Review: The Yeoman's Tale by MJ Trow

Synopsis: Poet-sleuth Geoffrey Chaucer is caught up in the chaos of the Peasants' Revolt as he attempts to track down a brutal killer.June, 1381. Embarking on his annual pilgrimage to Canterbury, Geoffrey Chaucer and his fellow travellers are forced to turn back when confronted with a horde of armed and angry peasants, intent on marching to London. Returning to the city to warn the authorities of the approaching danger, the pilgrims hole up at the Tabard Inn and prepare for the coming invasion.

That same night, a woman's body is fished out of the River Thames, her throat cut. When he discovers that the victim was the wife of one of his fellow pilgrims, Chaucer determines to investigate. Could the woman's henpecked husband be responsible for her death? A jealous business rival? Or was she murdered by one of the pilgrims? Does a cold-hearted killer lurk within the Tabard?

As the army of rebellious peasants approaches, Chaucer finds himself in a race against time to uncover the truth before anarchy descends.

The second in Trow's Chaucer series, this time the setting is 1381 and England is in the midst of a uprising among the peasants. There was great unrest at this time due to a highly unpopular poll-tax - also known as head tax or capitation, is a tax levied as a fixed sum on every liable individual (typically every adult), without reference to income or resources. Many impacted were rural works, artisans, and minor, local officials. The mob was led by one Wat Tyler, though how this came about is not entirely known, and their strength grew as they marched towards London. . One of the other leading lights in all this was the preacher John Ball, recently released from prison, who seemed to serve as some sort of spiritual guide.

Once again we find Chaucer preparing to undertake his pilgrimage to Canterbury, led by the proprietor of the Tabard Inn, one Harry Bailey. Chaucer is in fine company - among his fellow pilgrims are a miller, a merchant, a poet, a prioress, a yeoman archer, a franklin, and a priest. En route, the pilgrims have the misfortune to run into the Kentish mob and a robbed before being sent back on their way. The pilgrims return to the Tabard Inn, and here we discover the first murder. As the mob draws ever closer the pilgrims find themselves barricaded at the Inn - and possibly a murderer among them.

The pace is rather languid - there is no real action scenes, the murders are almost committed "off screen" and the investigation is rather sedentary. The only real scene of any urgency we have is when the young King, Richard II confronts the rabble in order to disperse them with whatever promises he deems fit. It is a case of will the rebels take London and sweep all before them - or will the child-King prevail; whether Chaucer finally solves this murders takes a back seat to all else.

It is an at times amusing vignette into the life of Chaucer, set against prominent historical backdrops, with a little murder and mystery thrown in for good measure. It is an enjoyable series.

Review: Four Thousand Days by MJ Trow

Synopsis: Introducing turn-of-the-century archaeologist-sleuth Margaret Murray in the first of a brilliant new historical mystery series.

October, 1900. University College, London. When the spreadeagled body of one of her students is discovered in her rented room shortly after attending one of her lectures, Dr Margaret Murray is disinclined to accept the official verdict of suicide and determines to find out how and why the girl really died.

As an archaeologist, Dr Murray is used to examining ancient remains, but she’s never before had to investigate the circumstances surrounding a newly-dead corpse. However, of one thing Margaret is certain: if you want to know how and why a person died, you need to understand how they lived. And it soon becomes clear that the dead girl had been keeping a number of secrets. As Margaret uncovers evidence that Helen Richardson had knowledge of a truly extraordinary archaeological find, the body of a second young woman is discovered on a windswept Kent beach – and the case takes a disturbing new twist . . .

Again, MJ Trow has taken on a real-life character and posited them front and centre as an amateur detective. He did this successfully with the poet and raconteur Christopher Marlowe and again with the poet Chaucer, so it will be very interesting to see how this series featuring archaeologist Margaret Murray develops.

As mentioned, Dr Margaret Murray really did exist and was associated with University College in London where she began her studies in Egyptology under the guidance of William Flinders Petrie in 1894 - she was 30 years old. She began her teaching career two years later, which is where we find her in 1900 when our story begins.

