Synopses & Reviews
1600: a new century dawns. War with Spain has dragged on for fifteen years, the conflict in Ireland for six. Unease stalks England in the dying years of Elizabeth I's reign, and Elizabethan intelligencer Martin Marbeck is bored. Then a message from his spymaster, Sir Robert Cecil arrives: the existence of a spy has been discovered, code-named Morera, and Marbeck must uncover the true identity of this traitor quickly, before rumours of the young King Philip III forming a new Armada prove themselves to be true.
Review
"A gripping, entertaining page-turner.”
Booklist Starred Review of Marbeck and the Double-Dealer
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Pilkington's brisk pacing and gift at descriptions will make this a welcome addition Publishers Weekly
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Pilkington introduces an intriguing new hero in the dashing Marbeck in an eventful tale packed with the usual Elizabethan minutiae Kirkus Reviews
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Pilkington's Tudor-era spy novel oozes intrigue and dramatically captures the unsettled mood of the times. Think James Bond for the 17th-century crowd Library Journal Starred Review
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Marbeck and the Double Dealer is a superb historical mystery that concludes with an unexpected solution that leaves open many more dangerous doors Historical Novel Society
Review
A gripping, entertaining page-turner Booklist Starred Review
About the Author
John Pilkington has written plays for radio and theatre as well as television scripts for the BBC. Born in Lancashire, he now lives in Devon.