Overview

The thrilling new novel of intrigue, conspiracy, and rapier-sharp wit that takes William Shakespeare into the deceit and deception of sixteenth century Verona. Venice, 1586. William Shakespeare is disguised as a steward to the English Ambassador. He and his actor friends, Oldcastle and Hemming, possess a deadly secret: the names of the Catholic spies in England who seek to destroy Queen Elizabeth. Before long the Pope's agents begin to close in on them, so fleeing the city is the players' only option. In Verona, Aemelia, the daughter of a Duke, is struggling to conceal her passionate affair with her cousin Valentine. But darker times lie ahead with the arrival of the sinister Father Thornhill, who is determined to seek out anyone who doesn't conform to the Pope's ruthless agenda . . . Events will converge in the forests around Verona as a multitude of plots are hatched and discovered, players fall in and out of love, and disguises are adopted and then discarded. Will the brash William Shakespeare and his friends escape with their secrets--and their lives?

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9781681778761

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Reviews

Entertaining and ebullient. The author knows his Shakespeare backwards (the Venice setting has been carefully chosen), rejoices in its wordplay, loves his allusions, and has a good time with his characters. So did I. A playful and inventive debut. The dialogue is wonderful, and Will's banter with his fellow actors sparkles. This is a clever book. On the level of storytelling alone, this is a good yarn. I also had the distinct impression that Benet Brandreth had a ball whilst writing it. An excellent read.

A playful and inventive debut. The dialogue is wonderful, and Will's banter with his fellow actors sparkles. Entertaining and ebullient. The author knows his Shakespeare backwards (the Venice setting has been carefully chosen), rejoices in its wordplay, loves his allusions, and has a good time with his characters. So did I. This is a clever book. On the level of storytelling alone, this is a good yarn. I also had the distinct impression that Benet Brandreth had a ball whilst writing it. An excellent read.

A playful and inventive debut. The dialogue is wonderful, and Will's banter with his fellow actors sparkles. This fast-paced and entertaining novel imagines a young Will Shakespeare as an (unwilling) spy for Her Majesty's government in Venice in 1585. Successful here on all fronts: dialogue, plot, and characters. What if William Shakespeare was an intelligence agent before he became a playwright? That's the clever premise of Brandreth's impressive first novel. Brandreth plausibly and imaginatively fills a gap in the historical record of the Bard's life. The glory of the novel is in the gorgeous dialogue, expertly weaving Shakespeare's lines with period vocabulary and syntax while keeping it completely comprehensible to the modern reader. A wonderful novel: enjoyable characters, exciting, funny, startling and ultimately, thought-provoking. Highly recommended. Shakespeare! The lunatic, the lover, the poet. The spy. Royal Shakespeare Company rhetoric coach Brandreth brings considerable expertise to his subject in a story rich in humor and intrigue. The dialogue and characters borrow heavily and delightfully from the Bard himself. Bravo!

The glory of the novel is in the gorgeous dialogue, expertly weaving Shakespeare's lines with period vocabulary and syntax while keeping it completely comprehensible to the modern reader. A wonderful novel: enjoyable characters, exciting, funny, startling and ultimately, thought-provoking. Highly recommended. Excellent. Brandreth once again integrates vivid period detail into a well-crafted thriller plot. Bodies amass, revenge is taken--and Shakespeare finds even more dramatic inspiration. Fans will enjoy the inclusion of many lines from the Bard's plays and sonnets. Aemelia steals the show.

Entertaining and ebullient. The author knows his Shakespeare backwards (the Venice setting has been carefully chosen), rejoices in its wordplay, loves his allusions, and has a good time with his characters. So did I. This is a clever book. On the level of storytelling alone, this is a good yarn. I also had the distinct impression that Benet Brandreth had a ball whilst writing it. An excellent read. A playful and inventive debut. The dialogue is wonderful, and Will's banter with his fellow actors sparkles.

Author Information

Benet Brandreth is an expert on Shakespeare's language and times, the rhetoric coach to the Royal Shakespeare Company, and a writer and performer whose last one-man show was a five-star reviewed sellout at the Edinburgh Fringe and on its London Transfer. The Spy of Venice was his debut novel.

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