Martyr
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"Clements has a real feel for the Elizabethan period...he understands the religious challenges and historical events that shaped 16th century politics and amidst it all he has devised a thrilling plot. An excellent start to a new series" -- Lancashire Evening Post, Pam Norfolk 'A cracking plot full of twists right up to the last minute. I look forward to the next', -- Sunday Express, Rory Clements 'Beautifully done ... alive and tremendously engrossing' -- Daily Telegraph 'A colourful history lesson ... exciting narrative twists' -- Sunday Telegraph 'Enjoyable, bloody and brutish' -- Guardian 'An engrossing thriller' -- Washington Post 'An excellent debut' -- Publishers Weekly 'Captivates and carries one along through the strength of its plot and its intelligent main character' -- Dallas Morning News 'The joy of this book is the way it interweaves commonly known history with the story. The atmosphere and attention to detail will commend this book to devotees of the period' -- Crimesquad
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England is close to war. Within days the axe could fall on the neck of Mary Queen of Scots, and Spain is already gathering a battle fleet to avenge her. Tensions in Elizabeth I's government are at breaking point. At the eye of the storm is John Shakespeare, chief intelligencer in the secret service of Sir Francis Walsingham. When an intercept reveals a plot to assassinate England's 'sea dragon', Francis Drake, Shakespeare is ordered to protect him. With Drake on land fitting out his ships, he is frighteningly vulnerable. If he dies, England will be open to invasion. In a London rife with rumour, Shakespeare must decide which leads to follow, which to ignore. When a high-born young woman is found mutilated and murdered at an illicit printing house, it is political gunpowder -- and he has no option but to investigate. But why is Shakespeare shadowed at every turn by the brutal Richard Topcliffe, the blood-drenched priest-hunter who claims intimacy with Queen Elizabeth herself? What is Topcliffe's interest in a housemaid, whose baby has been stolen? And where do two fugitive Jesuit priests fit into the puzzle, one happy to die for God, the other to kill for Him? From the splendour and intrigue of the royal court, to the sleek warships of Her Majesty's Navy and the teeming brothels of Southwark, Shakespeare soon learns that nothing is as it seems ...
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Conspiracy in Elizabethan England,
By
This review is from: Martyr (Paperback)
England, more particularly London, in the Elizabethan period. The country is torn between the new English Religion and those who prefer the Romish ways, removed by Elizabeths father, Henry VIII, whilst Elizabeth herself resides at Greenwich Palace deciding wether to sign the death warrant of her Stuart cousin, Mary Queen of Scots who is imprisioned at Fotheringhay in Northamptonshire. So the scene is set for a gripping Elizabethan detective novel, essentially based around the fear of a Spanish invasion, and a plot to assasinate Francis Drake, with a number of other smaller sub-plots going on at the same time.
Clements portrays the period well, particularly the fear imposed by government led individuals, acting on behalf of the Queen, and more specifically those still carrying out the practices associated with the Catholic faith. The book is easy to read, the only downside being the sheer number of characters contained within its 400 pages, some of whom are not given any "depth" (as opposed to C J Sansom, who tends to stick with relatively few characters, all of who emerge in detail). Better than Heresy in that it is far more readable, although does involve similar characters (Walsingham appears in both books). Supposedly the first of a series, and the first couple of chapters of the sequel are included here; which, if the character is allowed to develop in a similar manner to Shardlake, should make for an intersting and exciting insite into Elizabethan England. Worth a read!
39 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A good if not outstanding debut,
By Andy Edwards "staxasoul" (Essex UK) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Martyr (Paperback)
First things first, the publishers would have you believe that this is on a par with the Shardlake novels by CJ Sansom - well, put simply, it isn't. Having said that, once you put aside the comparisons and read it without prejudice then you will probably enjoy it. The setting in turbulent times, provides plenty of opportunity for period detail and it is clear that Clements has brough to bear all his knowledge as a historian. The result is a kind of medieval Day of the Jackal meets Jack the Ripper via Name of the Rose.
The plot and sense of time and place are excellent, and Clements delights in the gruesome, as Shakespeare pursues his serial killer/assasin, all the time trying to stay one step ahead of his rival, Richard Topville. And therein lies a problem, why create a brother for William Shakespeare, when everything else was so historically accurate? Was it merely to facilitate one unlikely setpiece late in the book, because I could see no real need for it. There are a couple of other out of place elements, which I won't specify as to do so would spoil the atory if you want to read it, but suffice to say that they appear out of place for the 16th Century. I also felt that the ending of the book left much to be desired - there seemed to be a few false starts, as if the author wanted to bring things to a climax, but the publisher neede more, so he strung things out for 50 or so more pages. The result was several loose ends, obviously to allow for a sequel or two, and a highly manufactured resolution to Shakespeare's domestic arrangements and his love life, the latter, an aspect of his character which never seemed quite convincing. So if this is the start of a series, it is one which will probably prosper, but the writing needs to be sharper, the plot a little pacier and the characters given more depth.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not up to Shardlake yet.,
By
This review is from: Martyr (Paperback)
I found the opening of this novel quite irritating, relying as it did on reporting historical background, rather than revealing it gradually. However, once the plot took off, this was less noticeable and the book became genuinely interesting. I, too, wondered why Rory Clements made the central protaganist the brother of the famous Shakespeare; there appears to be no reason for the link, nor for the implied connection with Andrew Marvell. Also, the ending felt very contrived and strangely flat, which was a pity because the story had really gripped me for the last two hundred pages. I will definitely read the next one - well, I've just bought it - because it looks as though these novels could develop into something really good. Not quite up to CJ Samson's level yet though.
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