November 1583. Desperate not to let the Protestant Low Countries fall into the hands of the Catholic Spain the Queen’s spymaster Francis Walsingham orders Cambridge scholar and novie spy Christopher Marlowe to assist the beleaguered Dutch leader William the Silent whose court is a hotbed of intrigue and treachery. However travelling in disguise as part of a troupe of Egyptian players Marlowe encounters trouble even before he reaches Dutch shores. When the players make a detour to perform at the home of the Queen’s magus Dr John Dee one of their tricks ends in tragedy - and an arrest for murder. Charged with protecting the Dutch leader from his enemies within Marlowe determines to unmask a cold-blooded killer much closer to home.

Part of the The Kit Marlowe Series series.