The lives of contemporary poets/playwrights Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare are cloaked in mystery, and it's always fun to read books set in Elizabethan London. The Marlowe Conspiracy is no exception, and particularly interesting is the imaginary, adventurous friendship shared between two of England's most famous authors. What is perplexing, however, is the number of errors in the text that were overlooked by both author and editor. Common misspellings (you're for your) abound. Even more annoying are the verbal anachronisms - The Rose Theater manager Philip Henslowe would never have asked Marlowe to write a "prequel". Overlook those flaws, and what remains is a quick, easy read with plenty of period action and detail. (But I still believe that Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare...)