‘A thrilling adventure wonderfully evoked as Shakespeare turns spy’ James Oswald

Previously published as A Serpent in the Garden

‘Will Shakespeare as a detective is so good you realise he was wasted as a playwright... This clever crime tale blends pace and humour into a riveting, believable and funny read’ Sun Pick of the Week

It's 1592. As plague ravages London and playhouses close, the Bard turns sleuth…

A young William Shakespeare was the rising star of the theatre world before a deadly epidemic forced the curtain to come down on his promising career as a dramatist.

Lady Celia Vernon is one of the first to succumb, but her cousin, the Earl of Southampton, is convinced she was actually murdered. He commands Will to uncover the truth.

But while Shakespeare is investigating the capital’s cutthroats, Robert Cecil – Queen Elizabeth’s spymaster – hears of his activities. Cecil suspects the earl of treason, and charges Will to report on his comings and goings.

Caught between a suspected murderer and two of the most powerful men in the kingdom, Will is playing a dangerous game. Losing might cost him his life…

A perfect historical mystery for those new to Shakespeare and Bard aficionados alike, this is a fantastically realised imagining of the events of the famous ‘Lost Years’, where almost nothing is known about the most formative events of Will’s incredible life.

Praise for A Serpent in the Garden

A thrilling adventure wonderfully evoked as Shakespeare turns spy’ James Oswald

Impressive... a delicious tapestry of intrigue and adventure’ Crime Time

'Hugely entertaining, clever, engaging. An all-round delight' Trevor Wood

‘A masterpiece’ Rachael Blok

‘I don’t think I’ve ever read any fictional account that so accurately portrays the terrible autocracy that was in force during Elizabeth I’s reign. I couldn't put it downBarbara Nadel

Absolutely fantastic. Clever, sly, funny, gripping – everything to make it a terrific read’ Ajay Chowdhury

A rich page-turner – the sights, sounds and atmosphere of 16th Century London pour from the pages’ Isabel Ashdown

Up there with the best historical fiction I’ve read – Will Shakespeare is an almost competent private eye’ James Oswald

‘I haven’t had this much fun in the Elizabethan era since Joseph Fiennes woo’d Gwyneth Paltrow’ Douglas Skelton

‘One of the best historical novels I’ve read in years’ Robert Rutherford

Les mer

Caught between two of the most powerful men in the kingdom, young William Shakespeare must balance his playwriting with his unfamiliar roles as spy and detective for the Crown.

1592. As plague ravages London and playhouses close, the Bard turns sleuth…

A young William Shakespeare was the rising star of the theatre world before a deadly epidemic forced the curtain to come down on his promising career as a dramatist.

Lady Celia Vernon is one of the first to succumb, but her cousin, the Earl of Southampton, is convinced she was actually murdered. He commands Will to uncover the truth.

But while Shakespeare is investigating the capital’s cutthroats, Robert Cecil – Queen Elizabeth’s spymaster – hears of his activities. Cecil suspects the earl of treason, and charges Will to report on his comings and goings.

Caught between a suspected murderer and two of the most powerful men in the kingdom, Will is playing a dangerous game. Losing might cost him his life…

A perfect historical mystery for those new to Shakespeare and Bard aficionados alike, this is a fantastically realised imagining of the events of the famous ‘Lost Years’, where almost nothing is known about the most formative events of Will’s incredible life.

‘Riveting’ Sun

‘A delicious tapestry of intrigue and adventure’ Crime Time

Les mer

'Evoking the danger and the everyday struggles of people in Elizabethan England, A Serpent in the Garden gives us a new slant on Shakespeare and his world. I don’t think I’ve ever read any fictional account of that time that so accurately portrays the terrible autocracy that was in force during Elizabeth’s reign. It was an absolute police state run in line with the whims of a very dangerous woman. Robert Cecil was truly frightening and the book was nicely balanced between his cruelties and the humour provided by the Burbages and Will himself. I loved all the references to the plays - I couldn’t put it down' Barbara Nadel

'An intriguing premise, a fresh take on a character we think we know well but don't, the sense of history unfolding on the page – it's all here in this clever tale threaded not only with clues to the mystery but also to the works of Shakespeare. I haven't had this much fun in the Elizabethan era since Joseph Fiennes woo'd Gwyneth Paltrow' Douglas Skelton

'I thought it was absolutely fantastic. Clever, sly, funny, gripping – everything to make it a terrific read. I loved all the clever references to lines from his plays, really different!' Ajay Chowdhury

'Thank you so much for sending me an early proof of Howard's new book. I finished it late last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. Historical fiction seems to be having something of a moment right now – either that or it's always been popular and I've just noticed! Either way, this is up there with the best I've read in a while.