Margaret is approached to investigate when the body of one of her "students" is discovered. Prevailing police attitudes towards this young girl are draconian by our modern sensibilities, where women of an independent disposition are considered whores. Even the fact that there are female students attending the College are frowned upon by the ranks of male misogyny among both teaching staff and students.

One has to remember than England in 1900 was still under the reign of Queen Victoria (d.1901), the Boer War was still ongoing (1899–1902), and the scare of the Ripper murders was still fresh in peoples' minds (1888).

London itself was experiencing an exponential population growth which coincided with the geographical expanse of the city - between 1851 and 1896 the city had nearly quadrupled in square mileage and then some.

London at this pint in time was the global political, financial, and trading capital of the nation. While the city grew wealthy as Britain's holdings expanded, 19th century London was also a city of poverty, where millions lived in overcrowded and unsanitary slums, through which disease ran rampant, whilst the wealthy and middle classes favoured the outer suburbs.

Large immigrant populations from Ireland, Italy, Africa, China and India began establishing their own communities, as did a growing Jewish population.  The Port of London was one of the largest with the bulk of international trade passing through - shipbuilding was a prime industry at the time.

The City of London Police was the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement within the City of London, and was officially formed in 1832; its formation was ratified in 1839.

The Metropolitan Police Service was founded in 1829 by Robert Peel under the Metropolitan Police Act 1829 and on 29 September of that year, the first constables of the service appeared on the streets of London. Ten years later, Metropolitan Police Act 1839 consolidated policing within London by expanding the Metropolitan Police District and either abolishing or amalgamating the various other law enforcement entities within London into the Metropolitan Police such as the Thames River Police, which had been formed in 1800, and the end of the Bow Street Runners and Horse Patrol.

Trow weaves a tale that traverses the halls of education to the slums of London and back again. The narrative is engaging and easy to follow whilst the character of Murray herself put me in mind of another formidable late-to-career Margaret, the actress Margaret Rutherford.

I am very interested to see how Trow develops Margaret's future narrative and where we will see her next.

Further reading:

- Wikipedia - Margaret Murray

- fembio - Margaret Murray

- folklore magazine - Margaret Murray

Review: The Knight's Tale by MJ Trow

Synopsis: Introducing 14th century poet Geoffrey Chaucer as a memorable new amateur sleuth in the first of an ingeniously-conceived medieval mystery series.

April, 1380. About to set off on his annual pilgrimage, Comptroller of the King’s Woollens and court poet Geoffrey Chaucer is forced to abandon his plans following an appeal for help from an old friend. The Duke of Clarence, Chaucer’s former guardian, has been found dead in his bed at his Suffolk castle, his bedroom door locked and bolted from the inside. The man who found him, Sir Richard Glanville, suspects foul play and has asked Chaucer to investigate.

On arrival at Clare Castle, Chaucer finds his childhood home rife with bitter rivalries, ill-advised love affairs and dangerous secrets. As he questions the castle’s inhabitants, it becomes clear that more than one member of the Duke’s household had reason to wish him ill. But who among them is a cold-hearted killer? It’s up to Chaucer, with his sharp wits and eye for detail, to root out the evil within.

Personally, I love the way Trow takes a real historical character then posits them knee deep into the role of detective (check out his Kit Marlowe series).

I have added the tag of "alternate history" as Trow does play merry havoc with the timeline slightly but if you are not familiar with the time period, then you would be none-the-wiser. However, Trow is one of those authors who can pull it off rather convincingly and weave a wonderful mystery at the same time.

Geoffrey Chaucer - poet, soldier, civil servant, diplomat, courtier - is called upon by old soldier chum Richard Glanville to investigate a death of the one time patron - Lionel, Duke of Clarence. Throw in some witty, satirical, irreverent and humourous dialogue; murders (of course); some larger than life historical characters; and the aging Chaucer, and you have the start of what promises to be the first of another great mystery series.

This is a fun read - which I undertook in one sitting - testament to Trow's storytelling abilities.

Review: The Killer of the Princes in the Tower by MJ Trow

Synopsis: The disappearance of two boys during the summer of 1483 has never been satisfactorily explained. They were Edward, Prince of Wales, nearly thirteen at the time, and his brother, Richard of York, nearly ten. With their father, Edward IV, dying suddenly at forty, both boys had been catapulted into the spotlight of fifteenth-century politics, which was at once bloody and unpredictable.

