William Shakespeare Thriller Books in Order

Benet Brandreth’s William Shakespeare Thriller series imagines the playwright during his “lost years,” before he became the famous author readers know. In these two historical thrillers, young Will Shakespeare is not yet a settled man of the theatre. He is a quick-witted player and poet whose skill with language makes him useful to people with dangerous political plans.

The story begins in The Spy of Venice, set in 1585. Will leaves Stratford and eventually falls in with a band of players in London. His talent catches the attention of powerful men, and he is sent to Venice on an assignment tied to England’s survival. The city is a perfect setting for this version of the tale: beautiful, crowded, theatrical, and full of people who may be hiding their real loyalties.

Will is a spy almost by accident.

He is joined by fellow players Oldcastle and Hemminges, who give the series much of its camaraderie and comic energy. They are actors, so disguises, improvisation, and a convincing story can be as important as a sword. But the risks are real. The group becomes entangled in the conflict between Protestant England and Catholic powers working against Queen Elizabeth, with assassins and agents closing in from more than one direction.

The Assassin of Verona picks up the wider danger in 1586. Will and his friends hold information that could expose Catholic spies in England, making them targets for the Pope’s agents. Their attempt to escape Venice carries them toward Verona, where new alliances, family secrets, romance, and religious pressure complicate an already perilous journey. The action moves between city streets, courts, and the forests around Verona.

The past is not treated like a museum piece here.

These are fast-moving historical adventures, built around conspiracy, pursuit, banter, and theatrical misdirection. Brandreth uses Shakespeare’s world as a playful launching point, drawing on figures and situations that will feel familiar to readers who know the plays while keeping the language accessible for readers who do not. The imagined Shakespeare can be vain, impulsive, romantic, and funny, but he also has to learn when charm will not protect him.

The two books work best in order, beginning with The Spy of Venice. Together, they offer a compact Renaissance spy story in which a future playwright learns that words can open doors, conceal secrets, and sometimes get a person into serious trouble.