The Merry Devils

Rating:
Summary: Marston stages another intrigue!
Review: "The Merry Devils" is Edward Marston's second episode in the Nicholas Bracewell "Elizabethan Whodunit" series.

It's now curtains up for the London theatrical group known as the Westfield Men.Their patron is Lord Westfield, who, often times, has his own misgivings and even problems. Still the troupe carries on, as the series reveals, with murder, mayhem, and political, social, and religious intrigues!

Behind the guidance of Bracewell, the company's book holder and general stage "boss," the group is enjoying measured success, after all it is good times in England as the Virgin
Queen seems happy on the throne and prosperity seems at an all-time high.

Not so fast, though. The troupe is excited about their production of a new play, "The Merry Devils." However, on opening day, a strange and surprising event occurs: instead
of two devils appearing on stage, mysteriously there are three devils there. This catches everyone's attention and they prepare for a second performance. This time, only one devil
appears and the crew find the second one dead beneath the stage!

Now, our Nicholas takes over. Despite the fact that he's a top theatrical manager, he's also a great detective. Now, with the help (and oftimes hindrance!) of his fellow troupe members, he begins slowly to unravel the circumstances surrounding this death. And, of course, it is no accident. Like a spider web, the event spins off in a number of directions, areas where jealousy, revenge, and political intrigue step forward. Marston's supporting characters include the indomitable Lawrence Firethorne, Edmund Hood, Barnaby Gill, and their nemesis Banbury's Men.

Marston does an excellent job with this historical
"whodunit," weaving excellent characterization, plot development, historical accuracy, and authentic tone and atmosphere to make "The Merry Devils" one worth the read. This story is not a history lesson, but history "with a twist," well worth the time it takes! (...

Rating:
Summary: The Devil to Play
Review: This is the second of Edward Marston's Elizabethan whodunits (the first being "The Queen's Head"); we meet again Lord Westfield's Men and the heroic Nicholas Bracewell, the book holder, production manager, mister fixit, and organiser of the company. Urbane, cultured, he has sailed with Drake and can handle his fists and wield a sword or dagger with the best of them. Bracewell is a practical man, a solver of problems, a searcher after rational explanation who eschews religious fanaticism and casts a sceptical eye over any evidence of magic.

This is an era in which religion and magic count for much: they can mean life and death. Marston does offer a certain amount of historical exposition - setting the contemporary scene, explaining the political/religious tensions and dynamics, offering pen-pictures of real, historical figures. He handles this well - his exposition is rarely intrusive and is generally a seamless part of the narrative. He establishes place, time, and atmosphere economically and convincingly.

Indeed, sometimes he creates a narrative claustrophobia - you almost wish he would suspend action while he digresses about the history. But, of course, you can find that elsewhere (readers will find highly entertaining and accessible history in the works of Alison Weir).

The Elizabethan theatre-going public was a cross-section of society, with the emphasis on vulgarity, and a brash, loud demand for entertainment. Lords and ladies were here, but so were the prostitutes and thieves. The players had to walk a tightrope between providing literate entertainment without offending any of the powerful... especially the queen.

In "The Merry Devils", Westfield's men risk antagonising and outraging wide sections of society. When they put on their new production it appears that one of Satan's imps has joined the cast, cavorting about the stage to the consternation of actors and public alike.

This satanic apparition is the first in a series of injuries done to the company. Are they cursed? Has their playwright truly conjured up the devil? Is there a rational, material explanation? Or will the Puritan fundamentalists succeed in closing the show?

Marston offers a bloody, bawdy, bodice-ripping yarn without ever becoming too explicit. His style is lightweight - not a criticism, merely an observation that he writes enjoyable page-turners rather than intense, sociological studies of the 16th century. An engaging read! ["The Trip to Jerusalem" is the next in the series.]

Rating:
Summary: Supernatural Elizabethan mystery (some mix!)
Review: What happens when an unexpected supernatural guest shows up on the stage of a play in Elizabethan England?

I was confused at the beginning of this book because there is a large cast of characters, and they are all introduced at the same time... once I got the characters straight in my head (I think) I found this mystery enjoyable.