I was a little apprehensive at the premise at first – a character so well known as Shakespeare turning spy in Elizabethan London. I need not have worried. Howard has done a wonderful job of weaving a thrilling adventure into the weft of established history. The setting is wonderfully evoked, the pacing spot on, and I loved all the little nods to Shakespeare's plays and how the events of the book might have been inspiration for them. Will himself is a complicated character, but the peril he finds himself in feels very real and the tension builds nicely – a difficult thing to do when historically the reader must know nothing bad is going to happen to him. The supporting cast are excellently drawn too, with enough light humour to make the threats more shocking when they come.

All in all I thought the book was excellent, and Will Shakespeare an almost competent Private Eye. I'm a bit rubbish at pithy quotes, but A Serpent In The Garden was certainly a cracking read that wears its cleverness lightly and is all the better for that. I'll be reviewing it in my newsletter soon and will certainly tell anyone who will listen to read it!' James Oswald

'In A Serpent in the Garden, historical fiction meets crime mystery as Howard Linskey transports us back to Shakespeare's London for this rich page-turner of a novel. I don't know how he did it, but the sights, sounds and atmosphere of 16th Century London poured from the page in this murder mystery with a difference – starring none other than the young playwright William Shakespeare. I didn't want it to end!' Isabel Ashdown

'A Serpent in the Garden is both a beautifully plotted mystery and a vivid depiction of the Elizabethan theatre world. Characters that leap off the page, including Shakespeare himself! Absolutely loved it. A masterpiece of planning and research' Rachael Blok

'Set during Shakespeare’s ‘lost years’ – the period before 1592 – this novel has much to say about the business of writing: the uncertainties, the unexpected discoveries, the intermingling of imagination and experience. It also lays bare the dangers and cruelty of life in Elizabethan England. Linskey’s Shakespeare finds himself caught between Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, and Elizabeth’s spymaster Robert Cecil. Asked by Southampton to look into the unlikely death of a favoured cousin, Shakespeare is required by Cecil to spy on his patron and threatened with the kind of appalling torture that was visited on his fellow playwright Thomas Kyd if he disobeys. Although it is missing the light-hearted wit of Shakespeare in Love, A Serpent in the Garden is an entertaining take on Shakespeare’s dealings with Southampton' Literary Review Dec 2024 (Natasha Cooper) https://literaryreview.co.uk/december-2024-january-2025-crime-round-up

'British author Howard Linskey yet again switches genre with consummate ease, with a page-turner of a historical crime novel featuring none other than William Shakespeare, Queen Elizabeth 1st’s notorious spymaster notorious Robert Cecil and a plethora of well-known real-life characters from the tumultuous period from both the high ends and lower reaches of society. Considering some of Linskey’s previous books were accomplished police procedurals and WW2 thrillers, this is another impressive addition to his genre skillset. Shakespeare, still early in his playwriting career, has witnessed the success of HENRY VI but still feeling he is in the shadow of Christopher Marlowe, is tasked by Cecil to spy on his would-be patron, the Earl of Southampton whom the spymaster suspects of having caused the death of his cousin Lady Celia. Quickly William is faced by conflicting loyalties as he becomes enamoured with Cela’s companion Rosalind; not a convenient place to find himself in, what with a wife and two children of his own! A great feel for the Elizabethan period, familiarity with many of the historical protagonists, subtle references to Shakespeare’s later plays and known life all make for a delicious tapestry of intrigue and adventure' Maxim Jakubowski, Crime Time January 2025 (https://www.crimetime.co.uk/to-the-max-january-crime-for-2025/)

'Absolutely loved this immersive and exciting journey into the world of Will Shakespeare by Howard Linskey. A tantalising tour of Elizabethan intrigue that will leave you wanting another fix ASAP. One of the best historical novels I’ve read in years' Robert Rutherford, author of Seven Days

'That Will Shakespeare as a detective is so good you realise he was wasted as a playwright. It's 1592 and plague has closed London's theatres. Will, with one play to his name, is out of a job. Then he is forced by two rival nobles to spy for them in this clever crime tale that blends pace and humour into a riveting, believable and funny read. Great for Shakespeare lovers, but you're not Bard if you don't know his plays. (5 stars) Sun Pick of the Week 7 February 2025

'Shakespeare as a detective - what’s not to like? Hugely entertaining, clever, engaging, an all-round delight' Trevor Wood, author of The Man on the Street

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Playwright Will Shakespeare is unwillingly drawn into the world of Elizabethan espionage on behalf of Queen Elizabeth I, forced to balance his dangerous detective work against his theatrical dreams.

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Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9781835984604
Publisert
2025-11-13
Utgiver
Canelo
Høyde
198 mm
Bredde
129 mm
Dybde
23 mm
Aldersnivå
G, 01
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Antall sider
384

Forfatter

Biografisk notat

A former journalist, Howard Linskey’s works include crime series and standalones set in the north-east, including the DC Ian Bradshaw series. He also writes historical fiction and non-fiction. His books have been published in nine countries. Originally from County Durham, he lives in Hertfordshire with his wife and daughter.