Nicholas Bracewell mysteries
He had the power to assume a pleasing shape, but would he take to the stage?
The audience was merry indeed when a third devilish imp bounded onstage to join the two that had been written into the script. But backstage all was uproar. The third demon seemed too much like the real thing. Even Nicholas Bracewell, the company mainstay, was shaken when, next time the play was given, only one devil appeared. The second, poor fellow, was now only
...Who could enact such a deadly design, lurking behind the scenes?
As book holder and stage manager of theatrical company Lord Westfield's Men, Nicholas Bracewell is accustomed to solving problems. So when he discovers the naked corpse of a man while crossing the Thames by boat one night, he becomes determined to unravel its mystery. After several attacks on the company's members, Nicholas begins to suspect a connection - could these
...Butchery outside a London brothel leaves Westfield’s Men in disarray
While England is brought low by rumours of Queen Elizabeth's declining health, celebrated theatre company Lord Westfield's Men suffer their own bitter blows. A vicious feud between players causes chaos; a rival company launches a new production; a mysterious beauty reduces their leading actor to a lovelorn wreck; and a brutal murder leaves the group of actors
...When fire destroys their London theatre, Lord Westfield's players must seek out humbler venues in the countryside. But stage manager Nicholas Bracewell is distracted by a shocking tragedy – a mysterious messenger from his native Devon, murdered by poison. Though the messenger is silenced, Nicholas understands what he must do: return to his birthplace and conclude some unfinished business from his past.
The rest of Westfield's Men, penniless
...The mysterious Simon Chaloner appears at the Queen's Head Pub following a performance by Lord Westfield's Men, a leading Elizabethan company of players. Then Chaloner follows producer Nicholas Bracewell and playwright Edmund Hoode home and gives them each a manuscript called The Roaring Boy, a drama based on events surrounding the murder of a mathematician.
When Bracewell and Hoode stage the play, the performance causes a riot, sending
...Jonas Applegarth is a brilliant but belligerent playwright. When his play, The Misfortunes of Marriage, is performed by Lord Westfield's Men, it causes an uproar. All of Applegarth's enemies attack the company. Nicholas Bracewell defends the playwright loyally, but alas, Applegarth is soon found hanged by the neck. It is only the first of many mysteries that Nicholas has to solve. Lord Westfield's Men are furious when they are satirized
...When plague strikes London, Lord Westfield's Men count themselves fortunate they've been invited to perform as part of the wedding celebrations for Sophia Magdalena, the fair maid of Bohemia. The long journey across Europe is a daunting prospect but stage manager Nicholas Bracewell is confident they will arrive safely, and confident the mission Lord Westfield sets them—to deliver secret documents to Talbot Roydon, an English alchemist at
...Lies, Lechery and an anonymous Angel
In the tenth installment of this dramatic Elizabethan series, Westfield's Men are flying high after a celebrated performance of The Insatiate Duke at the Queen's Head. However, victory is bittersweet as the company is soon faced with dissolution and the loss of their theatre; were it not for one of the company's rising stars. After acquiring a new benefactor, the company plan to build
...12) The bawdy basket
'You've killed before, I fancy,' he said.
'It's my trade.'
Theatre troupe Westfield's Men take on a new actor, Francis Quilter, after reaching new heights of success. But with the new member, brings new trouble. Quilter's father, Gerard, is on trial for the murder of an enemy, but he denies the charge and Nicholas Bracewell sets about proving his innocence.
However, Bracewell's loyalty to Francis drives a wedge between
...'I hoped that we might be safe but we have not seen the last of them, after all. They want more blood.'
During a performance of their new play, A Trick to Catch a Chaste Lady, Westfield's Men are sabotaged, and they find themselves in the throngs of an audience-player melee. In the midst of the rotten-vegetable battlefield, one of the audience members is found stabbed, and their masterful clown, Barnaby Gill, is discovered
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'Murder, mayhem, fire, riot and ruination!'
Westfield's men are in dire straights, and their playwright appears to be suffering from a lack of creative inspiration. Thankfully, the company is offered a new play, The Malevolent Comedy, which they believe will drag them out of their rut and put on a spectacle enough to rival Banbury's Men, preventing them from stealing their audiences. However, during the play's opening performance,
...In the final installment of the series, our beloved book keeper, Nicholas Bracewell takes his final bow as the curtain closes on Westfield's Men; but not before he solves just one more crime.
Following a disastrous fire that burns down The Queen's Head, the players must take their talents elsewhere. Their newly widowed patron, Lord Westfield plans to marry again and sets his sights on a princess of Denmark. With her uncle being a fan of
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