All is not well in Venice. Threatened daily by Papal assassins, William Shakespeare and his close friends Oldcastle and Hemminges are increasingly isolated – the lies that have protected them so far beginning to wear thin. His companions want desperately to leave, but Will is tied to the city – his lover, the beautiful Isabella, is growing ever more sick. As tensions reach breaking point, their company is forced to split ... Once more full of swaggering charm, breathless action and rapier-sharp dialogue, this is the second in Benet Brandreth's highly acclaimed series reimagining the lost years of William Shakespeare.