THE TWELFTH NIGHT MURDER is the third book in Anne Rutherford's Restoration Mystery Series. As I haven't (yet) read the two preceding books but, I can assure readers that this is a stand-alone book. All the necessary elements of the story are contained between the covers of this single book. It does drop some intriguing hints about what has come before, however.
The novel is set in Restoration London. Charles II is newly returned to the throne and most Londoners are kicking up their heels after being governed by Cromwell for so many years. Females are just starting to appear on the stage, although it is not exactly sanctioned by the King just yet.
The New Globe Theatre is being managed by a woman, Suzanne Thornton, who is herself an actress. The theater, because of its roots, specializes in presenting plays by Shakespeare. Anne Rutherford shows us her own affection for Shakespeare in the crafting of this character.
Suzanne could be one of Shakespeare's heroines herself with all her quirks and adventures. Because of her unconventional lifestyle, has more freedom than most women and pretty much does what she wants. She dresses in men's clothes occasionally, keeps her own unpredictable hours, and even dabbles in sleuthing when the local constable comes asking for assistance. This is the third case that she has helped him solve.
The corpse of a young man, clothed in a dress, washes up on the banks of the Thames. It is assumed that he is an actor, but no one can identify him. Suzanne embarks on her investigation and it leads her not only to the underbelly of London but to high society as well before she identifies the boy and his murderer.
THE TWELFTH NIGHT MURDER is excellent historical fiction. Rutherford causes the reader to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of this period, but even more, the attitudes and prejudices. But like Shakespeare, Rutherford mixes her tragedy with comedy. Suzanne and her friends are the story within the story just like Shakespeare's play within the play. Add to this all the cross-dressing going on and even Suzanne's two persistent suitors...well you get the idea. Just read THE TWELFTH NIGHT MURDER. It's really good.
As The New Globe Players bring laughter to audiences with
their production of Shakespeareβs comedy Twelfth Night,
Suzanne Thornton must bring justice to the tragic victim
of
a brutal murder.
When the body of a young boyβmurdered, mutilated, and
clothed in womenβs attireβis found under London Bridge,
Constable Pepper believes him to be a member of The New
Globe Players, one of the actors who specialize in womenβs
parts.
He is not, but Suzanne, summoned to make an
identification,
does recognize him from an encounter in the tavern the
night
beforeβas the alluring doxy who caught the eye of more
than
a few of the patrons. Suzanne suspects that whoever hired
him for the night reacted violently when his true sex was
discovered.
Moved by the ladβs fate, Suzanne determines to find his
killer. And first, she must uncover his identityβan
investigation that leads her to one of Englandβs
wealthiest
families and a powerful politician determined to keep the
truth from being revealed at all costs.
No excerpt available.
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