The Queen Must Die:
A Mystery with Young Will Shakespeare
by
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Woodward shook his head as much to clear his mind as to answer her question. “We have no time to waste. Just listen. Nothing has changed since last we met. The plan is still in place, except now we will find someone else to carry it out.”
A rapturous look came upon her face that was so different from the one of fleeting disgust that he had seen when he embraced her. … He knew she would be more than glad to give up her life to accomplish her “sacred” mission, but not enough to give up her honor and sleep with him.
She was about to say something more when he handed her a slip of paper.
“On that paper you will find a man’s name. Go to the Swan in Stratford. It is not far from Clopton Bridge. Ask for him there. He is the son of a glover but a tolerable player, though he really fancies himself something of a poet and a playwright. The point is, he owes me much, and his family has good reason to want to kill the Serpent of Wickedness.”
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About the Book
It’s the year 1587 and dangers menace England from all directions. Not only does a Spanish invasion threaten the kingdom, but discontented Catholics are also fomenting revolt. One such group devises a plan to assassinate Queen Elizabeth during a theatrical performance, hoping to place the Catholic Mary Stewart on the throne instead.
But during a back street brawl, one of these conspirators is killed, and so the would-be assassins need a replacement—a player who might be secretly Catholic, and harbor a grudge against Elizabeth.
These conspirators discover a new player from Stratford-upon-Avon, Will Shakespeare, who has left his wife, Anne, and their three children to pursue his love of the theater. He has all of the qualifications for the mission, but can he be convinced to take part in this dangerous undertaking? The task seems impossible until an unexpected turn of events gives the young Will Shakespeare a reason to join the conspiracy.
About the Author
JOHN SCARINCI has taught high school and college-level English for thirty-eight years. His interests include playing the piano, painting, and reading everything from history and literature to the Bible and quantum physics. Scarinci and his wife, Florence, live on Long Island. He is also the author of “Going Home,” a one-act play. This is his debut novel.