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Martyr: A Novel of Tudor Intrigue

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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.

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 where the precise form of words used in a religious service or the willingness or not to acknowledge the Pope's authority set one automatically at variance to the country's rulers and placed one in peril. What I appreciated most is that the handful of real villains (who appear on both sides of the mystery) were those who lacked any ability to perceive the world and the people around them in shades of gray; they were manipulators, men and women of violence. Perhaps these Elizabethans weren't always as self-reflective as Clements portrays them, but I got the sense that they would still recognize themselves in the portraits that he has crafted.

Recommended to anyone who liked the Shardlake series of mysteries by C.J. Sansom (Dissolution) and who's looking for more in the same gritty style. John Shakespeare doesn't measure up to Matthew Shardlake as a sleuth, nor are the mysteries he solves as carefully crafted and presented, but Clements is a worthy addition to the list of historical mystery writers. One note: little brother William doesn't play a major role in this drama, but does come in at the end to provide some crucial help. I look forward to seeing how Clements introduces the playwright into his future mysteries -- which I'll be keeping an eye open for and buying.

Martyr, the debut novel by historical mystery writer Rory Clements, sets out to do many things....to tell a good tale of intrigue and murder...to set his tale in Elizabethan times to good effect, and to introduce us to the man trying to undo the mystery....the elder sibling of William Shakespeare....his 'sleuthing' brother John.

The literary world is full of novelists trying to accurately portray a time they were never witness to.....and many times history is not what actually 'happened'....but what is written down...and remembered through the ages. Little biographical information about Will Shakespeare survives to this day, including that of his family.

In all respects, Rory Clements succeeds in his endeavors. John Shakespeare sets out to untangle the mystery before him and preserve the life of Sir Francis Drake, who many would like to see dead. Shakespeare finds danger and intrigue a-plenty, as he travels from bar room to brothel in his attempts to unmask the murderer of a young woman (amongst others) and piece together how this particular bloody trail leads to the person who would have Sir Francis dead.

A wonderful read...easily digested, rich in period detail, and entertaining throughout. Highly recommended to those who like a well-written period mystery.

As a fan of C.J. Sansom's outstanding Matthew Shardlake historical mysteries, I have to agree with a previous reviewer that John Shakespeare's debut outing doesn't quite measure up to that level.

However, Clements does a pretty good job keeping everything moving, until the last quarter of the book or so, which dragged for me. I kept feeling like we were heading for a big denouement, but it just slogged on (in the case of John's "frantic" chase to Plymouth, literally. . .) The requisite "winding up" of loose ends seemed to take forever!

John is similar to Shardlake in temperament (smart, sensitive, thoughtful, questioning the use and abuse of power by his fellow Englishmen in service to the Crown), but John is a bit of a wimp, frankly...Shardlake, even with his hunchback, seems tougher in a fight! Some of the supporting characters (Sir Francis Drake, Walsingham and Boltfoot Cooper) are very interesting, and I hope they return in future books. The villain in the piece, Topcliffe, is a totally reprehensible human being, and since he's also serving Elizabeth I and appears able to act with relative impugnity, I could see interesting conflicts ahead. He is so close to being over-the-top evil, however, that he overshadows the Jesuit assassin sent to kill Sir Francis, supposedly one of the key plots in the book. If this continues, I think I would rapidly lose interest in the series, as I don't think Shakespeare could be a competent "intelligencer" with someone on his own side (supposedly) constantly hiding/destroying/subverting witnesses, information and evidence!

Having said that, I will try the next in the series, but I do hope John toughens up a bit, if for no other reason than it will help him hold his own against Topcliffe.

Rory Clements' first novel in his John Shakespeare series of Elizabethan mysteries is "Martyr". It is followed by "Revenger" which has just been published. "Revenger" looked interesting but I thought I better begin with the first book in the series.

Clements has written a fine novel in "Martyr". John Shakespeare - older brother to that writer-guy - is employed by Sir Francis Walsingham, a close adviser to Queen Elizabeth - as an investigator. He "looks into" things for Walsingham, often providing with "muscle" as well as "brains". The "muscles" might not be his own, but the "brains" certainly are. In "Martyr", Shakespeare is charged with looking into the brutal murder of a young woman with court connections, as well as a plot against Sir Francis Drake, purportedly instigated by Elizabeth's traditional enemy, Phillip II of Spain. Getting rid of Drake - and his mastery of English ships - would make Spain's planned invasion of England easier. And why does Spain want to invade England in the 1580's? Why to force England back into the "True Church" after it's wicked turn to Protestantism.

John Shakespeare has some special powers endowed on him by this association with Walsingham, but so does his rival, Richard Topcliffe, the Queen's Servant, who's also charged to looking into similar problems. Clements has written a story which contains references to almost every level of Elizabethan society and manages to do it in a fairly uncomplicated way. Lots of characters are introduced, lots of plot lines examined, but surprisingly, it all fits together in the book. That's not an easy thing for a writer to do, but Clements pulls it off very well.

"Martyr" is a fine book and I'm looking forward to reading "Revenger".

