[sufue]

Although published sixth, The Queen's Man is a prequel to the John Shakespeare series by Rory Clements. I've read a couple of other titles in this series, although not yet this one, and have quite enjoyed them. It has dropped to $0.99 at Kindle US. It is currently sitting at $2.99 at Kobo US, but I'm including the link for price-check purposes. This Kindle edition, which seems to be different (I hate it when they do this) than the one I purchased back in 2014, also supposedly contains a bonus short story.

This should not be confused with the OTHER The Queen's Man, which is the first title in Sharon Kay Penman's excellent (IMO) and far-too-short four-book Justin de Quincy series, one of my top ten favorite series.

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/Queens-Man-Jo...dp/B00RTY99EI/
Kobo US (price check): https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-queen-s-man-2

Spoiler:

Includes BONUS short story

For fans of C J Sansom and S J Parris, THE QUEEN'S MAN introduces the Queen's Spy John Shakespeare in the prequel to Rory Clements' acclaimed and bestselling series of Tudor spy thrillers. Clements, winner of the Ellis Peters Historical Fiction Award, 'does for Elizabeth's reign what C.J. Sansom does for Henry VIII's' Sunday Times

England is a Judas nest of conspiracy

It is 1582, and the conflict between Protestant and Catholic threatens to tear the country in two. While Queen Elizabeth I holds the reins of power, there are those whose loyalty lies with her imprisoned cousin, Mary Queen of Scots.

On his first major mission for Sir Francis Walsingham, the young John Shakespeare is ordered to discover a conspiracy to free the Stuart queen from Sheffield Castle. All too soon, he realises that the tentacles of the plot reach deep into his native Warwickshire and threaten his own friends and family. His duty lies with Elizabeth - but how far will he go to protect those he loves?