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Prince

A gripping historical mystery for readers of C. J. Sansom and Laura Shepherd-Robinson

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Prince

By: Rory Clements
Narrated by: Jonathan Aris
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'Does for Elizabeth's reign what CJ Sansom does for Henry VIII's' Sunday Times

The third book in the iconic John Shakespeare series, beloved by thousands of readers, from true master of historical fiction, Rory Clements.

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'Sixteenth-century London comes alive in all its tawdriness' Daily Mail

'Beautifully done . . . alive and tremendously engrossing' Daily Telegraph

'Plot and dialogue that hums with Elizabethan slang, profanity and wit' The Times

'Enjoyable, bloody and brutish' Guardian

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Spring 1593. England is a powder keg of rumour and fear.

Plague rages, famine is rife, the ageing Queen's couriers scheme: Elizabeth's Golden Age is truly tarnished. Meanwhile Spain watches and waits - and plots.

Into this turmoil a small cart clatters through the streets of London, carrying a deadly load. It is the first in a wave of horrific bombing attacks on the Dutch immigrant community that will change John Shakespeare's life for ever.

Driven on by cold rage, his investigations will take him from royal horseraces to opulent brothel chambers, from the theatrical underworld of Marlowe and Kyd to pain-wracked torture cells , and from the elegant offices of master tactician Robert Cecil to the splintering timbers of an explosive encounter at sea.

As Shakespeare delves ever deeper, he uncovers intricate layers of mystery and deception that threaten the heart not only of the realm, but of all that he holds dear.

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Readers adore Martyr and the John Shakespeare series . . .

'If you love C.J. Sansom, you'll love this'

'You can feel, smell, see and hear the dangerous times of Tudor England'

'An absolutely delightful Elizabethan mystery'

'If you enjoy S.J. Parris, you need to try this'

'Rory Clements has struck gold with John Shakespeare'©2011 Rory Clements Entertainment & Performing Arts Historical Historical Fiction Medieval Mystery Renaissance Royalty England Fiction Heartfelt
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Critic reviews

Beautifully done . . . alive and tremendously engrossing.
Enjoyable, bloody and brutish.
This is a historical thriller to send a shiver down your spine.
A cracking plot full of twists right up to the last minute. I look forward to the next.
All stars
Most relevant
The story teller manages to bring all the characters to life, whilst sustaining the character of the hero as a constant presence.
Both the story and it’s teller bring to mind the intrigue, colour, scent and violence of the period. Unfortunately, it is a real diversion and hard to turn off once the scene has been set.

The reader is amazing and the story gripping

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Did the Liverpool vernacular exist in Elizabethan times? A minor point for an excellent narrator.

Narration usually excellent …

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A grim and brutal book made even more unpaletable by short chapters that tend to destroy the flow of the story. Not a bokk I would read or listen to a second time
For me the novel's only redeeming aspect is excellent performance by the narrator Jonathan Aris

Heavy Readingr

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I cannot understand why these stories are not made into films. The atmosphere,, etc is so real it's like one is actually there. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.

Brilliant

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I was less pleased with this John Shakespeare novel. It was at times difficult to follow with quick changes of scene and the high number of characters and settings to keep reliable ear-tracking. The change of narrator may have had an influence too; I did not think he managed to convey the best humanity of John Shakespeare, though there is no doubt he can the hardness of him hen required. In plotting one key event was something too easily trailed and this lessened the impact which should have been huge. In that plotting it felt more of a slow-burn (no pun) for me. The collection of vile and brutal characters was high in number. They and their frequently brutal and cruel antics did not give lend to easy relaxation. For all this I gave it four stars on account of the complexity of the mystery and the attempts to solve it. I wait to see if one loose end remains so. The performance by Jonathan Aris was proficient and clear. I look forward to Gareth Armstrong's performances for the remaining John Shakespeare mysteries.

A Serious Mystery to Solve

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