Listen to a sample
Holy Spy
- Author
- Rory Clements
- Narrator
- Gareth Armstrong
- Publisher
- Hodder & Stoughton
- Publish Date
- 26 February 2015
- Run Time
- 12 hours 10 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Rating
- 4.5 (2 reviews)
What to expect
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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
-------------------------------------------------------
In London's smoky taverns, a conspiracy is brewing.
A group of wealthy young Catholic dissidents plot to assassinate Elizabeth, free Mary Queen of Scots and open England to Spanish invasion.
But the conspirators have been infiltrated by Sir Francis Walsingham's top intelligencer, John Shakespeare.
Shakespeare, however, is torn: the woman he loves stands accused of murder. In a desperate race against time he must save her from the noose and the realm from treachery.
And then it dawns that both investigations are inextricably linked - by corruption very close to the seat of power.
-------------------------------------------------------
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'
Critics Review
-
I didn't know what to expect from this - HOLY SPY is the first novel I've read in a well-established series. But what I got was a thoroughly entertaining, disturbing and involving mystery that I found next to impossible to put down. It's a substantial book but I was driven to read it over just 24 hours. Rory Clements is a wonderful writer who clearly knows Tudor England inside out and his enthusiasm - as well as concerns - for the period shine out. I loved it. I will be catching up.
For Winter Nights
-
Elizabethan England comes vividly to life in this fast-paced thriller, packed with characters, tension and fine detail.
Choice Magazine
-
Holy Spy lures us into dark passages peopled by ranting fanatics, sensuous whores, treacherous turncoats, vicious thugs and subtle codebreakers.Skilfully blending real events and historical figures with believable fiction and colourful invented characters . . .
Daily Mail
User Reviews
Book 4.5
Narration 5.0
-
5.0 5.0
I've now finished the whole series. This should be number 2 with Queen's Man number 1 to keep the chronological order of John Shakespeare's work.
Narrator brings it to life with fantastic characterisation. The story keeps you engaged in the Elizabethan intrigues and murder to solve.SarahG 2026-02-15 -
4.0 5.0
A good story well read.
peterstod 2023-02-13
Details
- Author
- Rory Clements
- Narrator
- Gareth Armstrong
- Duration
- 12 hours 10 minutes
- Release Date
- 26 February 2015
- ISBN
- 9781848548527
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Hodder & Stoughton
- Genre
- Historical crime and mysteries, Espionage and spy thriller, Historical fiction
- Rating
- 4.5(2 reviews)
- Narration
- 5.0(2 reviews)
Synopsis
The stunning final story in the one-of-a-kind mystery series, the last mission in the iconic career of John Shakespeare, Queen's Spy. -------------------------------------------------------'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-------------------------------------------------------In London's smoky taverns, a conspiracy is brewing.A group of wealthy young Catholic dissidents plot to assassinate Elizabeth, free Mary Queen of Scots and open England to Spanish invasion.But the conspirators have been infiltrated by Sir Francis Walsingham's top intelligencer, John Shakespeare.Shakespeare, however, is torn: the woman he loves stands accused of murder. In a desperate race against time he must save her from the noose and the realm from treachery.And then it dawns that both investigations are inextricably linked - by corruption very close to the seat of power. -------------------------------------------------------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'
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