‘Crimson Rose’ by MJ Trow

Crimson Rose

(Audiobook)
London, 1587. A new play entitled Tamburlaine opens at the Rose Theatre, but when a member of the audience is murdered, young actor Will Shakespeare is the prime suspect and is thrown into jail. Playwright and part-time spy, Kit Marlowe, knows his friend is innocent and sets out to investigate. But when another body turns up, it seems the mystery is not a simple one.

This is the first time I’ve delved into MJ Trow’s massive oeuvre, which includes several book series (Lestrade, Maxwell, Marlowe etc). In this adventure, he spins an absorbing tale of murder, spies and money-lending. Having said that, while he paints a generally authentic picture of the times, the people and the minutiae of everyday life, his use of more modern language and modern expressions did occasionally jar with me.

For lovers of truly historic murder mysteries, it’s a clever and witty story that adds yet more layers to the legend that was Christopher Marlowe.

 
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  4 comments for “‘Crimson Rose’ by MJ Trow

  1. 21/04/2018 at 12:09 PM

    You do ferret out the most intriguing books, Colin. Great review.

    Like

    • 22/04/2018 at 10:22 AM

      I do – it’s mainly to stop myself getting stuck in one or two genres.

      Like

  2. 20/04/2018 at 1:19 PM

    I love anything to do with Marlow, who knows who is who, it captivates me, thank you for sharing.

    Liked by 1 person

    • 20/04/2018 at 6:29 PM

      Me too – Louise Welsh wrote a short book called ‘Tamburlaine Must Die’, which I remember as being pretty good.

      Liked by 1 person

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