{"product_id":"9781835984604","title":"Players of Death","description":"Author: Howard Linskey\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 9781835984604\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: Canelo\u003cbr\u003eYear first published: 24 Feb 2026\u003cbr\u003ePages: 384 \u003cbr\u003eFormat: Paperback \/ softback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘A thrilling adventure wonderfully evoked as Shakespeare turns spy’ James Oswald\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePreviously published as \u003ci\u003eA Serpent in the Garden\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘Will Shakespeare as a detective is so good you realise he was wasted as a playwright... This clever crime tale blends pace and humour into a riveting, believable and funny read’ \u003ci\u003eSun\u003c\/i\u003e Pick of the Week\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLondon, 1592. 28-year-old \u003cb\u003eWilliam Shakespeare\u003c\/b\u003e is the rising man of English theatre. But plague has hit the capital, and the playhouses are to be shut. Livelihoods, and lives, are at stake.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLady Celia Vernon\u003c\/b\u003e is one of the first to perish but did she really die of plague? Her cousin, the \u003cb\u003eEarl of Southampton\u003c\/b\u003e, orders Will to discover the truth in a London filled with conspirators, cutthroats and traitors.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Queen's spymaster, \u003cb\u003eRobert Cecil\u003c\/b\u003e, suspects the Earl of treason and orders Will to spy on him in return. Caught between two of the most powerful men in the kingdom, Will cannot possibly serve both masters, and could easily become the next victim of the killer he is trying to catch.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith his future, safety and life on the line, Will uncovers a devastating secret, and changes the course of his, and the world’s destiny forever.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn utterly compelling historical mystery offering a new and fascinating look into the personal life of the great William Shakespeare.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eA Serpent in the Garden\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘\u003cb\u003eA thrilling adventure\u003c\/b\u003e wonderfully evoked as Shakespeare turns spy’ \u003cb\u003eJames Oswald\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘\u003cb\u003eImpressive\u003c\/b\u003e... a delicious tapestry of intrigue and adventure’ \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCrime Time\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'\u003cb\u003eHugely entertaining\u003c\/b\u003e, clever, engaging. An all-round delight' \u003cb\u003eTrevor Wood\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘A masterpiece’ \u003cb\u003eRachael Blok\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘I don’t think I’ve ever read any fictional account that so accurately portrays the terrible autocracy that was in force during Elizabeth I’s reign. \u003cb\u003eI couldn't put it down\u003c\/b\u003e’ \u003cb\u003eBarbara Nadel\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘\u003cb\u003eAbsolutely fantastic\u003c\/b\u003e. Clever, sly, funny, gripping – everything to make it a terrific read’ \u003cb\u003eAjay Chowdhury\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘\u003cb\u003eA rich page-turner\u003c\/b\u003e – the sights, sounds and atmosphere of 16th Century London pour from the pages’ \u003cb\u003eIsabel Ashdown\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘\u003cb\u003eUp there with the best historical fiction I’ve read\u003c\/b\u003e – Will Shakespeare is an almost competent private eye’ \u003cb\u003eJames Oswald\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘I haven’t had this much fun in the Elizabethan era since Joseph Fiennes woo’d Gwyneth Paltrow’ \u003cb\u003eDouglas Skelton\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘One of the best historical novels I’ve read in years’ \u003cb\u003eRobert Rutherford\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ships in 10 to 15 days","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46677437481118,"sku":"TLD-9781835984604","price":22.78,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0400\/9043\/5742\/files\/9781835984604.jpg?v=1775455686","url":"https:\/\/classicbargains.com.au\/products\/9781835984604","provider":"Classic Bargains Australia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}