1593 London and an attack on a Dutch church occurs. But Shakespeare is more interested in the death of Christopher Marlowe. But Sir Robert Cecil wants him to concentrate on the attacks and determine what the secret is that the Spanish Antonio Perez has that he is willing to sell. But this is only the start.
Very enjoyable and interesting well-written mystery ( )

Once again, Rory Clements has produced a cracking adventure, full of intrigue and double dealing,

It is 1593 and England is a powder keg of rumour and fear. John Shakespeare's investigations take him from the Royal horse races, to the opulent chambers of Black Luce's brothel; from the theatrical underworld of Marlowe and Kyd, to the pain-wracked torture cells of priest-hunter Richard Topcliffe.

At the very opening we are present in a room where a murder has just taken place; Christopher Marlow has been stabbed in the eye. From that moment on we are pulled into a tale of intrigue and murder that keeps us gripped throughout. There's a lot of grumbling about asylum seekers coming over here and taking our jobs. the gutter press is heating up the climate of hate. Then a bomb goes off. Shakespeare is initially sent off on the trail of the bombers, but leaves that to his sidekick, Boltfoot, as he is diverted into another investigation.

The third outing of John Shakespeare really lived up to the "if you like CJ Sansom, you will like this" label on the cover. I've ordered the rest of the series. ( )

This is an episode of the John Shakespeare mystery series. Our hero is tasked with solving multiple mysteries in this edition, which may or may not be intertwined.

The multiple mysteries excellently wrap around throughout the tale as they are investigated and both true and false leads are investigated.

At times gritty yet always exceptional in details are the scenery, characters, and seemingly period appropriate descriptions (is. employment, dialogue, etc).

A brief reference at the end of the tale, allows a glimpse into actual history as well.

Overall, an intriguing read! ( )

This is the third in the series of murder mysteries featuring John Shakespeare, the playwright's fictional brother. This involves terrorist plots involving huge gunpowder explosions chillingly reminiscent of today's weapons of mass destruction and terrorist acts. It also has a modern feel in the whipping up of hatred and resentment against foreigners, whether they be Spaniards, French, or even Dutch Protestants with whom England was friendly at this time. Throw in a claimant to the thrones of Scotland and England designed to benefit from these terrorist acts, Topcliffe's usual sadism, the killing of Christopher Marlowe and a personal tragedy directly affecting John himself, and you have a rich mix. I must say, though, I still do not warm to John Shakespeare as I have done to other historical sleuths. The course of this novel may mean a change of direction for this character, though 4/5 ( )

'Prince' is Rory Clements third (and best) John Shakespeare novel to date. We have reached the year 1593 and England is in turmoil. The forces of Spain together with it's many spies and plotters are attempting to bring England to it's knees. In addition a secret society plan to cause a series of explosions in the city of London.
Robert Cecil,the Queen's spy-master sets his senior secretary,Shakespeare to discover exactly what is happening,both in the Spanish connection and with the London plot. he quickly comes up against Topcliffe his enemy from previous books. Topcliffe is a murderer and a torturer and in my opinion,one of the greatest exponents of evil in modern literature. As the story progresses,Shakespeare and his friend and assistant Boltfoot find themselves getting drawn deeper and deeper into a web of deceit where nobody is what they seem.
With this third book Clements is now to be rated with C.J.Sansom. ( )