Corpus: A gripping spy thriller

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And you have a clash of two different belief systems – in this case Communism and Fascism – with the adherents of each out to destroy the other. Finally the abdication crisis of 1936 sees a monarch in peril, with different political factions anxious either to preserve the status quo or to advance the fortunes of another candidate more sympathetic to their views. Where you have the Duke of York (later George V) in the case of Edward VIII, you have Mary, Queen of Scots in the case of Elizabeth I. As Wilde, an American of Irish heritage, ruefully observes, “You English haven’t really moved on much from the Middle Ages, have you?” Rory Clements's timely spy thriller set in the 1930s evokes a period of political polarisation, mistrust and simmering violence. Corpus is fast-paced and there are plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing. This is the first of a promising series and Wilde is a likeable hero. If his leap from Cambridge historian to fearless motor-biking crime fighter stretches credulity, perhaps that is the fault of the Cambridge historians I have known.' Drawn into investigating a suspicious death, Wilde approaches detection with the eye of an historian. As he tells his students: “Argue with me! […] Make me prove my points, demand evidence, get as near the truth as you can. Re-examine everything you have ever been told and make your own mind up on the evidence you can find. And if there is not enough evidence, then keep an open mind. Become a detective – because if you don’t, you’ll never become a historian.” Quite different, but just as gripping, and you might well need a bit of a refresher during it. Very tense, not a lot of laughs, but a really good read, and concept. Fascinating times, great book. So often they are from this publisher. * Frost Magazine * Europe is in turmoil. The Nazis have marched into the Rhineland; in Russia, Stalin has unleashed his Great Terror; Spain has erupted in civil war.

Yes, yes, yes. Exactly right. This is what history teaches you. Work hard for your opinions, search, evaluate, criticise, look for more, ask who benefits, challenge every assumption. Do this every day. Not just what people are telling you, but WHY. Look beyond what you are given, seek what is being hidden. Clements spins his wheels within wheels to enjoyable, if mind-boggling, effect. Pay attention if you don't want to get lost: it works for thrillers and American Presidents alike. Rory Clements's timely spy thriller set in the 1930s evokes a period of political polarisation, mistrust and simmering violence. Corpus is fast-paced and there are plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing. This is the first of a promising series and Wilde is a likeable hero this fascinating pre-war era comes breathtakingly and insidiously to life in a complex, compelling opener to what promises to be another extraordinary historical series as Clements harnesses society's distrust, divisions and deceptions in a powerful and plausible thriller. With real history, mystery, politics and espionage at play, Clements is undoubtedly on to another winner...' Can he trust Cecil to have the best interests of the crown at heart? And can the search for a woman who is missing and a colony in the new world be more connected than anyone thought? More than that, will his wife Catherine leave him so she can practice Catholicism? Tensions at home and abroad run high.Argue with me!' Wilde insisted. 'Make me prove my points, demand evidence, get as near the truth as you can. Re-examine everything you have ever been told and make your own mind up on the evidence you can find. And if there is not enough evidence, then keep an open mind. Become a detective- because if you don't, you'll never become a historian.' The deeper Thomas Wilde delves, the more he finds to link the murders with the girl with the silver syringe - and even more worryingly to the scandal surrounding the Abdication . . . And this fascinating pre-war era comes breathtakingly and insidiously to life in a complex, compelling opener to what promises to be another extraordinary historical series as Clements harnesses society's distrust, divisions and deceptions in a powerful and plausible thriller. With real history, mystery, politics and espionage at play, Clements is undoubtedly on to another winner... * Lancashire Evening Post *

Corpus is a remarkable chronicle of the treacherous game of poisoned politics, teasing the moves from its players with considerable skill to result in a thoroughly exhilarating fusion of espionage, intrigue and murder. As for the book, I really enjoyed it. It's my first experience with Rory Clements, who has chosen a much more modern period than usual: the 1930s. It's the perfect foil for political intrigue: Nazis, spies, Cambridge professors involved in Communist or Nazi plots, the abdication of the King, murder, drugs, Spanish gold... Clements has thrown it all in. The plot was well done, the writing good, but the winner for me was the lead, Thomas Wilde. He's intelligent and capable without being a superman. Plus, I was won over by that speech early on and thankfully never had to change my opinion of the man as the story sped along. I will certainly be around for his next adventure.

Publication Order of John Shakespeare Books

Main character John Shakespeare is given both cases to solve. Mary, Queen of Scots, is scheduled for execution and the Spanish Armada is ready to strike. Traitors and enemies have their heads displayed on pikes high above the London Bridge. It is a time of peril for England, where chaos and fear threaten to reign. Shakespeare must go into an underworld that includes a strange array of people– including his brother Will, the struggling writer. A suicidal overdose and the murder of upper class Cecil Langley and his wife are two events that may be unconnected. However this is England in 1936, a magnet for opposing forces and their first moves in preparation for the coming conflict, assisted or prevented by a royal crisis (depending on which side you're on). Cambridge history professor Tom Wilde may fall into the middle of this accidentally to begin with but his curiosity has been piqued enough to ensure he's not walking away.