I thought it would be quite fun reading a book about William Shakespeare cousin who goes by the same name. William Shakespeare has just arrived in London and his cousin isn't too fond to have him staying at his place. But William has dreams, he doesn't want to be a glove maker. He wants to be an actor. But all the theaters are closed because of the plague so he needs to find a job. Luckily for him he gets a job after saving Lady Elizabeth Talbot. All he needs to do is find her husband Henry Talbot. How hard can it be?

This book was quite entertaining to read. I love historical mysteries and I just couldn't resist a book about William Shakespeare cousin with the same name. It was interesting to follow William Shakespeare as he searched for Talbot's husband and I was actually surprised how it all turned out. It was also nice to have the other William Shakespeare, the famous one, showing up in the story now and then. It wasn't a thick book, so it wasn't many red herrings, but it was a pleasant read I want to read the next book in the series.

I received a copy from the publisher and HFVBT in return for an honest review!

Review also posted on And Now for Something Completely Different and It's a Mad Mad World ( )

I thought it would be quite fun reading a book about William Shakespeare cousin who goes by the same name. William Shakespeare has just arrived in London and his cousin isn't too fond to have him staying at his place. But William has dreams, he doesn't want to be a glove maker. He wants to be an actor. But all the theaters are closed because of the plague so he needs to find a job. Luckily for him he gets a job after saving Lady Elizabeth Talbot. All he needs to do is find her husband Henry Talbot. How hard can it be?

This book was quite entertaining to read. I love historical mysteries and I just couldn't resist a book about William Shakespeare cousin with the same name. It was interesting to follow William Shakespeare as he searched for Talbot's husband and I was actually surprised how it all turned out. It was also nice to have the other William Shakespeare, the famous one, showing up in the story now and then. It wasn't a thick book, so it wasn't many red herrings, but it was a pleasant read I want to read the next book in the series.

I received a copy from the publisher and HFVBT in return for an honest review!

Review also posted on And Now for Something Completely Different and It's a Mad Mad World ( )

This is about William Shakespeare's fictional cousin Will, who moves in with the playwright to try to make his way in London. Will immediately tumbles into trouble, finding himself captured by Lady Elizabeth who is seeking her deadbeat husband. He ends up helping her, then falling in love, but the status barrier is too high (for this book). He gets drawn into a mystery of what happened to Kit Marlowe. It is an interesting and entertaining book, really 3.5 stars! I would read more in the series. ( )

I received this book from librarything as a free book to give an honest review, I enjoyed the book very much. It kept my interest. I will read more by this author. Thanks! ( )

"Try not to make a fool out of yourself the very first day.
You would think this is not a difficult instruction to follow; you would be wrong."

William Shakespeare, cousin to the William Shakespeare arrives in London from Stratford in hopes of finding employment in anything but glove making. Secretly, he wishes to follow his cousin into the world of acting; but with the plague about, the theatre is far from gainful employment. Instead, Will immediately finds trouble at a London bar where he is mistaken for his well-known cousin. The Lady Elizabeth Talbot is searching for her ne're-do-well husband, Henry. It was rumored that Henry had spoken to a William Shakespeare before disappearing. Will is absconded by the Lady Elizabeth and instead of leaving with his life in tact, he decides to assist the beautiful Elizabeth Talbot find out what has happened to her husband. Now, with some money in his pocket, Will finds himself going deep into London's underbelly to find out what has happened to the husband of a woman he is quickly falling in love with.

This was a fun and fast historical mystery set in one of my favorite historical time periods. One of the best parts for me was seeing London described by newcomer, Will. He is taken with the city, but also taken advantage of at every turn and placed in some of the worst parts of London during the plague; still he decided to persevere. Even though William Shakespeare, cousin to the playwright, might be fictional, the description of the world he was placed in seemed on point with history. From the plague to the actual William Shakespeare's trails with the theatre at the time and the disappearance of Kit Marlowe, there is a lot of actually history packed in. Will's adventures took a humorous tone and though he didn't think himself as the smartest man, it was great to see him grown in his street smarts as he bumbled through London trying to find Henry Talbot. The mystery itself wasn't very complex and there are not a lot of clues to follow, but it was still entertaining. I would be interested in reading more about Will's detecting skills and his relationship with Lady Talbot since she left him in a precarious position.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ( )