Customer Reviews

The Shakespeare Secret

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This mystery/thriller is well-written, and the author has clearly done her homework on her subject. But something about it just fell a little flat for me. The plot centers around Kate Stanley, a Shakespeare scholar turned theater director. Her former mentor leaves her a present and a message that she has found something important and wants Kate's help. Before Kate can meet with her again, the woman is killed in a Shakespearean way, and Kate is sucked into the mystery and must follow the clues.

Gradually, Kate--with the help of a veteran Shakespearean actor and a bodyguard hired by her mentor--figures out that her mentor has found a lost Shakespeare play and papers that may contribute to the real identity of Shakespeare. She follows the clues from London to various locations in the U.S. and back to Europe.

Yes, this sounds a bit like The Da Vinci Code, that against which all quest-type mystery-thrillers must be measured. The premise is similar, and the race against time is almost as manic in this book. However, there is more description and historical development in 'The Shakespeare Secret,' but it also lacks the maniacal pacing of The DV Code, and while the characters are better developed, the main character lacks depth to completely draw you into her drama.

For the amount of prose, the main characters needed more depth and the plot could have been a bit more compact. But there were clever plot twists, and the Boston and D.C. settings (the only ones with which I am familiar) were quite believable and gave a good degree of believability to the action.

Overall, I would recommend this as a slightly more worthwhile thriller than some, and it will last you a bit longer than many books you could pick up in an airport of the same genre. But if you want something that you absolutely can't put down for a moment because you are so caught up in the plot and characters, you could find something better. For a first mystery, which I believe it is, the author has shown a solid start.

Yes, as others note, this is Dan Brown light -- his rapid, episodic scene changes, and vast array of historical and (here) literary facts. And, here, minimal development of character, minimal plausibility, and childish continuity and dialogue. For a good example of a fast-paced mystery novel that moves relentlessly on to a twisted denoument, try Robert Goddard, the real master. Carrell's book has a sticker that says "LOVE THIS BOOK OR YOUR MONEY BACK - PUBLISHER'S PROMISE. I'd definitely be asking for my money back if I hadn't bought it second hand already. My first book review ever, but this is just too much.

It's the classic treasure hunter plot.

I like this book because it's based on a lot of facts about Shakespeare. It's not like Dan Brown, where you never know where the facts end and lies start.

Jennifer Lee Carrel knows a lot about Shakespeare and her story is trustworthy, which I value a lot even though Carrel is not such a good writer as Dan Brown.

I still don't understand, why there is another Carrel's book named "Interred with their bones" which looks as the same book just with different name.

I thought this was a very good book and I enjoyed it when I read under the title Interred With Their Bones. I hate publisher's who do this to us. And nowhere do they say published also under the name ___________!

By and large, I enjoyed "The Shakespeare Secret" very much and thought it was a good first novel. However, it is a cookie cutter knock-off of "The Da Vinci Code", down to the academic chasing after something worth a fortune, the attractive, mysterious accomplice and the older, aristocratic English confidante/helper who turns out to be not what he seems. The plot concerns the frenetic race to find a previously unpublished Shakespeare play hidden somewhere in the American west. The narrative races along at a brisk pace with numerous twists and turns. It is just unfortunate that the novel follows the construct of "The Da Vinci Code" so closely - I was left with a distinct feeling of deja vu after reading it. Ms Carell is a talented writer, however, and I would certainly read more of her novels.

The Shakespeare Secret is an easy read, and I had fun with it, but somehow the "secret" wasn't quite worth the build up. I love Shakespeare and followed the early chapters with interest, but couldn't quite buy the climax as it all came together. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I read it and as I said, I had fun with the book but the early build up deserved a more believable and well-thought out ending.

Similar plot/characters to The DaVinci Code. Carrell knows her Shakespeare but can get overbearing with the details. Sometimes torturously so.

Hm... When I read the cover, I thought: "this sounds interesting. I like the idea of a killer copying Shakespeare's murders". However, when I understood that this is really a Da Vinci Code wannabe, I lost interest. It follows the Da Vinci Code plot so closely, that I easily guessed the rest of it and I was annoyed by the pseudo-intellectual reasonning of the so-called specialists. I only recommend this book for Dan Brown fans.