The Shakespeare Secret by J.L. Carrell

Kate is the director of Hamlet at Shakespeare's Globe when she has a visit from an old friend, Roz, with whom she fell out with some years back. Roz asks for Kate's help with something important but it must be kept a secret. Before they have a chance to talk Roz is murdered. Kate decides to try and find out what it was Roz was searching for. When people around Kate starts to die in ways copied from Shakespeare's plays she realises that she has to follow it through to the end or she too will die without having found the truth.

Ok, how many have read the Da Vinci Code? Did you enjoy it? Despite it being poorly written? I agree that The Da Vinci Code was entertaining as far as the idea of it but that's as far as it got, at least with me...

Why am I writing about a book that's not the one I've just read? Well, it's just to explain that the idea behind i is the same. Ancient secrets (although not as ancient as The Da Vinci Code - that was about Jesus) that can be tracked down and brought to light. Some people want it discovered, others are ready to kill for it to remain a secret. So far there's little difference between The Da Vinci Code and The Shakespeare Secret.

But! and that is a very big "but" - where The Da Vinci Code was poorly written, The Shakespeare Secret is the complete opposite. It's well written with a flow that was non existent in Dan Brown's book. Not to mention how nicely Carrell has managed to fit in various quotes and anecdotes from Shakespeare's plays and life. It's not only entertaining, it also told me a bit about the plays that I have no knowledge of.

You don't have to be a Shakespeare fan to read this book - or maybe you shouldn't be - I know for one, that the only play by Shakespeare I've thoroughly enjoyed is Macbeth. I did, however, really like reading this book and I enjoyed Carrell's style of writing so I'll most definitely read more books by her.