About the Book:
The Semper Sonnet by Seth Margolis
Publication Date: April 19, 2016
Diverson Publishing
eBook & Paperback; 374 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery/Thriller
READ AN EXCERPT.
In this stunning thrill ride, perfect for fans of Dan Brown and Steve Berry, a long-lost manuscript, written for Elizabeth I, holds the key to unlocking the past—and to eliminating the future.
Lee Nicholson is ready to take the academic world by storm, having discovered a sonnet she believes was written by William Shakespeare. When she reads the poem on the air, the words put her life in peril and trigger a violent chase, with stakes that reach far beyond the cloistered walls of academia.
Buried in the language of the sonnet, in its allusions and wordplay, are secrets that have been hidden since Elizabethan times, secrets known only to the queen and her trusted doctor, but guessed at by men who seek the crown and others who seek the world. If the riddles are solved, it could explode what the world knows of the great Elizabeth I. And it could release a pandemic more deadly than the world has ever imagined.
Lee’s quest for the answers buried in the sonnet keeps her one step ahead of an international hunt—from the police who want her for murder, to a group of men who will stop at nothing to end her quest, to a madman who pursues the answers for destructive reasons of his own.
As this intelligent thriller moves back and forth between Tudor England and the present day, Lee begins to piece together the meaning behind Shakespeare’s words, carrying the story to its gasp-out-loud conclusion.
“Imaginative plotting and depth of character distinguish this centuries-spanning thriller…”—Publishers Weekly
“The Semper Sonnet is a wildly imaginative thriller that fans of Dan Brown and Steve Berry will love.”—Phillip Margolin, New York Times bestselling author
“This provocative and knuckle-biting thriller will have you on the edge of your seat as it careens through the hallowed halls of academia into the turbulent past. Hold tight to your farthingales: this is a roller-coaster ride of a book!”—C.W. Gortner, international bestselling author of The Last Queen
Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound
Review:
Lee Nicholson believes she has found something that will make her academic career. As an English literature grad student at Columbia, Lee believes she has found a new sonnet written by Shakespeare. After an appearance on the evening news where Lee reads a stanza of the sonnet, everything goes downhill. Lee is now a suspect in a murder; a murder over a clue in the sonnet. Lee quickly figures out that Shakespeare hid a series of clues in the wordplay of the sonnet, clues about something big enough to kill for. Now, Lee is on the run from the law chasing the clue to Henford estate in England chasing the secrets of Queen Elizabeth I.
This is a historical secrets thriller, perfect for those who enjoyed Angels and Demons but thought it needed more of a Tudor twist. As a lover of all things Tudor, the historical aspect and mystery surrounding Elizabeth I was what got me interested and kept me hooked. The chapters alternate between diary entries written by Elizabeth’s physician beginning in 1555 and present day with Lee. The diary entries were the most interesting aspect to me; however, as Lee began to extract clues from the sonnet I was pulled in along with her and was trying to figure out the hidden meanings alongside her. Now, some suspension of disbelief was necessary on my part in order to believe that one historian suspected of murder could leave the US with a fake identity and travel freely around the world; that really isn’t the important part though. The intensity and suspense grows with each clue that is uncovered, and Lee is put in danger from more than one source. While I did guess some things along the way, I never would have guessed what the sonnet was actually hiding and the bigger prize that Lee finds at the end. Overall, a fast paced, multi-faceted historical thriller for any Tudor fan.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
The Semper Sonnet by Seth Margolis
Publication Date: April 19, 2016
Diverson Publishing
eBook & Paperback; 374 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery/Thriller
READ AN EXCERPT.
In this stunning thrill ride, perfect for fans of Dan Brown and Steve Berry, a long-lost manuscript, written for Elizabeth I, holds the key to unlocking the past—and to eliminating the future.
Lee Nicholson is ready to take the academic world by storm, having discovered a sonnet she believes was written by William Shakespeare. When she reads the poem on the air, the words put her life in peril and trigger a violent chase, with stakes that reach far beyond the cloistered walls of academia.
Buried in the language of the sonnet, in its allusions and wordplay, are secrets that have been hidden since Elizabethan times, secrets known only to the queen and her trusted doctor, but guessed at by men who seek the crown and others who seek the world. If the riddles are solved, it could explode what the world knows of the great Elizabeth I. And it could release a pandemic more deadly than the world has ever imagined.
Lee’s quest for the answers buried in the sonnet keeps her one step ahead of an international hunt—from the police who want her for murder, to a group of men who will stop at nothing to end her quest, to a madman who pursues the answers for destructive reasons of his own.
As this intelligent thriller moves back and forth between Tudor England and the present day, Lee begins to piece together the meaning behind Shakespeare’s words, carrying the story to its gasp-out-loud conclusion.
“Imaginative plotting and depth of character distinguish this centuries-spanning thriller…”—Publishers Weekly
“The Semper Sonnet is a wildly imaginative thriller that fans of Dan Brown and Steve Berry will love.”—Phillip Margolin, New York Times bestselling author
“This provocative and knuckle-biting thriller will have you on the edge of your seat as it careens through the hallowed halls of academia into the turbulent past. Hold tight to your farthingales: this is a roller-coaster ride of a book!”—C.W. Gortner, international bestselling author of The Last Queen
Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound
Review:
Lee Nicholson believes she has found something that will make her academic career. As an English literature grad student at Columbia, Lee believes she has found a new sonnet written by Shakespeare. After an appearance on the evening news where Lee reads a stanza of the sonnet, everything goes downhill. Lee is now a suspect in a murder; a murder over a clue in the sonnet. Lee quickly figures out that Shakespeare hid a series of clues in the wordplay of the sonnet, clues about something big enough to kill for. Now, Lee is on the run from the law chasing the clue to Henford estate in England chasing the secrets of Queen Elizabeth I.
This is a historical secrets thriller, perfect for those who enjoyed Angels and Demons but thought it needed more of a Tudor twist. As a lover of all things Tudor, the historical aspect and mystery surrounding Elizabeth I was what got me interested and kept me hooked. The chapters alternate between diary entries written by Elizabeth’s physician beginning in 1555 and present day with Lee. The diary entries were the most interesting aspect to me; however, as Lee began to extract clues from the sonnet I was pulled in along with her and was trying to figure out the hidden meanings alongside her. Now, some suspension of disbelief was necessary on my part in order to believe that one historian suspected of murder could leave the US with a fake identity and travel freely around the world; that really isn’t the important part though. The intensity and suspense grows with each clue that is uncovered, and Lee is put in danger from more than one source. While I did guess some things along the way, I never would have guessed what the sonnet was actually hiding and the bigger prize that Lee finds at the end. Overall, a fast paced, multi-faceted historical thriller for any Tudor fan.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
About the Author
Seth Margolis is a writer whose most recent novel, THE SEMPER SONNET, was published on April 19. He is the author of six earlier novels, including LOSING ISAIAH, which was made into a film starring Halle Berry and Jessica Lange.
Seth lives with his wife, Carole, in New York City. They have two grown children, Maggie and Jack. Seth received a BA in English from the University of Rochester and an MBA in marketing from New York University’s Stern School of Business Administration. When not writing fiction, he is a branding consultant for a wide range of companies, primarily in the financial services, technology and pharmaceutical industries. He has written articles for the New York Times and other publications on travel and entertainment.
For more information, please visit Seth Margolis’ website. You can also find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.
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