Francis Bacon is charged with investigating the murder of a fellow barrister at Gray’s Inn. He recruits his unwanted protégé Thomas Clarady to do the tiresome legwork. The son of a privateer, Clarady will do anything to climb the Elizabethan social ladder. Bacon’s powerful uncle Lord Burghley suspects Catholic conspirators of the crime, but other motives quickly emerge. Rival barristers contend … contend for the murdered man’s legal honors and wealthy clients. Highly-placed courtiers are implicated as the investigation reaches from Whitehall to the London streets. Bacon does the thinking; Clarady does the fencing. Everyone has something up his pinked and padded sleeve. Even the brilliant Francis Bacon is at a loss — and in danger — until he sees through the disguises of the season of Misrule.
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I didn’t think this book was that interesting. I did finish it just to see who did it. But there was no great interest and no great surprise either!
This author makes his characters more than just their historical reality.
Entertaining and involved mystery,
historical
I think the title is misleading. The book I read, I believe, is another by the same author with some of the same characters. The local seems to be Christ College, not Gray’s Inn.
I’ve read a couple of these so far. Really enjoyed them. Great characters, history built in and a lot of fun.
I liked it, it was different and entertaining.
I got so wrapped up with the characters that I couldn’t put the book down!
If you’re endlessly fascinated, as I am, by the Tudor era, you’ll enjoy this clever mystery featuring Sir Francis Bacon as a sleuth. It weaves the court of Elizabeth I and the attitudes of that era into an enjoyable, well-researched mystery tale.
Book was entertaining. It seemed to me to be a first novel done by someone who is testing the waters. There were plain old proofreading errors (misspelled words here and there, for example. ) I hope to see more from this author.
This book about Sir Francis Bacon presents him from a new perspective. Maybe not too realistic, but interesting.
I did not like the book and, although it is unusual for me not to continue reading, I just could not get into it!
I had high hopes based on some good amazon reviews, and should have heeded the bad reviews. The characters were very juvenile, in thought and action, especially for their ages in that time period. Unrealistic and ultimately unreadable.
Good read.
well written history inside British courts. I enjoyed the details of barristers and judges. Lawyers are the same in any language!
It was really fun and historically accurate as far as I could tell. The characters where sometimes obnoxious but overall, the suspense and build up kept me reading to see how it would turn out
A very cleverly written historical novel. I did not know a lot about that period of time in Great Britain and it wasn’t necessary in order to follow the plot. I did, however look some things up and am the richer for it. I have read one other book by Anna Castle that was equally good.
It was a trip through England in early times. There was murder and romance , with the fun of one of the young men having a secret identity. I liked this book.
Interesting history, but plot gets a bit too convoluted at times.
Love it
Francis Bacon, Sleuth
There are a number of stories at play in this book. So much so, that I found some of the “side” stories distracting. The life of the 1500s and the study of law in England under Queen Elizabeth provide some entertainment for the reader, especially in the manner of dress and the behavior of some of the characters. The main thrust of all the goings on is the mystery: who was killing some of the characters before any motive is discovered? Then there’s the young portrait painter who witnessed the first of the murders and becomes the object of desire by both her dastardly husband and a young student of the law. Francis Bacon, mentor to several of these interesting students of the law, provides a thoughtful look into logical reasoning as he attempts to unravel a sequence of questionable events. Sometimes the story wanders away from the murder plot, but there is enough humor and romance to keep things interesting … even though I confess to skipping a number of pages.