Thanks to the work of the hack 'historians' who wrote for Henry VII, the first Tudor, generations grew up believing that the boys were murdered and that the guilty party was their wicked uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Richard crowned himself King of England in July 1483, at which time the boys were effectively prisoners in the Tower of London.  After that, there was no further sign of them.

Over the past 500 years, three men in particular have been accused of the boys' murders - Richard of Gloucester; Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond; and Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham. The evidence against them would not stand up in a court of law today, but the court of history is much less demanding and most fingers remain pointed squarely at Richard of Gloucester.

This book takes a different approach, the first to follow this particular line of enquiry. It is written as a police procedural, weighing up the historical evidence without being shackled to a particular 'camp'. The supposition has always been made that the boys were murdered for political reasons. But what if that is incorrect? What if they died for other reasons entirely? What if their killer had nothing to gain politically from their deaths at all?  And, even more fascinatingly, what if the princes in the Tower were not the only victims?

And that there, readers, is the hook that will send you down the proverbial rabbit hole.

I came to this from reading Trow's earlier book on Richard III - Richard III in the North - this tome, however, covers the mystery of the princes in the tower. Using the time honoured technique of analysing means, motive and opportunity, Trow posits the question - qui bono? Who benefits?

Trow sets forth his case utilising methods familiar to anyone who has watched or read a police procedural, court room drama or forensic investigation. As the with any suspicious death, he looks at those closest to the victims - the most obvious suspects (Richard III and Henry VII), some lesser suspects (the adherents, the family) before putting forth one who he considers highly likely and almost unanimously overlooked suspect. A person who had the holy trinity of means, motive and opportunity - a person who quite literally - if it was them - got away with murder, and possibly others. In fact, someone I myself had not even considered!

I found this to be a most compelling read - it covers off the period of the Wars of the Roses, the reigns of Edward IV and Richard III, Bosworth, and the succession of Henry VII, the mystery of the princes and the pretenders rather succinctly without bogging the reader down in a mire of dry information overload (or information dump). There is enough here for even the most casual reader to follow without having to take a crash course in medieval history.

Whether you agree or disagree with Trow's conclusions, this makes for some thought-provoking reading - who knows, maybe there is another unconsidered suspect lurking in the shadows that no-one has considered ... after five centuries, nothing is conclusive but nor should it be dismissed for not following the two "standard" lines of thought.

Definitely one for my own library!

Review: Richard III and the North by MJ Trow

Synopsis: Richard III is England's most controversial king. Forever associated with the murder of his nephews, the Princes in the Tower, he divides the nation. As spectacular as his death at Bosworth in August 1485 - the last king of England to die in battle - the astonishing discovery of his bones under a Leicester car park five centuries later renewed interest in him and re-opened old debates. Is he the world's most wicked uncle; or is he (in the words of the man who most smeared him) 'a prince more sinned against than sinning'?

Richard was not born in the North; neither did he die there, but this detailed look at his life, tracing his steps over the thirty-three years that he lived, focuses on the area that he loved and made his own. As Lord of the North, he had castles at Middleham and Sheriff Hutton, Penrith and Sandal. He fought the Scots along the northern border and on their own territory. His son was born at Middleham and was invested as Prince of Wales at York Minster, where Richard planned to set up a college of 100 priests.

His white boar device can be found in obscure corners of churches and castles; his laws, framed in the single parliament of his short reign, gave rights to the people who served him and loved him north of the Trent. And when he felt threatened or outnumbered by his enemies during the turbulent years of the Wars of the Roses, it was to the men of the North that he turned for support and advice. They became his knights of the body; members of the Council of the North which outlived Richard by a 150 years. They died with him at Bosworth.

Although we cannot divorce Richard from the violent politics of the day or from events that happened far to the South, it was in the North that Richard's heart lay.  The North was his home. It was the place he loved.

I will admit to being a little biased - I have read a number of non-fiction (Vlad) and fiction (Marlowe) by MJ Trow. I find the writing style to be more conversational than academic, more so in this tome.

