A Tip for the Hangman

A Novel

By: Allison Epstein

Narrated by: James Meunier

Length: 13 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2021 Allison Epstein (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Epstein presents Marlowe as supremely capable, something of a trickster, a consummate liar, a fiendish lover - and someone capable of murder.... The suspense is palpable, as is the sense of doom, as Marlowe finds himself in thrall to a devil’s bargain.” (The New York Times Book Review) 

"Allison Epstein pens a vivid, unforgettable hero in Kit Marlowe, Elizabethan playwright-turned-spy always sprinting one step ahead of disaster and talking a blue streak as he does so. Recruited by Elizabeth I's spymaster to infiltrate the cabal of Mary Queen of Scots, Kit finds his conscience tested to the limit even as his heart yearns for an unattainable beloved. A Tip for the Hangman is simultaneously moving, unsettling, hilarious, and tragic - a debut that will linger long after the last page is turned." (Kate Quinn, New York Times best-selling author of The Alice Network)

"[Epstein's] fizzy debut is a Tudor espionage tale, set among spies close to Mary, Queen of Scots. One of them is Christopher Marlowe, whose spy work bankrolls a rather promising theater career. It’s more of a clever Netflix binge than a Hilary Mantel historical masterpiece - and that’s perfectly fine." (The Chicago Tribune, 25 Books We Can't Wait to Read in 2021) 

Feisty and Fraught

This is the Kit Marlowe I’ve been waiting to see. Throughly enjoyable romp Through Elizabethan England with a Kit who tries so hard to find himself. Will he? Did he? We know What happens, yet we can’t help but hope.

Good novel, poor history

Your enjoyment of this novel will depend on your tolerance for the author's reinvention of Christopher Marlowe. The real Marlowe was a total badass and probably not a very nice guy - but hey, he was a genius. Allison Epstein transforms him into a sensitive wimp and invents a love affair to make him more sympathetic. I would have preferred a more true to life portrayal.

The narration, however, is first rate.

The longer you listen the darker the story gets

I went into this book knowing absolutely nothing about Christopher Marlowe except that he was a contemporary of Shakespeare. What a surprise! At least I didn’t have to worry about historical accuracy, since I didn’t know any better. Though I do know somewhat more about Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth’s spymaster, and here I wasn’t disappointed. I thought he and Cecil were very believable, so I was able to accept the Marlowe story as well. Since a spy’s life is shadowed in mystery anyway, why couldn’t these things have happened? Marlow got sucked into this shadow world during his college years, when he seemed singularly unsuited to academia—though his genius at storytelling apparently was in overdrive, so to speak. Initially sent to spy on Mary Queen of Scots as the imprisoned queen plotted treason, Marlow discovered he had a propensity for this dangerous occupation. At the same time, his conscience tormented him; he felt like a murderer, betraying those who trusted him. Surviving this first challenge, he became intimate with his college friend Thomas, whose love gave him a lifeline for the next several years when Walsingham’s demands threatened to overwhelm him. Marlow had a love/hate relationship with his spying profession and tried to protect Thomas from the darker side of his life—with mixed results. The farther into the book we read, the darker the story. Poor Marlow, who may be a rake and a troublemaker, has a good heart and is not morally suited for this life of double-dealing. But it seems he can’t extricate himself. All the while he puts out unconventional blockbuster plays that shake the Elizabethan stage. He’s a very interesting character who makes a mess of his life because he seems to be addicted to living on the edge. The narrator reminded me again and again of Simon Schama; his intonations were almost identical.

enjoyable

I found this book an engaging read. The characters were realistic, The story was compelling enough that it made me look up more about Christopher Marlow because I wanted to know more.

Marlowe as a spy

Cleverly based novel on the numerous theories about Marlowe as a spy though various liberties are taken regarding a role in Mary Queen of Scots’ execution. This Marlowe while still brilliant, lacks the joie de vivre I expected. He also is immature, takes his lover for granted again and again, and certainly lacks the mental discipline of a successful spy to compartmentalize his secret work from his private life. A solid effort however, worth reading. The Audible version needs a better narrator who speaks more smoothly, not with the stop and start phrasing of this narrator. Dialogue is fine but non-dialogue is delivered in an annoying staccato style. I increased the playback to overcome this problem.

No real mystery or story

Had potential but didn't really seem to have a point. Long and meandering without any underlying arc. Far too much time spent with details of the supposed love affair between Marlowe and his friend. Tedious.

Realistic setting but disappointing ending

The book gives you a good idea of what it might be like to journey to London for the first time in the 1500's. I liked that part of the book. While the name Marlowe rang a bell as I began to listen to the book, I didn't realize that the story was based on the real Marlowe (playwrtie during Elizabethan times). The problem with this is that the story makes you think that Marlowe, being clever and brillant will come out of all his problems like James Bond and he doesn't; and that is very disappointing.