Martyr
Martyr by Rory Clements is a historical thriller published by John Murray in 2010. This paperback edition spans 422 pages and is written in English. The narrative centers around John Shakespeare, who serves as the chief intelligencer in the secret service of Sir Francis Walsingham during a time of political tension in Elizabethan England. As the threat of war looms and the fate of Mary Queen of Scots hangs in the balance, Shakespeare is tasked with protecting the vulnerable Francis Drake from an assassination plot.
Readers will find a complex web of intrigue as Shakespeare navigates the dangerous landscape of London, rife with rumors and political machinations. The story unfolds against a backdrop of espionage, featuring elements such as a gruesome murder linked to an illicit printing house and the ominous presence of Richard Topcliffe, a priest-hunter with ties to the royal court. The plot intricately weaves together themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the moral dilemmas faced by those in power, all while exploring the darker corners of society, from the royal court to the bustling streets of Southwark.
Official synopsis Publisher
*****Part of the bestselling John Shakespeare series of Tudor spy thrillers from Rory Clements, winner of the Ellis Peters Historical Fiction Award*****
‘Does for Elizabeth’s reign what CJ Sansom does for Henry VIII’s’ Sunday Times
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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