By Any Other Name

A high-stakes, high-drama mysteryled by a plucky, determined hero I would have followed anywhere[A] romantic, delightful romp! Mackenzi Lee, New York Times bestselling author of A Gentlemans Guide to Vice and Virtue A down-on-his-luck actor and an English lord reluctantly team up to solve the murder of Christopher Marlowe in this Shakespearean-era quippy, heart-wrenching debutideal for fans of Mackenzi Lee and F.T. Lukens (Kirkus Reviews). London, 1593. Sixteen-year-old Will Hughes is busy working on Shakespeares stage, stuffing his corsets with straw and pretending to be someone else. Offstage, hes playing a part, too. The son of traitors, Will is desperate to keep his identity secretor risk being killed in the bloody queens imperial schemes. All he wants is to lay low until he earns enough coin to return to his family. But when his mentor, the famous playwright Christopher Marlowe, is murdered under mysterious circumstances, Wills plans are hopelessly dashed. Whats worse, Marlowe was a spy for the queen, tasked with stalking a killer rumored to be part of an elusive order of assassins, and his secrets and untimely death have put Will under a harsh spotlight. Then, when Will unwittingly foils an attempt on the queens life, she names him her next spymaster. Now, to avoid uncomfortable questions, prison, or an even more terrible fate, Will reluctantly starts his new career, whichyeswill secure him the resources to help his familybut at what cost? Adding insult to injury is the young Lord James Bloomsbury, Wills new comrade in arms, whose entitled demeanor and unfairly handsome looks get under Wills skin immediately. Together, the two hunt the cunning assassin, defend the queens life, and pray to keep their own...all while an unexpected connection blossoms between them.