Death of Kings (Shakespearean Murder Mysteries, No. 2) [Paperback]

Philip Gooden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 10, 2001

Mystery is bred of history and collides with literature in this new novel featuring Nick Revill, a fledgling detective and an aspiring young actor attached, like William Shakespeare, to the theatrical company known as the Chamberlain's Men. The political atmosphere in the London of 1601 is fraught with conspiracy and treason, as the aging, childless Queen Elizabeth nears the end of her long reign -- with no direct heir to the British crown. While the Queen's former favorite, the Earl of Essex, plots to protect her throne, his enemies, believing he plans to seize the royal office for himself, hatch counterplots. Intrigue is rife, rebellion is afoot. The Chamberlain's Men, meanwhile, at the request of one of Essex's supporters, are staging William Shakespeare's Richard II, which recounts a monarch's murder, and Nick Revill finds himself not only performing in a play but also acting as a spy for the government. When some of his closest companions in the cast begin dying in bizarre and unfortunate ways -- by drowning in a witch's cauldron, for instance -- Nick realizes it will soon be curtains for himself unless he can finger the culprit in the company and figure out who is the mastermind behind the Essex rebellion.

Product Details

• Paperback: 310 pages
• Publisher: Carroll & Graf; 1st Carroll & Graf Ed edition (July 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786708751
• ISBN-13: 978-0786708758
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,047,868 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars not bad but not as good as the first book in the series, July 10, 2001

By 

tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Death of Kings (Shakespearean Murder Mysteries, No. 2) (Paperback)

"Death of Kings" is the second Shakespearean murder mystery featuring the detecting skills of actor Nick Revill, and while the novel is well written, I found it to be a little disappointing as a murder mystery novel, in spite of the odd murder or two thrown in the middle of the book. "Death of Kings" is more a novel of political intrigue than it is a story of murder and mayhem.

It is the early months of 1601, and England is a veritable hotbed of rumours, portents and conspiracy theories. The Queen (Elizabeth I) is getting old, and unfortunately has no direct heir to the throne. Stories are being bruited about that Cecil, the Secretary to the Council, has all but persuaded the Queen to name the Spanish Infanta as her heir. Certainly the Earl of Essex, Robert Deverux, once a favourite of the Queen's, believes this rumour, and has stormed back to London in order to protect the throne (and, he says, the Queen) by mounting an insurrection. The question on everyone's mind is if he is really serious about protecting the Queen from those who would ill advise her, or if his plan is to put himself on the throne? Nick Revill finds himself in the thick of all this political shenanigans, when Cecil commands him to act as his spy.

The Chamberlain's Men, according to Cecil, is about to be commissioned to perform Shakespeare's Richard II by one of Essex's supporters. Not the most propitious of plays to perform right now since it deals with the supplanting of the rightful monarch by a usurper, ostensibly for 'the good of the country.' Nick is told to keep an eye and ear open, and to be on the lookout in particularly for an individual known as Merrick. And so Nick finds himself acting the unenviable role of spy, and watching his own friends and company. Soon however Nick finds himself having a foot in both camps (Cecil's and Essex's) when Shakespeare asks him to deliver a message to the Earl of Southampton on his behalf. This takes Nick deep into Essex's camp, and he is soon taken for an Essex supporter. And he cannot help but wonder how soon it will be before someone discovers that he is a spy. Nick's worst fears are realised when first, he becomes aware of the fact that he is being watched, and then that someone is trying to kill him. But who is after him? Is it a member of Essex's group? Or has Cecil decided that he has outlived his usefulness? Or is there someone else with a more sinister reason to end Nick's life?

I was a little disappointed with this Nick Revill murder mystery. The novel seemed to be chock-full of promising ingredients: there was political intrigue; an unknown murderer(s) stalking our hero; a few well conceived red herrings; two chillingly executed murders; and a host of eccentric and suspicious characters... And yet things fizzled a little for me, mainly because 'sitting on the edge of your seat' feeling was just not there in spite of the attempts on Nick's life. I found myself skimming through many pages of unnecessary political ruminations in order to get at the 'meat' of this particular mystery.

All in all "Death of Kings" is not a bad read -- it's interesting, informative and clever. However I definitely preferred the first Nick Revill murder mystery, "Sleep of Death."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gooden stages another triumph!, January 7, 2008

By 

Billy J. Hobbs "Bill Hobbs" (Tyler, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Death of Kings: A Shakespearean Murder Mystery (Paperback)

Philip Gooden's "Shakespearean Murder Mystery featuring Nick Revill" is a well-written, cleverly presented historical mystery. In "Death of Kings," Gooden's Elizabethan players (lead by Revill) are involved, once more, in timely political intrigue. It is 1601 and Elizabeth I is in her waning years and there has been quite a bit of uneasiness politically concerning who will follow her reign, as she's left on direct heir.

The intrigue here, of course, involves the Earl of Essex and his notorious, well-known, and ill-fated relationship with the Queen and of his failed attempts to over throw her (students of history already know this). In "Death of Kings," Gooden takes us into this intrigue in this fictionalized account. Revill is a poor player who is strutting and fretting his hour upon the stage in this second-in-the-series book. The author is certainly has certainly brushed upon his Shakespeare and reading this series is a delight for folks who know something about the Bard and his plays. Gooden's allusions are peppered heavily throughout the books and it is fun to pick up on them; however, of course, one doesn't have to know anything about Shakespeare to be able to enjoy the story. Shakespeare himself is a character, albeit somewhat minor, in these books, but his stage presence is felt heavily, either directly or the influence he exerts on young Master Revill.

In "Death of Kings," Gooden uses "Richard II" as the "thematic Shakespearean play" as the basis of the story (in addition, he's used "Macbeth," "Hamlet," and "Midsummer Night's Dream" in his books), posing this history play as more politically based than Shakepeare perhaps intended. The Earl of Essex and his followers are determined to have their way and treason, murder, and other mayhem play strongly in the story. Of course, again, students of history know he fails, which doesn't give away the story. Gooden's fictionalized characters carry the weight and this book, as are the others, is a delight to read. Revill finds himself in more than one predicament, socially, financially, sexually, politically--you name it. But the young player keeps his head on his shoulders (something not necessarily easy to do in Elizabethan England) and is able to draw the curtains on yet another dramatic act of historical significance. This is a good read!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 3.5 stars - Not the best of the series, April 6, 2005

By 

L. J. Roberts (Oakland, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death of Kings (Shakespearean Murder Mysteries, No. 2) (Paperback)

Unfortunately, this was not much of a mystery. However, it was a wonderful portrayal of the period and politics of that time. The writing is clever, full of literary references and humor. Nick is an engaging protagonist and Shakespeare an interesting secondary character. While not the best mystery in the series, I highly recommend Goodin to those who love Shakespeare and/or English history.