Shakespeare No More by Tony Hays, a Mysterious Review.

Review: Simon Saddler and William Shakespeare grew up together in Stratford upon Avon, as close as brothers. But as adults, they were estranged after Simon caught William with his wife. Years later, William calls Simon to his side. He's dying, convinced he has been poisoned, and begs Simon, now a constable in Stratford, to investigate who has tried to kill him, in Shakespeare No More, a novel of suspense by Tony Hays.

William Shakespeare dies a few days later. Simon Saddler has no interest in searching for someone, as he doesn't believe William was intentionally poisoned. Though he has to admit that William was hated by almost all who ever crossed his path, and the likelihood of someone who hated him enough to kill him was quite high. Still, duty requires that he at least make a nominal effort, and he travels to London, where William was when he was supposedly poisoned. He meets up with people that associated with William, and is soon discovers a conspiracy that threatens his own life.

The life — and here, suspicious death — of William Shakespeare make for a fine backstory to this police procedural-style investigation. There is a strong sense of time and place, Jacobean England, and the endless fascination as to whether or not Shakespeare was, indeed, the author of all the work credited to him adds to the appeal as well as to the intrigue. The well-developed plot is briskly paced and maintains a high level of suspense and uncertainty throughout. Shakespeare No More takes an interesting and most unusual approach in looking back at the life and times of the famous — and no doubt to many, infamous — playwright, wrapping it all up in a very credible, and well worth reading, mystery novel.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Shakespeare No More.

Acknowledgment: Perseverance Press provided a copy of Shakespeare No More for this review.

Shakespeare No More

A Jacobean Mystery by Tony Hays