As advance guard for the Queen's Progress, Christopher Marlowe
tackles murder and intrigue within some of England's grandest stately
homes.
May, 1591. When Queen Elizabeth decides to embark on a Royal Progress,
visiting some of the grandest homes in England, her new spymaster, Sir
Robert Cecil, sends Kit Marlowe on ahead, to ensure all goes smoothly.
But Marlowe's reconnaissance mission is dogged by disaster: at Farnham
Hall, a body is hurled from the battlements; at Cowdray Castle, a mock
tournament ends in near tragedy; at Petworth, a body is discovered in
the master bedroom, shot dead.
By the time he reaches Chichester, Marlowe fears the worst. Are the
incidents linked? Is there a conspiracy to sabotage the Queen's
Progress? Who is pulling the strings - and why? To uncover the truth,
Marlowe must come up with a fiendishly clever plan.