The Croaking Raven by Guy Hale

DC Toby Marlowe has just landed his dream posting but the quiet streets of Shakespeare’s Stratford are about to suffer a reign of terror.

A name from the past has returned, intent on revenge. A series of murders go unsolved but Toby realises that the killer seems to be following the plot of Hamlet.

Can Toby and his boss, DS Fred Williams, find the killer before all the actors at the RSC are dead?

The Croaking Raven doth bellow for revenge.

My Review

I first saw a Shakespeare play when I was about ten years old, on a school trip. It was A Midsummer Night’s Dream performed by the Oxford University Players in the garden of the Alveston Manor Hotel. I thought they were professional actors and asked for autographs. I was mesmerised. I still have the signed programme. A few years later I played Demetrius in the school play. And so my love of the bard was born.

For me this book is very apt, both as a fan and also because I live 27 miles from Stratford-upon-Avon and have been there many times. I have been to the main theatre, The Swan and of course The Dirty Duck. I have walked by the river and boated along its waters.

I studied Hamlet for A Level so I know the play well. It’s probably one of my favourites along with Romeo & Juliet and The Dream. I love that while reading I recognised not only the places mentioned, but also many of the quotes from the play. Luckily so does newbie DC Toby Marlowe, just arrived from Birmingham. He is partnered with maverick DI Fred Williams, a man who makes his own rules. But he has the best arrest rate in the force.

And he’s going to need it, because a body has turned up, run through with a blade and it’s only the first. Is there a killer on the loose, seeking revenge? Or is it a one-off? We’re about to find out.

The book is set in the early 70s, so the members of the force are very un-PC by today’s standards – think The Sweeney or Life On Mars and Ashes To Ashes. It’s very funny and some of the names are hilarious or a play on words like Sir Morris Oxford or Dame Suzy Tench. I love the quotes and the references to Shakespeare’s plays, not just Hamlet, but King Lear and Macbeth amongst others.

And don’t forget: “The Croaking Raven doth bellow for revenge,” though my favourite quote is: “And I looked, and behold, a pale horse; and his name was Death, and Hell followed with him.” But that’s not Shakespeare, it’s from Revelations.

Many thanks to @lovebookstours for inviting me to be part of #TheCroakingRaven readalong.

About the Author

Guy Hale was born in Worcestershire, England. His first job was as a Professional Golfer. He also played Rugby and raced motorcycles until his mid-twenties. When this failed to kill him he started writing plays, mostly two handers which he performed in pubs and assorted venues with his mate, Andy.

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