A Serpent in the Garden: A totally gripping historical crime thriller
By (Author) Howard Linskey
Canelo
Canelo
29th April 2025
30th January 2025
United Kingdom
General
Fiction
Crime and mystery: private investigator / amateur detectives
Espionage and spy thriller
Historical fiction
Hardback
352
Width 156mm, Height 234mm, Spine 30mm
The greatest writer who ever lived turns spy.
London, 1592. 28-year-old William Shakespeare is the rising man of English theatre. But plague has hit the capital, and the playhouses are to be shut. Livelihoods, and lives, are at stake.
Lady Celia Vernon is one of the first to perish but did she really die of plague Her cousin, the Earl of Southampton, orders Will to discover the truth in a London filled with conspirators and traitors, assassins and spies.
The Queen's spymaster, Robert Cecil, suspects the Earl of treason and orders Will to spy on him in return. Caught between two of the most powerful men in the kingdom, Will cannot possibly serve both masters, and could easily become the next victim of the killer he is trying to catch.
With his future, safety and life on the line, Will uncovers a devastating secret, and changes the course of his, and the worlds, destiny forever.
An utterly compelling historical mystery offering a new and fascinating look into the personal life of the great William Shakespeare.
A former journalist, Howard Linskeys works include crime series and standalones set in the north-east, including the DC Ian Bradshaw series published by Penguin, and two espionage novels. He also writes historical fiction and non-fiction. His books have been published in nine countries. Originally from County Durham, he lives in Herts with his wife and daughter.