Intelligencer John Shakespeare (Will's imagined older brother) is a senior officer in the employ of Walsingham and as such he is charged to protect Francis Drake against an assassination plot. He travels from bar room to brothel in his attempts to unmask the murderer of a young woman (amongst others) and piece together how this particular bloody trail leads to the person who would have Sir Francis dead. He is opposed by Topcliffe, the Queen's favorite and a religious fanatic who will torture and even kill at random in the pursuit of his goals. It is a time when England battles against Catholicism and Spain threatens to invade. This mult-level plot was totally engrossing, full of intrigue and adventure.

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