Publisher: Hodder
SYNOPSIS:
From Rory Clements, winner of the Ellis Peters Historical Fiction Award, comes THE HERETICS, the fifth in his acclaimed bestselling John Shakespeare Elizabethan mystery series. 'Does for Elizabeth's reign what CJ Sansom does for Henry VIII's' Sunday Times England may have survived the Armada threat of 1588, but when Spanish galleys land troops in Cornwall on a lightning raid seven years later, is it a dry-run for a new invasion? Revenge for the sacking of Spanish shipping and ports? A warning shot to Drake and Hawkins? Or is there, perhaps, a more sinister motive? The Queen is speechless with rage at Spain's temerity. Sir Robert Cecil demands answers. But as John Shakespeare tries to get a grip on events, England's secret defences begin to unravel as one by one his network of spies is horribly murdered. But what has all this to do with Thomasyn Jade, a girl driven to the edge of madness by the foul rituals of exorcism? And what is the link to a group of priests held prisoner in the bleak confines of Wisbech Castle? From the pain-wracked torture rooms of the Inquisition in Seville to the marshy wastes of fenland, from the wild coasts of Cornwall to the sweat and sawdust of the Elizabethan playhouses, and from the condemned cell at Newgate to the devilish stench of brimstone and fear as demons are driven out by unspeakable means, THE HERETICS builds to a terrifying climax that threatens the life of the Queen herself.
REVIEW:
The latest book in this wonderful Historical Fiction Spy Conspiracy series and one that really does take the reader back to those days of danger, intrigue and action as our principle hero finds himself thrown into the centre of something that can bring the whole system down around its knees. As usual it’s a book that I had a hard time putting down and when added to some cracking dialogue alongside some wonderful twists all round gave me something that I loved.
Back this up with some masterful authorly manipulation of the reader, some great cast members all round will give you an experience that if you haven’t read the others already will have you scurrying to your library to borrow the others. One of the authors finest in my opinion.
Publisher: Hodder
SYNOPSIS:
Will be added when available
REVIEW:
The Sixth outing for Mr John Shakespeare and one that will have him following Sir Francis Walsingham’s orders in a prequel tale of daring, danger and religion as the battle for the throne heats up. It is well written, it has some great prose and yet, to be honest I felt a little flat. Why? Well when you know that it’s a prequel and let us face it, the principle character is not going to die as he has future outings to look forward to.
There’s no real danger for him, it lessens the excitement for the reader and all round leaves you feeling a little flat. That’s not o say that it’s a poor book, far from it, I had a lot of fun reading it but with no real danger to our hero, well I felt that it was missing one of the key elements that has made this series so gripping. A great shame.
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