Tower of the Five Orders: The Shakespeare Mysteries, Book 2
Once again 13-year-old Colophon’s family is threatened by a nefarious relative, who replaces her father as head of their centuries-old publishing house. When a new (and possibly related) mystery crops up, Colophon and her allies are soon tracking clues to treasure while pondering two very cold (and possibly related) cases: the death of Christopher Marlowe and the authorship of Shakespeare’s plays. The adventures play out in vividly described settings, including Oxford’s Bodleian Library and London’s sewers. Attention to detail includes chapter headings featuring attractive ink drawings and words created or modified by Shakespeare. The second volume of the Shakespeare Mysteries series is a pleasure from start to finish. Grades 4-6. --Carolyn Phelan