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Martyr

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Martyr

By: Rory Clements
Narrated by: Peter Wickham
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About this listen

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 - one happy to die for God, the other to kill for Him - fit into the puzzle? 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.

2009, CWA Daggers: John Creasey (New Blood), Short-listed

©2009 Rory Clements (P)2010 Oakhill Publishing Fiction Historical Mystery England Royalty

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Critic reviews

John Shakespeare is one of the great historical sleuths. (Barry Forshaw)
All stars
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The voice of the narrator was initially off putting but as I became engrossed with the plot I found him easy to listen too. Although the language suits the times I found it rather vulgar and unnecessary, I feel some may be put off by it.
The book has a good plot, the main character is an easy one to like and on the whole I think the story is a good one.

Martyr

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On John Shakespeare, that is. This book was overly long and tedious in parts but at it’s heart was a good story. It just needed less of it!

I won’t give up yet.

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Really enjoyed this story. You get a strong sense of Elizabethan England; the religious and political tensions and intrigues in particular.

Shakespeare is attempting to find a murderer before he kills Drake. There’s enough fact to give the plot credibility and the range of characters adds depth. Excellent narration and I’m looking forward to the next adventure in this series.

Complex and satisfying

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it's good to read historical fiction with adult themes, the narrator started off a bit shaky but I liked him by the end

Excellent

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This is a detective story based in Elizabeth 1 reign based on some historical facts. I Really enjoyed the way the novel and the history mixed together. Not mad about the narrator - not bad but have had better. Overall a really good listen.

Good historical detective story

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