“A feverishly paced action adventure” (The New York Times) about a long-lost Shakespeare work and a killer who reenacts the Bard’s most bloody murders Jennifer Lee Carrell’s highly acclaimed debut novel is a brilliant, breathlessly paced literary adventure. The action begins on the eve of the Globe’s production of Hamlet when Shakespeare scholar and theater director Kate Stanley’s eccentric mentor Rosalind Howard gives her a mysterious box, claiming to have made a groundbreaking discovery. Before she can reveal it to Kate, the Globe is burned to the ground and Roz is found dead…murdered precisely in the manner of Hamlet’s father. Inside the box Kate finds the first piece in a Shakespearean puzzle, setting her on a deadly, highstakes treasure hunt. From London to Harvard to the American West, Kate races to evade a killer and solve a tantalizing string of clues hidden in the words of Shakespeare, which may unlock one of history’s greatest secrets.
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"This book is great for historical fiction fans, especially those who love a mystery with a lot of Shakespeare thrown in. A real page-turner that keeps you racing toward the end with enough academic integrity to make you feel smarter for reading it. Wonderful! "
— Laura (5 out of 5 stars)
" Excellent literary mystery/thriller. Fun read, entertaining and imaginative. Any Shakespeare fan will enjoy. "
— Abigail, 2/13/2014" This had a da Vinci Code feel to it. It used a lot of Shakespearean quotes (which I'm a little rusty on). It was a little difficult to follow the logic at times, but all in all I liked it. "
— Kim, 1/17/2014" Fun summer read. It's like the Da Vinci Code for English majors. "
— Andrea, 1/7/2014" Interesting if a little unbelievable. Sometimes hard to keep up with the twists and turns and the jacobean gossip. Enjoyed the various theories as to whether Shakespeare was someone else - hadn't really read much about those before "
— Isobel, 1/5/2014" A murder mystery centered around whether Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare or if it was someone else. Interesting ideas, but I found the book tedious. It's one of those where you have to really focus on your reading or you can get lost. "
— Melissa, 12/29/2013" A pretty good mystery about the hunt for a lost Shakespeare play. "
— Charles, 12/15/2013" For the full review (and to see what results when Dan Brown happens to smart people), head over to That's What She Read dot Wordpress dot com. "
— Alaina, 10/11/2013" I really enjoyed this book!! I didn't even know there was a passionate controversy about who wrote Shakespeare's plays! It was smart and exciting, but there was some language in it. I would definitely read it again, though! "
— Delcie, 6/16/2013" I am thoroughly engrossed! "
— Deborah, 6/16/2013" A walkthrough with the author on the secret of Shakespeare in this novel. "
— Fan, 3/6/2013" I mostly like sci-fi, but this book really delivered. It's suspenseful and a pleasure to read. It took a little while to get going, but turned out really well. "
— Michael, 2/14/2013" The author is a Shakespearian scholar and wrote a "DeVinci Code" mystery about a unpublished play of Shakespeare. Lots of action, almost too much to absorb. "
— Vgriffis, 1/3/2013" A good but not great Shakespeare identity mystery. Did like that part of it was set in Cedar City, home of the reknowned Utah Shakespearean festival. "
— Erika, 11/17/2012" If you've read lots of Shakespeare, you'd probably enjoy this more. It was OK, except for the fact that the main character seemed rather blase about the trail of bodies she was leaving behind her. "
— Cathy, 8/16/2012" I recently received this book for x-mas and loved it. It's very conspiracy theory based, but if you love all things Shakespeare, but don't mind a little blasphemy, this would be a great read! "
— Kiki, 7/21/2012" Not sure I would like the subject matter. Picked it up because I love historical mysteries. Good book. Grabbed my attention early and kept it. Good adventure. Good conclusion. "
— Craig, 3/10/2012" fun read about who shakespeare really is set in recent times "
— Lisa, 3/5/2012" This book was ok but at times I found it hard to keep track of the story. "
— Krista, 7/21/2011" This was a rip-snorting read! It even made me download <br/>"Macbeth" to my e-reader as I hadn't read it since high school. Very well paced and interesting historical detail. "
— Tbergamin, 5/22/2011" One of the most maddening books I've read.Chocked full of details but I learned something about Shakespeare but probably won't remember it tomorrow. "
— Chuck, 5/10/2011" I never realized there were conspiracy theorists who believed Shakespeare didn't write his own work. Very interesting aha moments that made me rethink his works that I've read. "
— Jennifer, 4/26/2011" Average. Second half better than first. Somewhat too many murders packed into too few many pages. Who knew scholars and actors could be that deadly!! "
— Gail, 4/3/2011" probably more of a 3.5, but if you like Shakespeare, this is the book for you. Very similar to Dan Brown's books. Liked the action, thought it would make a good movie. "
— H.s., 3/17/2011" Sort of a DaVinci Code for Shakespeare buffs. I was into this for a while, but was a bit disappointed by the end. Kate was far too trusting of too many people... "
— Tara, 3/14/2011" Great novel. Exciting read from the first page. "
— Lauren, 3/11/2011" I just don't know that much about Shakespeare to love this book. I really had a hard time following all the names and places. "
— Kathi, 3/3/2011" Like a literary DaVinci Code, this is a fast-paced scavenger-hunt-type book dealing with the search for Shakespeare's lost play... a fun ride not to be taken too seriously. "
— Kristen, 2/21/2011Jennifer Lee Carrell is the author of The Speckled Monster: A Historical Tale of Battling Smallpox, Interred with Their Bones, and Haunt Me Still. Carrell earned a PhD in English from Harvard, pulled into studying literature by the Aurthurian legend as well as Norse sagas and works by Tolkien and Shakespeare. She lives in Arizona with her family.
Kathleen McNenny was trained at Julliard and is an experience actress, voice-over artist, and audiobook performer who has also appeared on and off-Broadway, in film, and on various television shows. Her credits include Broadway’s A Few Good Men and After the Fall, television’s Third Watch and Law & Order, Liklater’s film School of Rock, and numerous audio books.