I definitely have reading patterns. I read cozies in the summer, lighter chick lit in the summer and the fall, etc. However, I read historical fiction year round. It doesn’t matter what the weather is or what is happening in life, I am always up for hist-fic. And I get especially excited when it is a debut author, because I love to see new authors! So, today I’ve got a 2021 debut for you, A Tip for the Hangman by Allison Epstein!
A Tip for the Hangman, Allison Epstein
England, 1585. In Kit Marlowe’s last year at Cambridge, he receives an unexpected visitor: Queen Elizabeth’s spymaster, who has come with an unorthodox career opportunity. Her Majesty’s spies are in need of new recruits, and Kit’s flexible moral compass has drawn their attention. Kit, a scholarship student without money or prospects, accepts the offer, and after his training the game is on. Kit is dispatched to the chilly manor where Mary, Queen of Scots is under house arrest, to act as a servant in her household and keep his ear to the ground for a Catholic plot to put Mary on the throne.
While observing Mary, Kit learns more than he bargained for. The ripple effects of his service to the Crown are far-reaching and leave Kit a changed man. But there are benefits as well. The salary he earns through his spywork allows him to mount his first play, and over the following years, he becomes the toast of London’s raucous theatre scene. But when Kit finds himself reluctantly drawn back into the uncertain world of espionage, conspiracy, and high treason, he realizes everything he’s worked so hard to attain–including the trust of the man he loves–could vanish before his very eyes.
Why You Should Read This…
This is an interesting recommendation for me. While it is a solid 4/5 for me, it is missing that *spark* for me. That being said, I still think that this is the perfect book for a lot of people. Kit Marlowe is an interesting figure. A contemporary of Shakespeare, he was a celebrated author and playwright, and spy under Queen Elizabeth I. And if you are a fan of Marlowe, you will love this novel- it definitely gives more depth to his already-interesting life. (He just doesn’t grab me as an historical figure, hence the 4/5 review.) Overall, this is an exciting book, and a different look at the oft-written-about Tudor period. Also, bonus points for the gorgeous cover!
And if you want more historical fiction, I got my favourite historical fiction audiobooks for you!
If you love historical fiction, A Tip for the Hangman is for you!
Cheers,
The Historian
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