Martyr

Martyr is a fast-paced chase through Elizabethian England, during the time of the impending Spanish Armada, mixing fictional heroes and villains with historical figures. John Shakespeare, yes - brother of William, at the direction of Sir Walsingham undertakes a chase after the would-be assassin of Sir Francis Drake with time running short. The tale was much like Inspector Claude Lebel's chase after de Gaulle's would-be assassin in Day of the Jackal, although the later was more satisfying for the Lebel's sleuthing and the Jackal's effort to avoid detection. Nonetheless, this was a fun read.

History gives us few certainties about William Shakespeare -- scholars have even been bickering for centuries about who actually wrote all those plays -- leaving a creative writer with a solid knowledge of Elizabethan England free to invent an older brother for the famous playwright and poet. John Shakespeare is toiling in the employ of Queen Elizabeth's famous spymaster, Walsingham, trying to keep England safe from conspiracies against the queen and her realm from the likes of Mary Queen of Scots and the King of Spain. It's a weighty task, and it doesn't help that Shakespeare also feels the need to protect the country from the far more fanatic Topcliffe, who will torture and even kill at random in the pursuit of the same goals. To me, the hallmark of a well-told tale is when I am convinced to completely ignore plot twists that seem implausible or facts that are invented (Shakespeare was probably the eldest surviving son in his family, for instance) and Rory Clements moves this story along at a cracking pace, starting with the discovery of the dead and mutilated body of the queen's cousin, Lady Blanche Howard. Trying to solve this crime and protect Sir Francis Drake, the seaman who is the terror of the Spaniards, from assassination, brings John Shakespeare into conflict with not only a Jesuit assassin but also Topcliffe, his nemesis (who comes across as a kind of 16th century predecessor of an Al Qaeda terrorist or torturer in some Middle Eastern prison, prepared to do anything it takes; he literally demolishes the house of a noblewoman in quest of a Jesuit priest he believes she is hiding.) It's a swashbuckling tale, involving seafaring, horseback pursuits along country roads, whores and brothels, kidnappings, illicit printing presses printing scandalous broadsheets about the misdeeds of Queen Elizabeth with Robert Dudley, etc. To Clements' great credit, he keeps the action moving so rapidly, and his characters are so lively and interesting, that I found myself simply shrugging off some of the more implausible plot twists (does Shakespeare the sleuth not have the common sense to figure out when it might be smart to take someone with him in pursuit of a possible witch with knowledge of murders??) There's lots of gritty detail about whorehouse life, pisspots and other such stuff and less emphasis on romance or even offering the reader a soft veil through which to peer at the 16th century; some readers will be pleased at the gritty approach while others, more accustomed to historical fiction or romance reads, might find it jarring. Ultimately, it was Clements' ability to craft great characters that grabbed me and didn't let me go. His John Shakespeare is a man with scruples in an era where having them places him squarely in the midst of a battle royal between those on all sides who feel such scruples are an impediment to more lofty goals -- protecting their religion, pursuing their cause, etc. He conjures up a world that we have left behind, one

At a time when scholars are warming to the idea that Shakespeare may himself have been a secret Catholic, it seems odd to introduce a hero who not only is alleged to be that poet's brother but who also makes a living hunting down Papists. Shakespeare was, of course, his mother's eldest son. We may come to find that John Shakespeare was the illegitimate son of John Senior, but I'll leave that fiction to Rory Clements to concoct. The John Shakespeare of "Martyr" is a naif. He is a senior officer in the employ of Walsingham (it will be interesting to find out, should the series continue, how that came about), but he is easily gulled and outmanoeuvred, allowing himself to be robbed on the one hand and raped by whores on the other, not to mention being kidnapped and beaten and repeatedly humiliated by his enemy and fellow intelligencer, the historical Richard Topcliffe. He hasn't a fraction of the wit of his younger "brother," Will, who shines in a brief scene. I'll admit, I was looking for a mystery novel when I stumbled across "Martyr"; it is more derring-do than whodunnit. That being said, it is a lively invocation of the period, and I love a good period novel. Plus there are some inspired characters and characterizations, including a pirate-sailor named Boltfoot, a mysterious madam, and none other that Sir Francis Drake himself, the scourge of the Spanish Armada. I have a feeling that many of these characters will be appearing in subsequent novels, and I look forward to reading about them. However, for all his "youth," John Shakespeare needs to become more of a player. He is honorable and likeable, but he is not entirely believable as a forerunner of James Bond. Intelligencers, to use Clements' term, should be made of sterner stuff.

In 1587 Queen Elizabeth considers the consequences of executing her prime rival Mary, Queen of Scots vs. keeping the threat of revolt by leaving her alive. At the same time, English spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham learns of an assassination plot from a reliable source that the Spanish want to kill naval hero Sir Francis "El Draque" Drake; his murder would cause havoc in the country as he has caused trouble for Spain and known for sailing aroud the world. Walsingham assigns assistant secretary and chief intelligencer John Shakespeare to investigate the scheme and quickly concludes the Drake plot is tied to the murder of a relative of the Queen Lady Blanche Howard, whose corpse mutilated with numerous stabbings was found in a London fire. John's inquiries angers the Queen's loyal supporter Richard Topcliffe, who uses torture to obtain confessions from Her Highness' enemies especially Catholics. Richard warns John to back off or he will come after Shakespeare's father, who empathizes with Catholics, and insure his brother's writing and acting career fails. This is a superb Elizabethan thriller starring Will's older brother John just prior to the execution of Mary and a year before the defeat of the Spanish Armada. The investigations into the murder of Elizabeth's cousin and the conspiracy to kill Drake are top rate especially the way Rory Clements ties them together. With a deep look at the era as well, Elizabethan period and historical mystery fans will appreciate this delightful novel. Harriet Klausner