EDWARD MARSTON – The Queen’s Head. St. Martin’s Press, US, hardcover, 1989. Bantam, UK, hardcover, 1988. Paperback reprint: Fawcett Crest, US, 1990.

Genre:   Historical mystery. Series character:   Nicholas Bracewell, 1st in series. Setting:   London-Elizabethan/1500s.

First Sentence:   Death stalked her patiently throughout the whole of her imprisonment.

   Mary, Queen of Scots, is dead and the Spanish Armada has been defeated. In celebration, Lord Westfield’s Men is preparing to present a new play, “The Loyal Subject.” The company is beset with problems beginning with the death of an actor in a bar brawl.

   Nicholas Bracewell, the company’s manager and keeper of the books, was present and promised to find his friend’s killer. As other incidents occur, Bracewell suspects much more is at stake.

   After a very dramatic opening, Marston moves on to bring the inner working of Elizabethan theater to life. Some elements — the hard work, competitiveness, jealousies, stagecraft and the disappointment — haven’t changed through time.

   It was interesting to learn about the role of the keeper of the books and to learn how special effects were done. The structure of acting companies and the legal and political aspects were very different and made this fascinating.

   The sense of time and place are elements I should have liked to have been stronger. It was there but not as evocative as it could have been. However, one of the appeals of stories set in London is that many of the locations still exist today. The inclusion of a map would have been nice.

   The dialogue flowed well and did hint to the period. That did help. I like Marston’s characters. Even those who play to stereotype are enough developed that they don’t read flat.

   Bracewell is certainly the most developed of the characters and is very interesting. I learned enough about who he is to have gained my empathy, while knowing there is much more I want to learn.

   I felt the plot was very well done with a very good flow to it. It certainly kept me interested to where it was one of those books I read straight through. The climactic scene was very well done, even for my having figured it out. However, there is a very good twist on motive and its revelation leads to one of the truest lines written.

   While I enjoyed the Elizabethan theater series by Philip Gooden, judging only by this first book, this may be a better series. The second book awaits me.

Rating: Very Good.

Editorial Comment:   There are now 16 books in this series. Marston has 44 in all under this pen name, in four different series. He’s also written another eight mysteries under his own name, Keith Miles; two as Martin Inigo; then (amazingly enough) another eight as Conrad Allen.

   (When the count gets this high, I start to doubt my math ability. You can do it for yourself by checking out either the author’s own website or the Fantastic Fiction pages for him.)