What we have here is a great (abridged) introduction to the Wars of the Roses and the family of Richard III. Trow uses the fortifications and castles associated with the Yorkist cause and with Richard himself as the anchor point from which to condense and recount Richard's thirty-three years.

As many would already know, following the accession of Edward IV, Richard received many honours and land, predominantly based in the north of England - t would be here that he would create long lasting ties with local landowners, religious and civil leaders - he was a popular figure.

However, not all the anchor points are linked with the north but with the family, and there is much discussion about these places not only associated with Richard, but also key points in the family history and with events being played out. 

Richard's links to the north were not only about his own time there, but also with how the northern barons - more often or not Lancastrians - impacted his childhood, adulthood, his political and personal perceptions. Trow tells us that Richard was often associated as a "northerner" due to his deliberate decision to base himself there - to live and to work - and muses that had things followed the anticipated successional course, Richard may have indeed spent much more time in the North. Regardless of how things finally played out, his legacy is and will always be associated with the North. And funnily enough, much of what Richard set about creating, the Tudors adopted themselves.

Trow also delves into the myths and perceptions of Richard himself, including the vexing question of the Princes in the Tower, finishing up with the discovery of Richard 's remains and his final internment.

Trow provides a "floor plan" for all the anchor buildings and possible plans for the major battles. All sources (of which a selected few are listed at the end) are considered and scrutinised, but here also Trow laments that lack of contemporary sources that shed light into the man himself that have not be "rewritten" or "formualted" with a specific target audience or patron in mind.

There are many books on the Wars of the Roses, Richard III and the Tudors, Trow's book will appeal to many - it is an accessible, uncomplicated history of the period and the man.

Review: Kit Marlowe series by MJ Trow

Kit (Christopher) Marlowe, Elizabethan playwright, intelligencer for Queen Elizabeth I, man-about-town.  In this series, MJ Trow has Marlowe in the role of investigator, commencing from this days at Cambridge right up until the final reckoning.

Elizabethan England:

In short, this period in history has been referred to as the golden age. There was the stability of a reigning monarch which contributed to economic prosperity and empirical expansion and also saw the defeat of the Spanish Armada and the flourishing of the arts, especially the theatre. 

In Elizabethan England, the "theatre became a place where people went to see, not dramatised lectures on good behaviour, but a reflection of their own spirit and day-to-day interests. They wanted to laugh and to cry – to be moved, not by divine reflection, but by human beings doing good and bad things just as they did – loving and murdering, stealing, cheating, acting sacrificially, getting into trouble and behaving nobly: in short, being human like themselves." (source: No Sweat Shakespeare).  In public or in private, these plays also provided an opportunity for a carefully crafted piece of pseudo-political propaganda - which could find an unlucky playwright secreted in the Tower.

With this series, what we get is an entree into this world of Elizabethan  theatre and the notable playwrights of the day which include one fledgling Will Shaxsper (aka Shakespeare), Robert Greene, Thomas Kyd,and Ben Johnson.  We also get a look behind the scenes at the goings-on at the various theatres including The Rose.

However, there was a darker side to Elizabethan England in that religious persecution was rife, and plots, conspiracies and rebellions against the crown were frequent. Under Sir Francis Walsingham, a dedicated spy network was established. "England’s first great experiment in government-backed spying network brought down a queen and perhaps a playwright, saw kidnappings, executions and murders. The fact that Queen Elizabeth reigned for 44 years—and died naturally in her sleep—is evidence of its success." (source History)

So, to the books in the Kit Marlowe series, please see below; and find a link to my review of those that I have read following.