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

At the library, a copy of Revenger caught my eye. Revenger looked good enough to give a try, except that when I read the cover flaps I learned that it was the second book in a series by Rory Clements. So I put down Revenger and went looking for the first novel, which is Martyr. Martyr was a good enough read that I will return to Revenger and continue with the further adventures of John Shakespeare.

Martyr is set in London during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. It is a stressful time - the powerful Spanish are threatening to invade, and internally the country is wracked with strife between the Catholics and the Protestants. Prior to the rule of Queen Elizabeth, England was ruled by "Bloody" Queen Mary, who got her nickname because she tried to force all her subjects to embrace the Catholic faith. Now that Elizabeth rules, the Protestants are persecuting the Catholics. I thought Clements did an excellent job depicting the religious divisions between the citizens. His portrayal of life in medieval England, showing us prostitutes, pursuivants, printers, priests and pious citizens was well done; clearly Clements has done a good deal of research.

The tale begins with John Shakespeare investigating the cruel murder of beautiful Lady Blanche Howard - Shakespeare is an investigator who works for Walsingham, who is the Secretary of Intelligence for the Queen. At the murder site, Shakespeare finds disturbing evidence that suggests that the young woman may have been involved with Jesuit priests, who have been slipping over to England and advocating against the Queen. Indeed, the Queen's chief torturer, Topcliffe, has been tasked with finding a trouble-making Jesuit named Robert southwell and will use any means to get the information he needs. Topcliffe turns up at the Howard crime scene, and he and Shakespeare are quickly at odds. Although Shakespeare is loyal to the Queen and wants Southwell found, he despises Topcliffe's brutal methods for extracting information.

Walsingham entrusts Shakespeare with the job of finding out the truth about a Spanish plot to assassinate Sir Francis Drake. Drake was a legendary sea captain, reknown for his ability to capture and destroy Spanish ships, so the Spanish fear him most of all. With Drake in charge of the English fleet, the Spanish fleet could be turned back, despite their superior numbers. If Drake were to be murdered, then it would be far easier for the Armada to set sail for the invasion of England. Shakespeare must quickly stop the killer, or all of England may be at risk.

John Shakespeare is the older brother of the famous William, but the playwright only makes a cameo appearance in this novel. Perhaps Clements is saving William for a subsequent case.

During the course of his investigations, Shakespeare encounters a Popish woman named Catherine Marvell. Because Shakespeare and Marvell are different religions, they exchange harsh words with each other, each of them deploring the crimes committed in the name of God by the other faith. Given their antipathy toward each other, their subsequent romantic relationship seemed completely out of character. It was this inexplicable romance that prevented me from rating this book higher. But overall, I enjoyed this well written historical.

This book is both an outstanding mystery and a wonderful period piece where the reader learns a great deal about the Police State that was Elizabethan England. Clements brings to life the awful times when English fanatics butchered their fellow Englishmen who did not share their religious beliefs. I enjoyed the historical characters such as Richard Topcliffe and Sir Francis Drake who are brought so vividly to life in this book.

A highly enjoyable read.

Summer evenings, mid-1970's in Southern California. The amphitheatre at our community college campus echoed in the evenings with the great lines from "Romeo and Juliet", "Two Gentleman from Verona", "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Othello". I was hooked. Naturally, Rory Clements' Martyr * An Elizabethan Thriller, featuring a main character named John Shakespeare drew my attention - and held it.
A young cousin of the Queen dies from a brutal sexual attack, and evidence left with the body suggests that the suspect might in fact be a Jesuit priest, Robert Southwell. With only bits of a rogue broadsheet newspaper and the relics left with the corpse, John Shakespeare begins to investigate the murder, while simultaneously attempting to thwart the assassination of Sir Francis Drake and the advancement of the Spanish Armada in a coup attempt upon the Throne.
First-time author Clements crafted a complex graphic tale, with the very setting serving as a silent-but-bawdy character. Sharp lines drawn between propriety and depravity in the public arena become heavily blurred and smeared behind closed doors. Chasing after Shakespeare through Elizabeth's realm, ducking in and out of brothels, Catholic masses, prison cells and high society, history comes to life as Shakespeare interacts with the lusty, loud, commanding Sir Francis Drake, taking license in Shakespeare's having a younger brother, Will.
John Shakespeare finds himself in the midst of a vast and vicious conspiracy entangled in power struggles, the imprisonment of Papists, and shadowy operations run by Court officials. With few to trust, the lone investigator stumbles along, rather like television's Columbo in Elizabethan garb, doggedly pursuing the shadowy figures just ahead of him. Lighter moments include a brief and sudden romance - and, in the midst of the chase, a troupe of actors handily stands in the gap for the lovelorn bachelor. Clements does not write for the faint-hearted. Martyr reads like a modern-day CSI investigation novel with shades of 1940's whodunit, filtered through the glorious but often gory era over which Elizabeth reigned. He leads his hero to heed these words of Brutus, in Julius Caesar: "There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries; on such a full sea are we now afloat, and we must take the current when it serves or lose our ventures."
Set sail with John Shakespeare as he defends Drake, his Queen, and his country.

Julia Brantley, author of A Score of Intervals
A Score of Intervals: Sharps & Flats on Brusca

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.