How do you steal a theatre? This is a theft in which William Shakespeare participates while uncovering the cause of death of a lady-in-waiting to old Queen Elizabeth – Queen Elizabeth I that is – and gaining inspiration for his yet-to-be-written plays. In today’s world, an unpopular play won’t attract an audience. In Shakespeare’s world, an unpopular play will mean not just the loss of an audience but also, quite possibly, the loss of the playwright’s head.
Having squeezed out of Players of Death (the first of Howard Linskey’s Shakespeare Mysteries) with his head still perched on his shoulders, Shakespeare becomes embroiled in another mystery.
I’ve seen this book described as a ‘cosy winter read’. Not sure I agree. All the characters regard a public execution as entertainment. We’re even treated to an execution by an inexperienced axeman – a blow-by-blow account. Though even this is surpassed by sixteenth century London plumbing and drainage. And, of course, a recent plague. Cosy? Ummmm…
I’m not sufficiently well versed in Shakespeare to spot all the parallels, but I saw some. For example, how the theft of that theatre became inspiration for the pound of flesh in The Merchant of Venice.
Crime novels are such good vehicles for describing unfamiliar worlds, be they contemporary or historic. Howard Linskey has treated us to an experience of sixteenth century living – from executions to sewers – truly eyewatering.
Salisbury (Robert Cecil), despite being five-foot-four, with scoliosis and referred to as The Pygmy, is a powerful man in the role of the Queen’s spymaster. Essex (Robert Devereux) is a powerful man as he has the Queen’s favour. There are other powerful men but recounting them all sounds like a geography lesson on English counties and cities.
Then there’s Scotland, the memory of Mary and the threat from that direction. Didn’t the Romans build a wall to deal with that?
At a more homely level, Shakespeare is living a life struck with grief for the loss of his son Hamnet and the guilt he feels for his extramarital affair with Avisa. Though, as Cecil said, “…it was none of our concern where he was dipping his quill…”
So, Shakespeare must tread carefully as he navigates between these people to determine whether the lady-in-waiting’s untimely death was an accident or murder, and if it was murder, the responsible party and then, of course, why?
In addition, Shakespeare is writing Henry V and figuring out how to stage the Battle of Agincourt with half a dozen actors on a ten-by-ten stage in a way that doesn’t incur the Queen’s wrath. “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers…”
I don’t believe I need to announce a spoiler alert when saying that William Shakespeare does actually survive all this.

Muse of Fire is available from Canelo Crime

Reviewer:If We Were Guilty by Paul Durston is available from Diamond Crime