This Marlowe Month is dedicated to the memory of Linda Shannon who passed away unexpectedly in March. Linda was a long-time volunteer at the Rose Playhouse, involved with many of the Friends of the Rose activities. Unfortunately, we never met, but we did exchange emails for a couple of years, soon after she took over the editing of the monthly newsletter, and I felt as if I knew her as a friend. Linda made a superb job of the newsletter which often included her interviews with members of the committee. She also led the Alleyn Walks in London and was part of the Alleyn dance troupe who re-enact the dances of the Tudor era, a pastime which, by all accounts, is a lot of fun. Linda was also a member of the Marlowe Society and is sadly missed by all who knew her, many through her various interests. Her passing has left a huge gap and my sincere sympathy is extended to all her family and friends.
This May Chasqui’s Writing World is set to offer a bumper edition, with four features which will appear over the next four weeks. Starting with two articles, both are my book reviews of novels on Kit Marlowe written by Steven Veerapen, and I can highly recommend these. Hope my reviews have done these excellent stories the justice they deserve – you can also find them on Amazon and Goodreads and below is my appreciation of the first, The Queen’s Gold, with its sequel to follow soon after.
The Queen’s Gold: A Christopher Marlowe Spy Thriller (Book 1)
by Steven Veerapen
An Exciting 16th Century Adventure Revolving around Kit Marlowe and Fellow Student Thomas Lewgar
This is a well-written and cleverly thought-out thriller, with Tudor dramatist, poet and probable spy, Christopher (Kit) Marlowe the main character in his student days. Set in the mid-1580s, the story takes many twists and turns as he and his fellow student, Thomas Lewgar, begin their travels in Cambridge, visiting Devon, London and Canterbury, often retracing their steps. With ships, the New World, treasure, Drake, and Raleigh plus a gold-chasing “baddie” with his associates recurring throughout, there is never a dull moment. There is much historical accuracy (a bonus for me) woven into this fictional tale, and the writing style and format keep interest alive from the start.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone keen on historical adventure, especially set in the Tudor period and with Marlowe himself, though don’t expect him to be a particularly nice character but he is certainly one with intelligence and courage. After reading this novel, I am very much hoping for a sequel and am wondering how Kit and Thomas will tackle their next dangerous exploits.
© Chasqui Penguin, 2023
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