1593.
Under Queen Elizabeth’s reign, England is ravished by the great plague tearing through the country.
Religious turmoil, oppression and famine pose dangers in all corners of life.
But amidst the chaos a story emerges which paints a new face on British history.
George Bullen lives a comfortable but frugal life in London, widowed by the plague and working as a scribe for those unable to write themselves.
With aspirations of becoming an author, perhaps selling stories to his old acquaintance Will Shakespeare, he is waiting for inspiration.
When a hooded soldier appears, scarred and haggard, hunted by Queen Elizabeth’s men for reasons unknown, George becomes the safe-keeper of his tale.
A member of the Duke of Norfolk’s illegal private army, his story begins with lost love and twists its way through death and war to uncover a horrifying secret of the Virgin Queen; a secret for which he will be killed.
George’s own life soon becomes in perilous danger.
Those around him are left slain by anonymous foes desperate to keep the conspiracy alive.
The story he has written indicts him of treason and the soldier he harbours will stop at nothing to recover his lost love and escape the tyranny of his hunt.
As the Midsummer Revels commence, romance and death weave through the dreamy streets and disturbing secrets are revealed ...
Dickens’ lucid prose and thoroughly researched narrative present a gripping tale, bristling with wit and farce, yet guaranteed to leave you guessing until the final page.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Frank William Huline Dickens (born 2 February 1932) was born in Hornsey, London.
Dickens left school at sixteen and began working for his father, a painter-decorator. A self-taught artist, he began working as a cartoonist in 1959 and has since won eight 'Cartoonist of the Year' awards for his Bristow series. In 1971 he made an introduction into stage work and in 1999 adapted Bristow into a six-part series for BBC Radio 4. Dickens has also published twelve children's books and two thrillers.