The Shakespeare Secret [Import] [Paperback]

J L Carrell (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Sphere (2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1847441629
• ISBN-13: 978-1847441621
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,813,170 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Well-researched, clever, but lacks thriller pacing, March 28, 2008

By 

G. Johnson "friendlygal" (North Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Shakespeare Secret (Paperback)

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.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Write a novel, please, not a literature lesson, March 11, 2010

By 

S. E. Webster (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Shakespeare Secret The (Paperback)

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.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For everyone who likes mysteries and Shakespeare, January 31, 2010

By 

Martin Hassman (Prague, Czech Republic) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Shakespeare Secret (Paperback)

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.