The Queen's Head (Nicholas Bracewell, 1)

Very slow, lacks exciement and feelng.

First Sentence: Death stalked her patiently throughout the whole of her imprisonment. Mary, Queen of Scots, is dead and the Spanish Armada has been defeated. In celebration, Lord Westfield's Men is preparing to present a new play, "The Loyal Subject." The company is beset with problems beginning with the death of an actor in a bar brawl. Nicholas Bracewell, the company's manager and keeper of the books, was present and promised to find his friend's killer. As other incidents occur, Bracewell suspects much more is at stake. After a very dramatic opening, Marston moves on to bring the inner working of Elizabethan theater to life. Some elements--the hard work, competitiveness, jealousies, stagecraft and disappointment--haven't changed through time. It is interesting to learn about the role of the keeper of the books and to learn how special effects were done. It is the structure of acting companies and the legal and political aspects were very different and make this fascinating. The sense of time and place are elements I should liked to have been stronger. It was there but not as evocative as it could have been. However, one of the appeals of stories set in London is that many of the locations still exist today. The inclusion of a map would have been nice. The dialogue flowed well and did hint to the period. That did help. I like Marston's characters. Even those who play to stereotype are enough developed that they don't read flat. Bracewell is certainly the most developed of the characters and is very interesting. I learn enough about who he is to have gained my empathy, while knowing there is much more I want to learn. I felt the plot was very well done with a very good flow to it. It certainly kept my interested to where it was one of those books I read straight through. The climactic scene was very well done, even for my having figured it out. However, there is a very good twist on motive and its revelation leads to one of the truest lines written. While I enjoyed the Elizabethan theater series by Philip Gooden, judging only by this first book, this may be a better series. The second book awaits me. THE QUEEN'S HEAD (Hist Mys-Nicholas Bracewell-London-Elizabethan/1500s) - VG Marston, Edward - 1st in Bracewell series St. Martin's Press, ©1998, US Hardcover - ISBN: 0312029705

Edward Marston is the pseudonym of Keith Miles, a fairly prolific and extremely good writer of mainly Elizabethan and medieval mysteries. He has also written mysteries under his own name with both sporting and golf backgrounds. However it is primarily the books that take place earlier in history that I am interested in. He read modern history at Oxford and has had many jobs, including university lecturer, but fortunately for all his readers, he turned to the writing profession. This book is one of his early offerings. In the year 1587 Mary, Queen of Scots head is separated from her body by one quick stroke of the headsman's axe, but will her death staunch the ceaseless plotting against her cousin, Elizabeth of England. A year later and the Spanish send their Armada to the very shores of England. It is a time of both terror, uncertainty and triumph. All of these happenings are mirrored on the stages of theatres and inns all over London, but when a real life murder occurs within a troop of actors, Nicholas Bracewell, the company's book holder, an important role within the group of actors, has a twofold task. First to find a replacement for the unfortunate actor and secondly how to go about keeping his promise to the dying man and track down his killer.

An Elizabethan theater troop is bedeviled by mishaps, including the murder of one its players in a tavern brawl, the theft of its one complete copy of the script with stage directions for a performance before the queen, an attempt to kill on the young boys who plays the female roles, and others. "Book holder" (akin to the director with extra duties) Nicholas Bracewell hunts for the killer while trying to hold the troop together. Great period details. General bawdiness and terrific dialogue add up to a fun read. Also, don't miss Marston's other series, which follows a group of traveling magistrates just after the Norman conquest of England. More terrific historical whodunits.

The year is 1588, England is at war with Spain, Queen Elizabeth I is on the throne, and London is a bawdy, boisterous mix of courtly elegance and general squalor. Against this background, Marston paints a picture of the precarious life of a small theater group, Lord Westfield's Men, who perform in the galleried courtyard of a pub called the Queen's Head. Nicholas Bracewell, the company's bookholder, not only holds the troupe together but also solves a murder in the bargain. The wild and colorful period comes vividly to life in Marston's mystery.