'A Tip for the Hangman' by Allison Epstein

An Elizabethan espionage thriller in which playwright Christopher Marlowe spies on Mary, Queen of Scots while navigating the perils of politics, theater, romance—and murder.

England, 1585. In Kit Marlowe’s last year at Cambridge, he is approached by Queen Elizabeth’s spymaster offering an unorthodox career opportunity: going undercover to intercept a Catholic plot to put Mary, Queen of Scots on Elizabeth’s throne. Spying on Queen Mary turns out to be more than Kit bargained for, but his salary allows him to mount his first play, and over the following years he becomes the toast of London’s raucous theater scene. But when Kit finds himself reluctantly drawn back into the world of espionage and treason, he realizes everything he’s worked so hard to attain—including the trust of the man he loves—could vanish in an instant.

Pairing modern language with period detail, Allison Epstein brings Elizabeth’s lavish court, Marlowe’s colorful theater troupe, and the squalor of sixteenth-century London to vivid, teeming life. At the center of the action is Kit himself—an irrepressible, irreverent force of nature.

“The suspense is palpable, as is the sense of doom, as Marlowe finds himself in thrall to a devil’s bargain and his own inner demons. Epstein breathes life into a celebrated figure, which makes his demise all the more abrupt and horrific.” —The New York Times

“Epstein’s diverting debut gallivants through Elizabethan England. . . . A fun escapade.” —Publishers Weekly

“Marlowe’s story as the playwright may have told it himself: full of adventure, fun … and murder.” —BookRiot

The Folger Shakespeare Library’s collection explores not only Shakespeare’s life and works, but also the plays’ historical context, source material, critical and performance histories, and the ways in which they inspire and are adapted by contemporary novelists.

Shakespeare was a member of a thriving theatrical community which included Christopher “Kit” Marlowe. They were thought to have collaborated on the Henry VI trilogy and Shakespeare referenced Marlowe’s death in As You Like It. It’s long been speculated that Marlowe engaged in espionage for the crown, and Epstein explores this idea while simultaneously exploring the religious conflict that characterized England in the 16th century.

Allison Epstein earned her M.F.A. in fiction from Northwestern University and a B.A. in creative writing and Renaissance literature from the University of Michigan. A Michigan native, she now lives in Chicago, where she works as an editor. When not writing, she enjoys good theater, bad puns, and fancy jackets. She is the author of A Tip for the Hangman and the forthcoming Let the Dead Bury the Dead.

For this session, we are excited to once again partner with Old Town Books, a general interest local bookshop in the heart of historic Old Town Alexandria. They are passionate about building bookish community through virtual book clubs and author events. Learn more at oldtownbooks.com.

Orders can be placed in store or online. Their location on S. Royal Street in Alexandria is open seven days a week from 10AM-7PM.

You can also download the audiobook version of this title from Libro.fm.

Purchase your copy of A Tip for the Hangman