A meticulous re-creation of Elizabethan England that forms a trilogy with The Succession and Entered from the Sun. Here the author delves into the story of Sir Walter Ralegh's fall from favor for alleged conspiracy against James I. Garrett transports the reader to a world of cunning, intrigue, and colorful abundance.

The tortuous relationship between Elizabeth I of England and James VI of Scotland runs its course here. Using extant letters and documents, Garrett evokes the passionate and dissembling temperament of the queen and the duplicity of her secretary, Robert Cecil. "Garrett draws us into the total reality of Elizabethan life....Once you enter into its spirit, you will be unable to stop reading" (Washington Post).

In this evocative novel, set in 1597, two men are hired by conflicting political factions to get to the bottom of Christopher Marlowe's mysterious murder. Was the famous playwright the victim of a drunken brawl or did his death have a sinister dimension of political intrigue?