On 2009-08-20 J. Grambo, Indiana, USA wrote: In this third book of the series, the author is back to lively writing and entertaining storytelling. (The second volume was a slow starter.)
Times were hard for theater people in London in 1603, and the plague continued to endanger lives. Widge tries to solve a mystery of stolen costumes, meets Will Shakespeare´s daughter, and with Shakespeare´s help, also tries his hand at writing a play -- acquiring a new name in the process! Small references to events in the previous two books -- The Shakespeare Stealer and Shakespeare´s Scribe -- are more easily understood if you´ve read them first.
As always, I enjoy learning about historical facts while I am reading fiction. Although I have read in history books about the fact that the English (Anglican) Church was the country´s mandated church during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, I hadn´t realized until I read this how hard life would have been for Catholics at that time. (I did know that the Jews were persecuted in the Middle Ages.)
Some people have expressed alarm that there is a ´fortune teller´ in this book. I don´t think the author is trying to convince anyone that this was anything other than a phenomenon of the times. In the Author´s Note at the end, the author explains this and other historical facts. Shakespeare really did have a daughter named Judith, who is in this book!. And summed up by saying Fun History. Currently Shakespeare´s Spy (Shakespeare Stealer, Book 3) has an overall rating of 8 over 10.
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Puffin claimed Things are disappearing mysteriously from Will Shakespeare´s acting company, and it looks like an inside job. Everyone´s eyes are on Widge, the orphan boy turned actor, and former thief. Widge knows better than anyone that Shakespeare´s plays must be protected at all costs. In order to prove his innocence and clear his name, Widge must learn a new role: spy. But can he dig through the suspects and skulduggery and catch the true culprit?
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