Dark Entry

First in the thrilling new Kit Marlowe historical mystery series - Cambridge, 1583. About to graduate from Corpus Christi, the young Christopher Marlowe spends his days studying and his nights carousing with old friends. But when one of them is discovered lying dead in his King’s College room, mouth open in a silent scream, Marlowe refuses to accept the official verdict of suicide. Calling on the help of his mentor, Sir Roger Manwood, Justice of the Peace, and the queen’s magus, Dr John Dee, a poison expert, Marlowe sets out to prove that his friend was murdered.

my review of Dark Entry

Silent Court

Second in the thrilling new Kit Marlowe historical mystery series - November, 1583. Desperate not to let the Netherlands fall into the hands of Catholic Spain, the Queen’s spymaster orders Cambridge scholar and novice spy Christopher Marlowe to go there to assist its beleaguered leader, William the Silent. However, travelling in disguise as part of a troupe of Egyptian players, Marlowe encounters trouble even before he leaves England. When the players make a detour to perform at the home of Dr John Dee, one of their tricks ends in tragedy – and an arrest for murder . . .

Witch Hammer

Christopher Marlowe investigates a possible act of witchcraft in the third of this intriguing historical mystery series. - July, 1585. Desperate to pursue his chosen career as a professional playwright, the young Christopher Marlowe abandons his Cambridge studies to join Lord Strange’s men, a group of travelling players. En route to perform at Oxford, the players are rehearsing amongst the famous Rollright Stones on the Warwickshire border when they are rudely interrupted by the discovery of the corpse of actor-manager Ned Sledd. Is it an act of witchcraft, a human sacrifice to mark the festival of Lammastide? Or is there a more personal reason? Kit Marlowe determines to find out.

Scorpions' Nest

Christopher Marlowe investigates a school for exiled Catholic priests in the fourth of this intriguing historical mystery series. October, 1586. Sir Francis Walsingham has despatched Kit Marlowe to the English College in Rheims where he suspects the Catholic traitor Matthew Baxter is hiding. Infiltrating the College undercover, Marlowe learns that the community has been rocked by a series of unexplained and violent deaths. With the help of master codebreaker Thomas Phelippes, can Christopher Marlowe unearth a murderer, track down a traitor and extract himself from the scorpions’ nest without being fatally stung?

Crimson Rose

March, 1587. Christopher Marlowe’s play Tamburlaine, with the incomparable Ned Alleyn in the title role, has opened at the Rose Theatre, and a new era on the London stage is born. Yet the play is almost shut down on its opening night. For a member of the audience, Eleanor Merchant, lies dead, hit by a musket ball fired from the stage. The man with his finger on the trigger? A bit-part player named Will Shakespeare. Convinced of Shakespeare’s innocence, Marlowe determines to find out what really happened. When a second body is found floating in the River Thames, it becomes clear that Eleanor Merchant’s death was no accident, and that something deeper and darker is afoot. And why is the Queen’s spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham, taking a close personal interest in the case?

Traitor's Storm

May, 1588. With Elizabeth I s court rocked by stories of an imminent invasion and one of his key undercover agents missing, Sir Francis Walsingham despatches Kit Marlowe to the Isle of Wight off the south coast: the first line of defence against the approaching Spanish Armada. Lodging at Carisbrooke Castle with the Isle of Wight s Governor, Sir George Carey, Marlowe finds the Islanders a strange and suspicious lot, with their own peculiar customs and dialect. But is there reason to doubt their loyalty to the Crown? And is the Island really haunted, as some believe? Of one thing Marlowe is certain: it s no ghost behind the series of violent and inexplicable deaths which plague the region. But will he have time to uncover the truth and expose the killer before the might of the Armada descends?

Secret World

Christopher Marlowe tackles his most baffling case yet. June, 1589. Now a feted poet and playwright, Kit Marlowe is visiting his family in Canterbury. But it's not the happy homecoming he had hoped for. A long-standing family friend has been found dead in her bed, killed by several blows to the head. Convinced that the wrong person has been found guilty of the crime, Marlowe determines to uncover the truth. What did the dead woman mean when she spoke of 'owning the whole world'? If Marlowe could discover what she had in her possession, he would be one step closer to catching her killer. And why is the Queen's spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham, taking such an interest in the investigation?

All Hallows Eve

"'Tell me a story, Kit...'"

It's All Hallows' Eve and Kit Marlowe's evening is disrupted by the call of an ethereal voice, requesting a tale for the haunted night. From the depths of his creative mind comes the tale of ghostly horrors and unearthly cries which rattles even the most supernatural of beings...

