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Summary
Summary
A theatre company bring secrets, magic and murder along with them on their 'Plague Tour', in this bewitching historical mystery starring physician-sleuth Dr Gabriel Taverner.
"Plausible period detail and characters who feel real bolster the involving plot, and the prose and pacing are both top-notch. The prolific Clare shows no sign of running out of steam" - Publishers Weekly Starred Review
October, 1604. Plague has hit London, and the theatres are closed. But the capital's loss is Plymouth's gain, when a London theatre troupe, the Company, arrive on their 'Plague Tour'.
Country physician Gabriel Taverner is both bewitched and unnerved by the Company's sexually charged staging of Othello. The play thrums with magic and witchcraft - perilous subjects, with the King's deadly spies lurking around every corner.
When Gabriel's good friend, Coroner Theophilus Davey, tells him of a dangerous, whispered conversation overheard during a brief break, suggesting one of the cast fled London in possession of a terrible secret, Gabriel is even more relieved the Company will soon be on their way.
But then one of the actors collapses, and Gabriel finds himself caught in a waking nightmare, where nothing is as it appears. Death is stalking the Company - but how can Gabriel hope to catch a cold-blooded killer, if he can't even trust the evidence of his own eyes?
This page-turning historical mystery will appeal to readers who enjoy theatrical settings, head-scratching puzzles and creepy atmospherics.
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Set in 1604, Clare's outstanding fourth whodunit featuring former ship's surgeon Gabriel Taverner (after 2020's The Indigo Ghosts) centers on a group of actors who are performing Shakespeare plays in the West Country, because the plague has closed London's theaters. In Plymouth, Taverner's coroner friend, Theophilus Davey, is troubled by a fragmentary conversation he overhears in an alleyway between two actors, who refer to threats and an unspecified reason to have fled London apart from the plague. One of the pair remarks, "I fear for my life... and the death that stalks me is a particularly awful and long-drawn-out one that haunts me by day and night!" When one of the actors in the company later collapses, possibly from poison, it appears the thespians harbor a murderer in their ranks, and Taverner once again turns sleuth. Plausible period detail and characters who feel real bolster the involving plot, and the prose and pacing are both top-notch. The prolific Clare shows no sign of running out of steam. Agent: Sophie Gorell Barnes, MBA Literary (U.K.). (Feb.)
Kirkus Review
A physician struggles to make sense of several brutal murders in Stuart England. When a theater group arrives in the nearby city of Plymouth in October 1604, country doctor Gabriel Taverner welcomes the chance to see a play with his clever and independent sister, Celia; his best friend, Vicar Jonathan Carew; and midwife Judyth Penwarden. The play is Othello, presented in an unusual and unsettling manner. To Gabriel's discomfort, Celia seems to be enamored of player Fallon Adderbury, and after the performance, she offers her skills as a seamstress to make a silk handkerchief to replace the rather dingy one used as a prop. Taking offense at Gabriel's warnings once they get back home, Celia returns to Plymouth, where she can stay with a friend and see all the plays and become acquainted with the players, one of whom is soon to die. The coroner has overheard a strange conversation, most likely between Francis Heron, a bit player whose money gave him entree, and Daniel, a baggage handler, that gives him reason for concern. He fears that Heron has the plague, but Gabriel is convinced he's been poisoned. A book written in code found among Heron's belongings provides the promise of further clues. After suffering through a weirdly paranormal experience while tending Heron, Gabriel calls on Jonathan for help in facing demons. The mystery enlarges to include professional assassins and a group of famous learned men they have targeted. A complex, exciting mystery whose rich historical background is disturbed by some truly chilling events. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
The plague is rampant in London in 1604, and anyone who can flee the city does, including a troupe of actors who decide that a tour will help them avoid the Black Death and earn much-needed income after months of no work due to London theatres being closed. Their first stop is Plymouth, where the townspeople find the actors' plays a welcome diversion. But it appears that a darker element is at work among the troupe. When one of the actors is found dead, and the body disappears, physician Gabriel Taverner senses that something peculiar is going on. His suspicions are confirmed after another actor is poisoned and suffers a horrifically painful death. A seemingly haunted mirror, a handkerchief embroidered by Gabriel's sister, a book of code, mysterious figures lurking around the acting troupe, and the growing fear that the Saracens Head pub, where the actors are performing, is haunted all add up to a baffling mystery that Gabriel must solve quickly. A haunting, eerie tale with otherworldly twists, a multilayered plot, and Clare's excellent period details make this a fine choice for historical-mystery fans.
Library Journal Review
In October 1604, Gabriel Taverner, a ship's surgeon turned country physician and, unexpectedly, sleuth, must attend to an actor in Shakespeare's theater troupe who collapses after performing a particularly gruesome play. (Maybe it was Titus Andronicus?) Now Gabriel is worried. Has the man died of plague? Or is something evil afoot? From veteran historical fiction author Clare.