Book of Air and Shadows

BOOK OF AIR AND SHADOWS: Michael Gruber: William Morrow: Fiction: 466 pages

Richard Bracegirdle was born in 1590 and led a rather adventurous life. He tells his story just before his death through a series of letters left to his wife. As his story unfolds he tells of becoming a spy sent to find or create proof that the successful playwright William Shakespeare was a papist. Accompanying his final confession are ciphered letters telling what he found through his dealings with Mr. Shakespeare. These documents are found in the present day and they bring unwanted drama to the lives of all those associated with them and death to a number of them.

Gruber’s story is filled with twists and turns and keeps you reading, though I have to admit I never felt compelled to keep reading and I didn’t ever feel very invested in the characters. A good read-a-like for readers of the Da Vinci Code, though it isn’t quite as gripping, it’s still intriguing and a good summer read.

CZ