Eleventh Hour

April, 1590. The queen's spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham, is dead, leaving a dangerous power vacuum. His former right hand man, Nicholas Faunt, believes he was poisoned and has ordered Kit Marlowe to discover who killed him. To find the answers, Marlowe must consult the leading scientists and thinkers in the country. But as he questions the members of the so-called School of Night, the playwright-turned-spy becomes convinced that at least one of them is hiding a deadly secret. If he is to outwit the most inquiring minds in Europe and unmask the killer within, Marlowe must devise an impossibly ingenious plan.

my review of Eleventh Hour

Queen's Progress

May, 1591. When Queen Elizabeth decides to embark on a Royal Progress, visiting some of the grandest homes in England, her new spymaster, Sir Robert Cecil, sends Kit Marlowe on ahead, to ensure all goes smoothly. But Marlowe’s reconnaissance mission is dogged by disaster: at Farnham Hall, a body is hurled from the battlements; at Cowdray Castle, a mock tournament ends in near tragedy; at Petworth, a body is discovered in the master bedroom, shot dead. By the time he reaches Chichester, Marlowe fears the worst. Are the incidents linked? Is there a conspiracy to sabotage the Queen’s Progress? Who is pulling the strings – and why? To uncover the truth, Marlowe must come up with a fiendishly clever plan.

my review of Queen's Progress

Black Death

As plague stalks the streets of 16th century London, Christopher Marlowe is drawn into a baffling murder investigation where nothing is as it first appears.

September, 1592. “Kit, I know we have never been friends, but you are the only man in London to whom I can write. Someone is trying to kill me”.  

Christopher Marlowe had never liked Robert Greene when he was alive. But when the former Cambridge scholar is found dead in a cheap London boarding house, shortly after sending Kit a desperate letter, Marlowe feels duty bound to find out who killed him – and why.

What secrets did Robert Greene take with him to the grave? And why is the Queen’s spymaster, Sir Robert Cecil, taking such a keen interest in the case? As plague stalks the streets of London and the stage manager of the Rose Theatre disappears without trace just days before the opening of Marlowe’s new play, the playwright-sleuth finds himself in the midst of a baffling murder investigation – where nothing is as it first appears.

my review of Black Death

The Reckoning

The inaugural performance of Christopher Marlowe's controversial new play is marred by sudden, violent death in this lively 16th century mystery. December, 1592. England is entering dangerous waters as thoughts turn to the question of the ageing Queen Elizabeth's successor. Christopher Marlowe meanwhile is leading a troupe of the Lord Chamberlain's Men on tour with a controversial new play.

Marlowe expects his latest play, Edward II, to ruffle feathers. What he doesn't expect is it to lead to is sudden, violent death. The morning the tour is due to begin, the newest member of the cast is found stabbed to death in the local brothel. And when a second murder, and then a third, disrupt rehearsals for the inaugural performance in the Great Hall at Scudbury Manor, it becomes clear that someone is determined to prevent this play from being performed – at any cost. But who ... and why?

my review of The Reckoning

I loved this latest installment in the Kit Marlowe series so much so that I did not want this to end, and as I realised where this was going, I slowed my reading to tease it out to the very end. All the old crew are back: Will Shaxsper, Burghley, Cecil, Nicholas Faunt, Tom Sledd, Ned Alleyn, Ingram Frizer, Robert Poley and Nicholas Skerries. Marlowe's path will lead him, ultimately, to a tavern in Deptford where he will meet his final reckoning. Fans of Marlowe will know what awaits the Muses' Darling.

more on Marlowe

-  Marlowe in Fiction

- Roy Kendall: Christopher Marlowe and Richard Baines: Journeys Through the Elizabethan Underground

- The Marlowe Society

- Jstor: The Truth About Elizabethan Playwrights
- Jstor: The Death of Christopher Marlowe

Review: Black Death by MJ Trow

Synopsis:  September, 1592. “Kit, I know we have never been friends, but you are the only man in London to whom I can write. Someone is trying to kill me”.

Christopher Marlowe had never liked Robert Greene when he was alive. But when the former Cambridge scholar is found dead in a cheap London boarding house, shortly after sending Kit a desperate letter, Marlowe feels duty bound to find out who killed him – and why.

