The Quality of Mercy

By Faye Kellerman

A thrilling story set in Elizabethan London, from New York Times bestselling author Faye Kellerman

One wrong move could lead to death…

1593. Rebecca Lopez, daughter of Queen Elizabeth’s physician, enjoys a seemingly privileged life at Court. Yet she guards a dangerous secret. She is Jewish – and her forbidden faith could bring her downfall at any moment.

One night, infuriated by the restrictions imposed upon her, she slips out of her household, disguised as a boy. There she crosses paths with a dashing and daring young man – a young man by the name of Will Shakespeare.

As a dutiful Jewish daughter, Rebecca never considered falling in love with such an unsuitable man. But as she and Will become ensnared in a dangerous web of intrigue, secrets and murder, they must protect each other if they are to escape alive…

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Apr 5, 2019
• ISBN: 9780008293543

Faye Kellerman

Born in St. Louis, Faye Kellerman is one of the most highly considered US crime authors. Her first novel, ‘The Ritual Bath’ (1986) introduced Sergeant Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus. It also won the 1987 Macavity Award for Best First Mystery. Kellerman currently lives in Beverly Hills with her husband and four children.

Reviews for The Quality of Mercy

[lgoldstein_18 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book. I first found it in England, and I found that I couldn't put it down. It is not really a mystery, but the story of Elizabethan England, Shakespeare, and a young converso is terrific. I actually allowed students in a course I taught to use this book as one of several that they could write reports on, tying it to the rest of the course. Students loved the book. Fascinating. Kellerman really allows you to get a clear feeling of what living at that time would be like.

[dulcibelle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is not your standard Faye Kellerman mystery. This is set in Elizabethan England and is more historical romance than mystery. But that's OK. Kellerman handles the story well.Kellerman starts with the fact that Elizabeth I had a "converso" doctor - Rodrigo Lopez, a Jew who converted to Church of England while still practicing the religion of his ancestors in secret. Much of the book details the lives of conversos and the danger they faced daily. Lopez's daughter Rebecca chafes under the restrictions, both of her religion and her sex. She sometimes dresses as a man and wanders London looking for adventure. On one of her forays, she meets - and duels with - William Shakespeare (yes, THAT Shakespeare). She and Will become friends and lovers.The mystery comes in when Shakespeare's mentor is killed by what appears to be a highwayman. The murdered man's widow asks Shakespeare to find the killer. The mystery in this book truly is not the focus. Most of the story deals with Rebecca and Will and the fate of the conversos - specifically Lopez - in London. It is, however, an enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in Elizabethan England.

[yonitdm · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I couldn't get past the gross forced lesbian encounter with the queen. Too icky and not the escapism I was hoping for.

[gifford_macshane · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Working on the dual premises that Shakespeare's mentor was murdered and he feels compelled to solve the mystery, and that he was having an affair with a "converso" (a Jew who professed to accept Christianity during the times of the Inquisition), Kellerman draws an intense picture of how people managed to live during that time period.A little too much graphic torture for my liking, but overall a good read.