âA high-stakes, high-drama mysteryâĶled by a plucky, determined hero I would have followed anywhereâĶ[A] romantic, delightful romp!â âMackenzi Lee, New York Times bestselling author of A Gentlemanâs Guide to Vice and Virtue
A down-on-his-luck actor and an English lord reluctantly team up to solve the murder of Christopher Marlowe in this Shakespearean-era âquippy, heart-wrenching debutâĶideal for fans of Mackenzi Lee and F.T. Lukensâ (Kirkus Reviews).
London, 1593. Sixteen-year-old Will Hughes is busy working on Shakespeareâs stage, stuffing his corsets with straw and pretending to be someone else. Offstage, heâs playing a part, too. The son of traitors, Will is desperate to keep his identity secretâor risk being killed in the bloody queenâs imperial schemes. All he wants is to lay low until he earns enough coin to return to his family.
But when his mentor, the famous playwright Christopher Marlowe, is murdered under mysterious circumstances, Willâs plans are hopelessly dashed. Whatâs worse, Marlowe was a spy for the queen, tasked with stalking a killer rumored to be part of an elusive order of assassins, and his secrets and untimely death have put Will under a harsh spotlight. Then, when Will unwittingly foils an attempt on the queenâs life, she names him her next spymaster.
Now, to avoid uncomfortable questions, prison, or an even more terrible fate, Will reluctantly starts his new career, whichâyesâwill secure him the resources to help his familyâĶbut at what cost? Adding insult to injury is the young Lord James Bloomsbury, Willâs new comrade in arms, whose entitled demeanor and unfairly handsome looks get under Willâs skin immediately.
Together, the two hunt the cunning assassin, defend the queenâs life, and pray to keep their own...all while an unexpected connection blossoms between them.