What secrets did Robert Greene take with him to the grave? And why is the Queen’s spymaster, Sir Robert Cecil, taking such a keen interest in the case? As plague stalks the streets of London and the stage manager of the Rose Theatre disappears without trace just days before the opening of Marlowe’s new play, the playwright-sleuth finds himself in the midst of a baffling murder investigation – where nothing is as it first appears.

Another outing in Elizabethan England has Kit Marlowe investigating the death of Robert Greene, one of the first professional writers of the day, and a contemporary of both Marlowe and Shaxsper - the man who referred to the Bard of Avond as an "upstart crow".

Kit receives a message from Greene, no friend of our Kit, asking Marlowe to come to his aid - instead Greene is found dead in mysterious circumstances. In reality, around this time, Greene wrote exposés on the Elizabethan underworld, such as "A Notable Discovery of Coosnage" (1591) and the successful and amusing "A disputation betweene a hee conny-catcher and a shee conny-catcher" (1592).

Against this we have the appearance of the magus Simon Foreman, currently favourite of Elizabeth I, sidelining Dr John Dee, and the disappearance of steadfast Tom Sledd. But London is not only being stalked by a killer but also the Plague, resulting in a closure of the theatres, leaving Kit ample time to investigate.

Marlowe is as witty and irascible as ever; all the usual suspects are present; and red herrings abound.

Review: The Queen's Progress by MJ Trow

Synopsis:

May, 1591. When Queen Elizabeth decides to embark on a Royal Progress, visiting some of the grandest homes in England, her new spymaster, Sir Robert Cecil, sends Kit Marlowe on ahead, to ensure all goes smoothly. But Marlowe’s reconnaissance mission is dogged by disaster: at Farnham Hall, a body is hurled from the battlements; at Cowdray Castle, a mock tournament ends in near tragedy; at Petworth, a body is discovered in the master bedroom, shot dead.

By the time he reaches Chichester, Marlowe fears the worst. Are the incidents linked? Is there a conspiracy to sabotage the Queen’s Progress? Who is pulling the strings – and why? To uncover the truth, Marlowe must come up with a fiendishly clever plan.

So firstly, the scene for this latest episode in the Kit Marlowe series is real.  Elizabeth I did progress through Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire in August and September 1591.  As was the custom of the times, the "harbingers" were sent ahead to scout out locations, tighten security, check the accommodation (and kick out the hosting family if necessary), and ensure suitable "entertainments" were arranged.  To be selected to be a host to Glorianna was an honour - but there was a downside as well - there was usually great upheaval for the hosts and it was a huge expense for the family - it wasn't funded by the monarch and some families bankrupted themselves!.  For example, at Elvetham, such entertainments included: tennis, an opera and fireworks performed from the island in the great pond as seen above.

In this episode, there are rumblings of rebellion - nothing new in Tudor England.  The previous decade played witness to a series of plots involving Spain and Mary Queen of Scots.  Unfortunately the year prior, Elizabeth lost her spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham, and in his stead was Sir Robert Cecil (son of Lord Burghley, Elizabeth's Prime Minister).

So, covertly employed as spies, but overtly as harbinger's of the Queen's progress, Kit Marlowe and Thom Sledd (his faithful stage manager), head out of London for Middleham.  A couple of suspicious deaths puts a proverbial spanner in the works - and Kit investigates.  Along the way we are introduced to a veritable cast of questionable characters including Nicholas Faunt, another of Walsingham's former spies, and the ever present busy-body and budding playwright, Will Shaxsper.

"... the rat, the cat and Lovel our dog, all rule England under a hog ..."

Well written as always, humourous, subtle, action-aplenty, treason, plots, personal and political jousting.  A great story that has a rather good twist at the end.

Further Reading:

The Elizabeth Court Day by Day - 1591

The Impact of Elizabeth's I's Progress in Hampshire, 1591

Queen and Country: The Significance of Elizabeth 1's Progressin Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire in 1591 - thesis by Caroline Adams

The Portable Queen Elizabeth I and the Politics of Ceremony by Mary Hill Cole

The Mail Online - Was The Virgin Queen An Imposter?