From Rory Clements, winner of the Ellis Peters Historical Fiction Award, comes TRAITOR, the fourth in his acclaimed bestselling John Shakespeare Elizabethan mystery series. 'Does for
The Elizabethan navy has a secret weapon: an optical instrument so powerful it gives England unassailable superiority at sea. Spain will stop at nothing to steal it and seize the two men who understand its secrets - its operative William Ivory, known as the 'Queen's Eye', and its inventor, the maverick magician Dr Dee.
With a second Armada threatened, intelligencer John Shakespeare is sent north to escort Dr Dee to safety. But his mission is far from straightforward. Dee's host, the Earl of Derby, cousin to Elizabeth, is dying in agony, apparently poisoned. Who wants him dead and why? What lies behind the lynching of the recusant priest Father Matthew Lamb? And what exactly is the connection between these events and the mysterious and beautiful Lady Eliska? While Shakespeare attempts to untangle a plot that points to treachery at the very highest reaches of government, he also faces serious accusations far closer to home. With so much at stake, must he choose between family and his duty to Queen and country?
Moving from the Catholic heartlands of Lancashire to a vagabond camp in the heart of England, and from the deck of Admiral Frobisher's flagship off the Brittany coast to the secret meetings of Elizabeth's closest associates, Traitor is award-winning writer Rory Clements' most intriguing and compelling novel to date.
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Review
'Clements can be seen as doing for Elizabeth's reign what CJ Sansom does for Henry VIII's . . . What's impressive in the latest is how much of Tudor society it crams in, from the court and Derby's estate to outlaws and the soldiers in its concluding scene'
(Sunday Times)'There's plenty of thrills . . . the multiple plot elements are well-handled . . . there's much that's enjoyable and Clements' orchestration of the narrative is skillful'
(www.displacementactivity.co.uk)'The best yet in Rory Clements' magnificent series about John Shakespeare . . . As always, the historical detail is fascinating and sometimes delightfully obscure . . . another sumptuous feast that will leave you sated - but craving for the next helping!
(Crimesquad)'I found this the best book in the series'
(Historical Novels Review)'This is a first-class mystery steeped in authentic sixteenth-century intrigue; the evocation of the stench and squalor of Tudor London is sans pareil'
(Good Book Guide)Praise for Prince:
'A genuine page turner, and cleverly weaves in real historical events and personalities. Fans will not be disappointed'
'Intriguing . . . wonderfully graphic and descriptive. Clements richly deserves the accolade: "faster moving than C.J. Sansom'
(Bookbag)'Clements' thrilling murder mysteries are a real cut above . . . steeped in authentic 16th-century politics, the plots are complex and clever, and the characters believable and engrossing. But his greatest gift is the ability to bring to life the squalor, intrigue and perils of Tudor London and amidst it all create a superbly tense and entertaining mystery. Roll on Mr Shakespeare's Act IV'
(Lancashire Evening Post)'Blending fact with fiction Clements tells a rip-roaring yarn with vigour and energy and a huge enthusiasm for the period . . . a novel lacking neither action nor spice. An undeniably enjoyable and lively plot that gathers pace and excitement throughout. A devilishly good read'
(Crime Time)'There is a veritable cornucopia of elements to praise here . . . John Shakespeare is one of the great historical sleuths'
(Barry Forshaw)'This very well-plotted, erudite, historical mystery has many twists and turns which make for a very vivid story line. A very absorbing read with a real quality, similar in style but perhaps faster moving, than books by James Forrester or C.J. Sansom. I consider it one of the best books I've read this year. I will certainly look out for more stories by this very talented writer'
(Eurocrime)'What most impressed me was Clements' ability to set a fast-paced crime thriller in the London of 1593 and to make it entirely convincing. Clements gives life to this world, not just through years of painstaking research into all things Elizabethan - from cuisine to clothing, politics to borstals, autopsies to witchcraft - but through his use of real figures from history and the manipulation of actual events. What we end up with is a scenario that is believable, and perhaps this is what makes it such an enjoyable read. Whether intentionally or no, many of the topics dealt with in this book also still resonate today and it gives acts of terrorism, for example, a longer historical context' (Edinburgh Book Review)
'Good news for John Shakespeare fans - the Elizabethan Bond is back for his fourth and perhaps most compelling advenure . . . This condensation of almost thirteen years of history moves at a furious pace to provide a rumbustious read mixing fact with plenty of adventure, sex and violence with enough twists to confuse anyone but the most determined sleuth . . . This is very definitely another hit for award-winning author Rory Clements'
(www.reviewingtheevidence.com)Praise for Martyr and Revenger:
'A cracking plot full of twists right up to the last minute. I look forward to the next'
'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)'This is a historical thriller to send a shiver down your spine . . . atmospheric - the evocation of the filth and debauchery of London is quite exceptional - it demonstrates the compelling eye for detail and character that Bernard Cornwall so memorably brought to Rifleman Sharpe. I could not tear myself away, it is that good' (Daily Mail)
About the Author
After a career in national newspapers, Rory Clements now lives in a seventeenth-century farmhouse in Norfolk and writes full time. When not immersing himself in the Elizabethan world, he enjoys village life and a game of tennis with friends. He is married to the artist Naomi Clements-Wright. There are five books in the John Shakespeare series of Elizabethan mysteries: Martyr, which was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey Award, Revenger, which won the 2010 CWA Ellis Peters Historical Fiction Award, Prince, which was shortlisted for the 2011 Ellis Peters Historical Fiction Award, Traitor and Monarch. All are published by John Murray. A TV series based on the books is currently in development. You can find out more about Rory, his writing and the world of John Shakespeare on his website www.roryclements.com and at www.johnmurray.co.uk.
