Martyr: An Elizabethan Thriller Audiobook

" I think both the Protestants and Catholics were crazy......Jesus could not have been proud. "

" Mystery/crime thrillers aren't generally my preferred genre, but this one was recommended to me. It was good for what it was: quick moving, complexly plotted without being confusing, and occasionally surprising. The historical element was fairly well done as well. "

" If you like CJ Sansom's Shardlake books you'll probably enjoy this one, I don't think the characters are as engaging or the storylines as robust but all in all a good read centred around the Elizabethan reign "

" Looking forward to the next one. "

" Barely OK, more of a 1.5 stars. Lightweight pap with a thin plot & barely believeable characters. Like junk food, devoured in minutes & leaves you yearning for something more substantial. "

" Too much fiction. Not enough history. "

" Very good story. The time period was interesting. Need to make a note to get my hands on the second book in the series. "

" I truly enjoyed this book and the others in the series are on my to read list. If you like Tudor era stories, this is a good mystery series for that! "

" Would have given this a 3.5 rating if that was possible. It reminded me too much of sansom, which is why I'm probably a bit more negative than I should be. Otherwise it would be a four-star book easily! "

" I'd never read anything by this author. The book is ok. It moves well. If you like historical fiction and mysteries, this book will cover it. "

" What I learned from this book is that I won't be rushing out to get the next one. in future I'll wait for a new Matthew Shardlake "

" I don't know why but I just couldn't settle down with this one and I gave it several tries over a few days but still ended up giving up on it. "

" A mostly enjoyable read. The end was a bit lacking but I will still give the second in the series a try. Sometimes it takes a while to develop your characters. "

" William Shakespeare has a brother who works for Walsingham as an intelligensier. He follows clues that lead to Catholic priests in hiding, a beautiful governess who speaks her mind, and the killer of a pregnant noble. Great plot and appropriate language for the day, without bogging down the story. "

" Finished ages ago but not felt the need to post a review which says it all really. A poor man's C.J Sansom but diverting enough I suppose. "

" I finished this in a day. Attracts (unfairly) comparisons with Sansom's 'Shardelake' series. Very good in it's own right. "

" I really don't understand all of the poor reviews. I enjoyed the story overall and felt that it provided me with the ambience of the time period. The book had the necessary blackguards as well as heroes. I found the story satisfying and would read others by this author. "

" The history/mystery components of Martyr were fine, but it could have used some editing - removing a totally unnecessary sub-plot or two would have made the book much tighter and better paced. "

" I found this book hard to get into at first and almost put it to one side. But I pushed on and was well rewarded for my perseverance. I found it a well formed story and by the end, I had trouble putting it down. "

" really good gripping book with some nice twists. cant wait to read the next one! "

" A bit like a history lesson "

" This was pretty good - another historical detective novel, featuring William Shakespeare's (fictional?) brother John. I think this is a first book - I'd like to see this become a series. "

" If you like CJ Sansom's Shardlake books you'll probably enjoy this one, I don't think the characters are as engaging or the storylines as robust but all in all a good read centred around the Elizabethan reign "

" Looking forward to the next one. "

" I plan to give this series another try even though I tried to skim this one book half-way through it. The historical details are informative. I learned more about the dark side of Elizabethan London. But there are too many characters and the book is longer than it needs to be. "

" Very good story. The time period was interesting. Need to make a note to get my hands on the second book in the series. "

" I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Rory Clements paints a vivid picture of Elizabethan London. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a murder mystery set in the 16th century "

" A suprisingly good read. Well written with fully formed characters, a good plot and plenty of gore. He writes in very short chapters which keeps the story line positively racing along. "

" What I learned from this book is that I won't be rushing out to get the next one. in future I'll wait for a new Matthew Shardlake "