A Tip for the Hangman

By Allison Epstein,

Book cover of A Tip for the Hangman

Book description

An Elizabethan espionage thriller in which playwright Christopher Marlowe spies on Mary, Queen of Scots while navigating the perils of politics, theater, romanceā€”and murder.

England, 1585. In Kit Marlowe's last year at Cambridge, he is approached by Queen Elizabeth's spymaster offering an unorthodox career opportunity: going undercover to intercept aā€¦

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Why read it?

2 authors picked A Tip for the Hangman as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This book, set during the Elizabethan period, tells the intrigue-filled story of Christopher (or Kit) Marlowe as he agrees to be a spy for the Queen of England in order to make the money he needs to become a playwright. I know what youā€™re thinking. This does involve a monarch, but itā€™s very much about what happens when a desperate man makes a deal with powerful people to achieve his dreams, and ends up in trouble. If you know what happened to the famous playwright who was Shakespeareā€™s peer before his death (or what likely happened to him), you knowā€¦

A historical mystery about the spy efforts of one Christopher Marloweā€”a man that modern audiences know as a contemporary of William Shakespeare. There is evidence that he was in the spy business for Queen Elizabeth, and while there are a number of historical ā€œlibertiesā€ taken by the author, the solid facts are there. Christopher Marlowe, or ā€œKitā€ as we know him in the text, has a chip on his shoulder and snark in his mouth. He is quick-witted and always has a quip to put someone in his place. Itā€™s hard not to root for Kit as he is continuallyā€¦

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