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Customer Reviews
But I really enjoyed this one. It's the fourth in the series and it follows the usual formula: reluctant government agent John Shakespeare (brother of the more famous Will) is sent on a mission which involves solving a murder while unravelling a plot that threatens to overturn the Tudor throne. This time there are spies and assassins, renegade soldiers and vagabond bands, a secret weapon to protect, a beautiful double agent to seduce, and a frantic chase across war-torn northern France which ends in a bloody siege. Sometimes the reason for the whole escapade gets a bit lost in the sub-plots (I never did understand why just one man had to keep hold of the spyglass) but on the whole it's an excellent page-turner.
Usually I find Clements' characters far too sketchy, and their relationships and dialogue far too unconvincing, to really care about what happens to them - John Shakespeare is certainly no match for Sansom's all-too-human Shardlake. But either he's getting better, or this is such an exciting and fast-moving plot that it didn't bother me as much. For once, the use of real historical characters like brother Will and Dr John Dee seemed integral to the plot and not just a clumsy add-on to bring a touch of authenticity to the tale. And he's also introduced two credible and likeable new characters - Shakespeare's foster son Andrew, and his ragamuffin friend Ursula - who I hope will feature in future books.
It's almost as if Clements has given up trying to match CJ Sansom for character development, analysis and angst - always a losing battle - and decided to concentrate on producing plot-led thrillers, which I always suspected he'd do better.
I nearly gave up on this series after Prince (John Shakespeare 3), but I'm glad I didn't. I'm even looking forward to the next one now.
Many reviewers have commented on the weakness of the Andrew Woode angle in Act !. I can only agree with this - and it is so painfully obvious what has happened and who is the root cause. (This is not the only plot line to be telegraphed).
I mentioned, in my review of Prince, that the evil of Topcliffe is overworked and, frankly, tremendously boring. This follows the same path and falls in to the same trap. It is time to move on, Rory (and I suspect that he is thinking of doing so)!
There are a lot of plot lines in this: the death/murder of an earl; a Jesuit conspiracy (or was it); a potential double agent; the war in Brittany; an act of treasonous sabotage; and the main storyline concerning the perspective glass. (I am totally ignoring the vagabond storyline - that is just tedious taradiddle!). Too many things - and the ending becomes a little too neat in an effort to tie them all off.
One thing also sticks in the craw. Sailors would not be at all happy to have a woman on board, especially not if they were going in to battle in a foreign sea. A woman on board ship was considered to be very unlucky, and the Elizabethans were nothing if not superstitious. Eliska sailing with Frobisher fits the story nicely, but it really is a non-starter of an idea.
As a final point, this was a 471 page hardback. If the print had not been so large (10 words to the line as a maximum!!!) it would be no bigger than 380-400 pages. With better editing, I suspect that this is a 250 page novel - the result you see is just bedecked in more gossamer finery than Titania herself.
If you want a quick read which won't tax you, this will do. (Good for the beach or the Tube, I would say). If you want something deeper, this is not for you. For a better crafted book, I would go for the Sansom Shardlake series and the Mantell Cromwell books (for more serious reads) or why not try the Patricia Finney Ames and Becket series (for a well crafted and witty read).
I would probably try the next Rory Clements novel. They have not been anywhere near as bad as (Ian) James Forrester (Mortimer)'s incredible (as in "unbelievable") Clarenceux novels.
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