Martyr [Hardcover]

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.

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