1. The Queen’s Head
His name was Will Fowler, an actor in the esteemed theatrical company called Lord Westfield's Men, a vibrant young man flushed from the success of a recent performance at the Queen's Head theatre. So exuberant was he that he persuaded the resourceful manager of the company,…
2. The Merry Devils
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…
3. The Trip to Jerusalem
For Lord Westfield's Men, every high road leads to death. When the deathly horrors of the Black Plague decimate the audiences in London's theatres, the acclaimed troupe of players called Lord Westfield's Men take to the high road to seek out fresh audiences. But wherever they…
4. The Nine Giants
Laurence Firethorn, leading actor of Lord Westfield’s Men, arranges a dangerous meeting with the wife of London’s Lord Mayor-elect at the Nine Giants Inn. While his private pursuit creates one source of trouble, the company’s landlord faces an attempt to seize control of the inn that…
5. The Mad Courtesan
A vicious rivalry threatens to cause chaos for Lord Westfield's Men when the onstage duels between Owen Elias and Sebastian Carrick become ever more realistic. However, it is an axe that splits open Sebastian's head one night in a Clerkenwell alley. Company book holder Nicholas Bracewell,…
6. The Silent Woman
When fire destroys their London theatre, Lord Westfield's players must seek out humbler venues in the countryside. But company manager Nicholas Bracewell is distracted by a shocking tragedy: a mysterious messenger from his native Devon is murdered by poison. Though the messenger is silenced, Nicholas understands…
7. The Roaring Boy
One play, two murders and a grievous miscarriage of justice After a calamitous performance and the death of one of their own, Lord Westfield's Men are more than despondent. So when the mysterious Simon Chaloner follows Nicholas Bracewell home with an offer of a new play,…
8. The Laughing Hangman
A laughing hangman turns the stage into the gallows... When Nicholas Bracewell finds himself once again in the parlour of his lost love, Anne Hendrik, he was not expecting her entreaties to embroil him in the murder of a beloved choir master. Between tales of cruelty,…
9. The Fair Maid of Bohemia
The plague has struck London once again but so has opportunity for theatre company Lord Westfield's Men. Invited to perform at the wedding celebrations of Sophia Magdalena, the fair maid of Bohemia, the company's bookholder Nicholas Bracewell and his acting troupe begin the long journey across…
10. The Wanton 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…
11. The Devil’s Apprentice
Faced with the austerities of a bitterly cold English winter, the theatre is deserted and Westfield's Men find themselves out of work. Fortuitously, the company is invited to perform at a country home in Essex; welcome news to the disgruntled players. The company decide it's the…
12. The Bawdy Basket
Westfield’s Men recruit the actor Francis Quilter just as the company’s growing success begins to attract new complications. Francis’s father Gerard is on trial for the murder of an enemy and insists that he has been falsely accused. Nicholas Bracewell undertakes to test the evidence, even…
13. The Vagabond Clown
When unexpected disaster strikes Lord Westfield's Men during a packed performance, Nicholas Bracewell, the theatre company's stage manager and all-around performer of miracles, must save the day once again. A melee caused by men in disguise is brought under control, but before the troupe can lament…
14. The Counterfeit Crank
Nicholas Bracewell befriends a young beggar who is trying to eke out a living as a counterfeit crank, pretending to have spectacular epileptic fits in order to get money from gullible bystanders. When the beggar is murdered inside Bridewell, Nicholas has to pose as a beggar…
15. The Malevolent Comedy
Lord Westfield's Men, the most successful troupe in London and a prime target for jealousy and resentment, are plagued by a series of practical jokes. But when one of their actors is murdered, the humour turns distinctly sour. Appalling events continue: Lawrence Firethorn, actor-manager, is stalked…
16. The Princess of Denmark
Winter approaches and Westfield's Men are out of work. When their widowed patron decides to marry again, he chooses a Danish bride with vague associations to the royal family. Since the wedding will take place in Elsinore, the troupe is invited to perform as guests of…