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Revenger

An unputdownable historical espionage thriller from the acclaimed SUNDAY TIMES bestseller

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Revenger

By: Rory Clements
Narrated by: Peter Wickham
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Summary

 'Does for Elizabeth's reign what CJ Sansom does for Henry VIII's' Sunday Times

Part of the bestselling John Shakespeare series of Tudor spy thrillers from Rory Clements, winner of the Ellis Peters Historical Fiction Award

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'Sixteenth-century London comes alive in all its tawdriness' Daily Mail

'Beautifully done . . . alive and tremendously engrossing' Daily Telegraph

'Plot and dialogue that hums with Elizabethan slang, profanity and wit' The Times

'Enjoyable, bloody and brutish' Guardian

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1592. England and Spain are at war, yet there is peril at home, too.

The death of her trusted spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham has left Queen Elizabeth vulnerable. Conspiracies multiply.

The quiet life of John Shakespeare is shattered by a summons from the deadly young statesman Robert Cecil, insisting Shakespeare re-enter government service. His mission: to find vital papers, now in the possession of the Earl of Essex.

Essex is the brightest star in the firmament, a man of ambition. He woos the Queen, thirty-three years his senior, as if she were a girl his age.

When Shakespeare infiltrates this dissolute world he discovers not only that the Queen herself is in danger - but that he and his family are also targets. Shakespeare must face implacable forces who believe themselves above the law: men and women who kill without compunction.

But in a world of shifting allegiances, just how far he can trust Robert Cecil, his devious new master?

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Readers adore Martyr and the John Shakespeare series . . .

'If you love C.J. Sansom, you'll love this'

'You can feel, smell, see and hear the dangerous times of Tudor England'

'An absolutely delightful Elizabethan mystery'

'If you enjoy S.J. Parris, you need to try this'

'Rory Clements has struck gold with John Shakespeare'©2010 Rory Clements Amateur Sleuths Historical Historical Fiction Medieval Mystery Renaissance Fiction England Crime Royalty
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Critic reviews

Enjoyable, bloody and brutish.
A historical thriller to send a shiver down your spine.
Clements can be seen as doing for Elizabeth's reign what CJ Sansom does for Henry VIII's.
John Shakespeare is one of the great historical sleuths. (Barry Forshaw)
A colourful history lesson . . . exciting narrative twists.
'Excellent . . . both a thriller and a history lesson . . . it succeeds on both literary and dramatic levels . . . It is an amazing book that combines detail of Tudor life and language with an exciting adventure story. Clements is obviously an enthusiastic scholar and manges to convey all the atmosphere and customs of the sixteenth century in a convincing action novel . . . The author has a masterly style that holds the attention and carries the story effortlessly forward . . . Clements's second novel combines political intrigue in high places with the cruelty and depravity of the times. It is a successful formula and his third book will be eagerly awaited'
'The sights, sounds and smells of Elizabethan London are resurrected in Rory Clements's marvellous Revenger, in which intelligencer John Shakespeare (brother of you know who . . .) administers what can only be described as ruff justice'
'Step into the world of Elizabethan intelligencer John Shakespeare and you put your very life in peril, whether it be by the blade, the rope or the rack . . . High adventure has never been more exciting, and a life-and-death shoot-out at a lonely Masham farm makes for a storming climax'
'This is a substantial and satisfying novel . . . I love this book and it is a great successor to the first book. John Shakespeare is established as a swashbuckling hero of the first order and his family are becoming important to the story. I look forward to another tale of John Shakespeare'
'Revenger is a page-turning mix of mystery, political intrigue and adventure, as gripping as any modern-day thriller'
Praise for Martyr
'Clements has a real feel for the Elizabethan period...he understands the religious challenges and historical events that shaped 16th century politics and amidst it all he has devised a thrilling plot. An excellent start to a new series'
'A cracking plot full of twists right up to the last minute. I look forward to the next'
'Beautifully done . . . alive and tremendously engrossing'
'An engrossing thriller'
'An excellent debut'
'Captivates and carries one along through the strength of its plot and its intelligent main character'
'The joy of this book is the way it interweaves commonly known history with the story. The atmosphere and attention to detail will commend this book to devotees of the period'
'There's plenty of thrills . . . the multiple plot elements are well-handled . . . there's much that's enjoyable and Clements' orchestration of the narrative is skillful'
All stars
Most relevant
Navigation through the treachery of court and the lack of ability to follow your faith .

Evil people that existed

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I enjoyed this book, there was somethimg going on in every chapter.......apparently I have to leave a review of 20 words or more....bla bla bla

A good Listen

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Where does Revenger rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is not C J Sansom but it is trying desperately so to be. Taken in isolation, it is a good tale but being an aficionado of the real thing, it falls a long way short. I recommend you to read Sansom first; leave it a while and then read this.

What other book might you compare Revenger to, and why?

Anything by C J Sansom. Are you getting the picture?

What about Peter Wickham’s performance did you like?

The reader's performance is very good. He has a good pace and the different voices are well defined.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Don't tempt me!

Any additional comments?

'nuff said.

This is not C J Sansom

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Great mix of real history real people and storyline to go with it and performed really well

Storyline mixed with real history

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This is an intriguing story with lots of things going on at once and the race to connect them all together keeps the plot ticking nicely. My main problem, and it is not unique to this audiobook but presents itself in many similar audiobooks I have listened to within this genre, is that the male narrator’s versions of female voices in the story are all incredibly irritating. Every woman in this and many other similar audiobooks by different narrators has the exact same high pitched whiny voice that continually frustrates me. I am aware that it is a small issue and most likely not the intended fault of the narrator, who does an excellent job otherwise, but it is rather grating after a while and makes one begin to wonder whether the narrator has ever heard an actual woman speak in real life.

Interesting but somewhat irritating

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