The Assassin of Verona
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
'An engaging clever read' The Times
A thrilling new novel of conspiracy, intrigue and rapier-sharp wit starring William Shakespeare
Venice, 1586. William Shakespeare is disguised as a steward to the English Ambassador. He and his friends Oldcastle and Hemminges possess a deadly secret: the names of the catholic spies in England who seek to destroy Queen Elizabeth. Before long the Pope's agents will begin to close in on them and fleeing the city will be the players' only option.
In Verona, Aemelia, the daughter of a Duke, is struggling to conceal her passionate affair with her cousin Valentine. But darker times lie ahead with the arrival of the sinister Father Thornhill who is determined to seek out any who don't conform to the Pope's ruthless agenda . . .
Events will converge in the forests around Verona as a multitude of plots are hatched and discovered, players fall in and out of love and disguises are adopted and then discarded. Will Shakespeare and his friends escape with their secrets - and their lives?
Bursting with breathless action, swaggering charm and rapier-sharp dialogue, The Assassin of Verona is the gripping new novel from the acclaimed author of The Spy of Venice.
Praise for Benet Brandreth
"Playful and inventive . . . The dialogue is wonderful, and Will's banter with his fellow actors sparkles." Antonia Senior
"Entertaining and ebullient . . . The author knows his Shakespeare backwards (the Venice setting has been carefully chosen), rejoices in its wordplay, loves his allusions and has a good time with his characters. So did I." Elizabeth Buchan, Daily Mail
"A Venetian romp" Telegraph
'Strong, well fleshed-out and colourful characters, a fast-moving and interesting plot and some good set-piece scenes, plus Brandreth's stylish writing, which rejoices in its wordplay and his love of allusions, will keep you guessing to the dramatic, blood-soaked end...a unique and compelling thriller' Crime Review
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Brandreth's excellent sequel to 2018's The Spy of Venice, which featured a young William Shakespeare, opens with a prologue set in 1585 Rome, where the newly anointed Pope Sixtus V plots to depose the "heretic Queen Elizabeth" through a network of spies he's established in England. Sixtus orders four priests to track down three Englishmen in Italy believed to know the identities of the papal agents, one of whom is William, and use any means necessary to protect these agents from exposure. In the previous novel, William joined a diplomatic mission of his countrymen to Venice as a spy, posing as the English ambassador's steward. While Brandreth keeps the intrigue at a high pitch, frequently placing his lead in harm's way, he leavens the action with a moving subplot concerning William's lover, poet Isabella Lisarro, whom the future playwright fears has been poisoned at the orders of the pope. Apt quotes from Shakespeare's plays serve as chapter heads. Brandreth once again integrates vivid period detail into a well-crafted thriller plot.
