Cecil’s motives are called in to question when his ties to an Irish man are made known, especially since the Irish are always in the background, most often disgruntled as the feud between the Catholics and the Protestants continues. Shakespeare does his best to remain an impartial investigator, but being loyal to the crown and being married to a Catholic woman, he sometimes finds himself at odds as he goes about his tasks.

  Revenger, the second historical mystery to feature John Shakespeare is a very detailed, well-imagined accounting of Tudor England. London is not glamorized, but depicted with all its sights and smells, unpleasant as they may have been. John wants to serve his Queen, but also would really be just as happy to be a quiet schoolteacher at home with his family. The plot and subplots are terribly complicated; Clements handles them elegantly and deftly keeps them all straight and makes sense of them all by the end.

This rich, historical mystery full of political intrigue, with a connection to the New World will please fans of Elizabethan and Tudor England and will immerse them with the atmosphere.  Readers looking for a well-plotted mystery full of intrigue will also find much here to enjoy.                                                      

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry