The Silent Woman [Hardcover]

Edward Marston (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1994

Nicholas Bracewell takes his Elizabethan theater troupe, Lord Westfield's Men, off on an unexpected tour that directs the stage manager-sleuth toward a haunting off-stage murder mystery. By the author of The Mad Cortesan.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sparkling with humor, dramatic twists and deft turns of phrase, the sixth adventure of Marston's Elizabethan acting troupe exhibits all the aplomb and panache that mark its lead player, Lawrence Firethorn. A fire at the Queen's Head, home of Westfield's Men, the company for which sleuthing hero Nicholas Bracewell is book holder, sends the troupe on tour until the repairs are finished. While they are readying for the road, a messenger arrives at Bracewell's room. The messenger, a young woman from Bracewell's home town, dies of poisoning before delivering her message. Moved to avenge the death, Bracewell reluctantly considers a visit to his hometown, where he abandoned the woman he hoped to marry after acrimoniously breaking with his father, who had insisted he wed another. The company moves out and is met by two devastating setbacks: trickery by master robber Israel Gunby and the discovery that their first venue, Oxford, is shut down by the plague. As the company arranges a trap for Gunby, Bracewell returns to his North Devon past and learns of some harsh truths harbored there before the rousing conclusion when all are reunited at the refashioned Queen's Head.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Marston has penned another robust historical mystery featuring Nicholas Bracewell, the resourceful stage manager responsible for overseeing Lord Westfield's Men, one of Elizabethan London's most popular and successful theater companies. After a catastrophic fire destroys their stage during the middle of an ill-fated performance, Westfield's Men are forced to tour the countryside until arrangements can be made to refurbish their playhouse. In addition to contending with the many problems encountered on the road, Nick also attempts to decipher a deadly riddle rooted in his own dark past. When a young girl disguised as a lad is poisoned while endeavoring to deliver an urgent message to him, Nick must revisit his childhood home in order to unmask a murderer and confront the demons that have haunted him for nearly two decades. Marston continues to deliver an entertaining and artfully engineered balance of ribald comedy, suspenseful action, and tender intrigue. Margaret Flanagan

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 312 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1st edition (May 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312111150
• ISBN-13: 978-0312111151
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,132,415 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The Sixth Book in the Elizabethan Theatre Series, November 29, 2006

By 

J. Chippindale (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Silent Woman (Missing Mysteries #43) (Paperback)

Edward Marston is the pseudonym of Keith Miles, a fairly prolific and extremely good writer of mainly Elizabethan and medieval mysteries. He has also written mysteries under his own name with both sporting and golf backgrounds. However it is primarily the books that take place earlier in history that I am interested in. He read modern history at Oxford and has had many jobs, including university lecturer, but fortunately for all his readers, he turned to the writing profession.

Forced to seek out much humbler venues after his London theatre is burnt to the ground, company manager Nicholas Bracewell has more than enough on his plate trying to deal with a company of highly spirited and highly strung actors. More like children than grown men. If that is not enough to keep him busy, Nicholas is shocked when a mysterious messenger is murdered. He then has to return to his native Devon to settle some unfinished business.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The silent wonder, April 28, 2002

By 

Rocky Piccola (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Silent Woman (Missing Mysteries #43) (Paperback)

I must say that The Silent Woman is not only one of the best books I have read by Edward Marston, yet one of the best books I have ever read period. Edward has given it the best qualities a mystery novel should have and he has with out a doubt turned it into something special!