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The Queen's Man

A thrilling early story in the life of John Shakespeare in the award-winning, bestselling series

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About this listen

 ***Includes bonus short story***

Introduces us to the life of John Shakespeare, Queen's Spy.

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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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England is a Judas nest of conspiracy.

It is 1582, and the conflict between Protestant and Catholic threatens to tear the country in two.

While Queen Elizabeth I holds the reins of power, there are those whose loyalty lies with her imprisoned cousin, Mary Queen of Scots.

On his first major mission for Sir Francis Walsingham, the young John Shakespeare is ordered to discover a conspiracy to free the Stuart queen from Sheffield Castle.

All too soon, he realises that the tentacles of the plot reach deep into his native Warwickshire and threaten his own friends and family.

His duty lies with Elizabeth - but how far will he go to protect those he loves?

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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'©2014 Rory Clements Anthologies & Short Stories Armed Forces Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Military Mystery Naval Forces Private Investigators Short Stories England Royalty

Continue the series
Holy Spy cover art
Holy Spy By: Rory Clements

Critic Reviews

*GOOD HOUSEKEEPING Reader Recommends*: I could not put down THE QUEEN'S MAN by Rory Clements
The sixth in Rory Clements' enjoyable series of Elizabethan thrillers featuring John Shakespeare ... Clements has the edge when it comes to creating a lively, fast-moving plot.
Sixteenth-century London comes alive in all its tawdriness.
Enjoyable, bloody and brutish.
All stars
Most relevant
Another great title by Rory Clements. The characters, the intrigue, all very believable. The narration brings every character to life.

Very enjoyable!

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Although this is the “back story” to all the John Shakespeare stories, it is not listed as the first in the series. (I’m not sure why.) It is as rollicking and as intelligent as the other stories, however, with a mix of light and shade that Is the mark of the control that Rory Clements exercises so masterfully. The sad situation of the Roman Catholic minority in Elizabethan England provides much of the moral setting of the novel but there is an even handedness in this. There are reckless Catholics and diabolical Protestants in this world of ambiguity and deception. It’s a joy to meet a recreation of a young William Shakespeare here. The reading of the novel is terrific and the production values are outstanding. A great story well read.

Great Story Wonderfully Read

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