It is an intelligent and fast paced thriller but also a timeslip novel in which we alternate between the modern day, our heroes youth and back in time as he chases the provenance of a book that might prove that Shakespeare was indeed the author of his plays.
There is even an element of the supernatural when he finds an Victorian portrait that looks just like his dead wife. The book also travels from the US to the UK and this also added interest.
I like the way the book progressed and we flipped between time periods, it kept up the suspense. I particularly found the Antiquarian side fascinating, but then I would as a librarian. I found the dip into Shakespearean history believable and interesting. All in all an excellent debut and I suspect we will see more of our intrepid antiquarian bookseller Peter Byerly - at least I hope so!
I think this would make an excellent reading group book as there is plenty to discuss. The whole Shakespeare, did he did he not write his plays issue could take up the whole of a meeting on it's own.
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