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|date=November 2014
|website=http://www.roryclements.com
|summary=A fast -paced adventure set in Elizabethan England, ''The Queen's Man'' is full of treachery, intrigue, and high drama. A decent detective novel that weaves in real -life figures and events wonderfully.
|cover=1848548486
|aznuk=1848548486
Clements writes a vivid Elizabethan England - the dirt, filth and danger feel incredibly real, and it's incredible to see just how little life was regarded by some. One vile character who really stands out is Richard Topcliffe - the moment where Shakespeare finds himself seated next to the man at dinner is wonderfully written, and Topcliffe is by all accounts as awful a person in life as he was in the novel.
In addition, Mary Queen of Scots comes across as a woman who is ill and desperate, and is constantly persuaded and encouraged by her Catholic supporters to take the throne. Whilst she clearly longs for the power, it's hard not to feel sorry for a woman who has clearly been brought up to believe that this is her true destiny.
The story twists and turns at a rapid pace - and the action moves from London, through stinking castles and open fields, to Stratford - the home of the Shakespeare family. With likeable characters and vivid writing, this book is one that was hard to put down, and the conclusion is both exhilarating and satisfying.
This is a great introduction to the world of John Shakespeare - [[John Shakespeare: Prince by Rory Clements|John Shakespeare: Prince]] is another excellent volume about him.
And the Shardlake series is still continuing, and is still a great read - the first is [[Dissolution (Matthew Shardlake) by C J Sansom|Dissolution]], and is set in the reign of Henry VIII - forty or so years before the events of ''The Queen's Man'' You might also enjoy [[Guns in the North (The Sir Robert Carey Mysteries Omnibus) by P F Chisholm]].
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