben Jonson, to take part in a masque at Somerset House, where the Spanish are lodged. He soon finds himself unwillingly caught up in a conspiracy.
During a rehearsal, the courtier Sir Philip Blake dies an apparently accidental death when he tumbles from a chair in which he is being lowered to the stage. But this is only the first of a series of suspicious deaths, and Nick must look hard at those around the robust Ben Jonson, once imprisoned for killing a fellow player; the embittered and satirical playwright Martin Barton; the smooth courtier Giles Cass; and Maria More, devoted companion to the bereft Lady Blake.
282 pages, Hardcover
First published February 24, 2005
3 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Philip Gooden
84 books33 followersPhilip Gooden lives in Bath. In addition to his Nick Revill series, Sleep of Death, he is the author of The Guinness Guide to Better English and the editor of The Mammoth Book of Literary Anecdotes. Each of his Nick Revill mysteries revolves around a Shakespearean play mirroring life - in Sleep of Death the play was Hamlet, in this offering it is Troilus and Cressida.
AKA Philippa Morgan.
Series:
* Shakespearean Murder
* Tom Ansell
AKA Philippa Morgan.
Series:
* Shakespearean Murder
* Tom Ansell
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 5, 2022
The 6th and unfortunately the last in the Nicholas Revill series. Nicholas is an actor with William Shakepeare's troupe in the Kings Men. He seems to keep finding himself in the middle of murder mystery or two.
The books always loosely tie to a famous Shakespeare play and in this case its Othello. In my opinion these books are not trying be all time classics they are simply meant to be entertaining and in that they deliver. When I read the series I always feel like I'm walking the streets on London with Nick and living the life. I love it and will probably reread the series in the near future which is not something I do very often.
As for the mystery in this final installment, I think its the best yet. I obviously won't ruin it but Gooden saved the best for last.
If you are looking for a murder mystery with a Shakespearean bent then I think you should try the series.
The books always loosely tie to a famous Shakespeare play and in this case its Othello. In my opinion these books are not trying be all time classics they are simply meant to be entertaining and in that they deliver. When I read the series I always feel like I'm walking the streets on London with Nick and living the life. I love it and will probably reread the series in the near future which is not something I do very often.
As for the mystery in this final installment, I think its the best yet. I obviously won't ruin it but Gooden saved the best for last.
If you are looking for a murder mystery with a Shakespearean bent then I think you should try the series.
December 3, 2015
James I is now King of England and his consort, Queen Anne of Denmark is involved in a masque to celebrate the peace treaty between England and its very recent enemy, Spain. This will be a production that relies less on plot and acting and more on symbolism, but Nick and some of his fellow actors have been conscripted to fill in some minor roles. Let's hope nothing untoward happens! They aren't currently putting on anything at the Globe, but now being The King's Men, they have to suit up and hang around the court like living accent pieces.
Gooden makes a stab at getting around the old Killer Explains All chestnut by having the suspects make Nick tell what he has guessed. This is almost natural, but still smacks of the Get Everyone In The Room And Take Turns Accusing Them. In line with the semi-naturalism, not everything is explained. Hurrah! Although, while looking back on the suspects' behavior the mind boggles.
There are some interesting bits - where Nick is challenged on why women weren't allowed to perform in theatre at that time ... and he really hasn't got a good answer. We are acquainted with some robbers' scam that we hope not to fall for in future, if they're still using it. We learn of the development of the flush toilet - which I think Queen Elizabeth may have had installed in her day, but it's just starting to trickle down, so to speak, to the wealthy. And we learn about the state of the art of special effects!
I am now fresh out of brain candy. Rats.
Gooden makes a stab at getting around the old Killer Explains All chestnut by having the suspects make Nick tell what he has guessed. This is almost natural, but still smacks of the Get Everyone In The Room And Take Turns Accusing Them. In line with the semi-naturalism, not everything is explained. Hurrah! Although, while looking back on the suspects' behavior the mind boggles.
There are some interesting bits - where Nick is challenged on why women weren't allowed to perform in theatre at that time ... and he really hasn't got a good answer. We are acquainted with some robbers' scam that we hope not to fall for in future, if they're still using it. We learn of the development of the flush toilet - which I think Queen Elizabeth may have had installed in her day, but it's just starting to trickle down, so to speak, to the wealthy. And we learn about the state of the art of special effects!
I am now fresh out of brain candy. Rats.
April 11, 2019
The mystery was intriguing and the setting mostly authentic until the final twist which I found ridiculous and anachronistic, .
December 12, 2018
Kind of slow but has a good plot twist toward the end.
August 12, 2007
AN HONORABLE MURDER (Historical-England-1600s) – G+
Gooden, Phillip – 6th in series
Constable, 2005- UK Hardcover – ISBN 1841196940
*** King James and Queen Anne are now on the throne, the Spanish are coming to London to sign the treaty ending the war with Spain and Burbage’s company of players, the King’s Men, have been asked to perform a Masque as part of the celebration. Actor Nicholas Reville has been hired by a man he believes part of the King’s Privy Council, to watch those who are being part of the Masque, as it will include players, Royals, and members of both the English and Spanish parties, for anything unusual. Unusual events do take place; particularly when a prop breaks killing a noble. Was it an accident?
*** Nick Reville is a very likable character, a bit bumbling, both in his investigative skills and his romantic ones. Told in Nick’s voice, the story provides a realistic picture of Elizabethan/Jacobean London. The narration and dialogue has flavor of the period and the puns for which I’ve come to know Gooden’s writing. Gooden mixes his fictional and historical characters seamlessly, but using the historical characters, such as Shakespeare, in secondary roles. The mystery is a classic mystery, a death has occurred, there are a number of possible suspects and it’s up to Nick to determine the killer. Each book in this series focuses on one of Shakespeare’s plays. In this case, it is “Othello,” and the connection is wonderfully done. I found this a delightful book in a very good series.
Gooden, Phillip – 6th in series
Constable, 2005- UK Hardcover – ISBN 1841196940
*** King James and Queen Anne are now on the throne, the Spanish are coming to London to sign the treaty ending the war with Spain and Burbage’s company of players, the King’s Men, have been asked to perform a Masque as part of the celebration. Actor Nicholas Reville has been hired by a man he believes part of the King’s Privy Council, to watch those who are being part of the Masque, as it will include players, Royals, and members of both the English and Spanish parties, for anything unusual. Unusual events do take place; particularly when a prop breaks killing a noble. Was it an accident?
*** Nick Reville is a very likable character, a bit bumbling, both in his investigative skills and his romantic ones. Told in Nick’s voice, the story provides a realistic picture of Elizabethan/Jacobean London. The narration and dialogue has flavor of the period and the puns for which I’ve come to know Gooden’s writing. Gooden mixes his fictional and historical characters seamlessly, but using the historical characters, such as Shakespeare, in secondary roles. The mystery is a classic mystery, a death has occurred, there are a number of possible suspects and it’s up to Nick to determine the killer. Each book in this series focuses on one of Shakespeare’s plays. In this case, it is “Othello,” and the connection is wonderfully done. I found this a delightful book in a very good series.
September 1, 2010
Okay. I liked the idea of an amateur investigator being a member of Shakespeare’s acting troupe.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews