Publication Date: July 29, 2025
Shakespeare is a woman—three women, in fact, who hire a footloose actor as the face of their writing. When they become suspects in a plot to kill Queen Elizabeth, their secret identity is suddenly at risk—along with the queen’s life—in this imaginative historical novel for fans of Hamnet and The Tower.
Everyone knows of William Shakespeare, the rakish former actor and famous playwright. But few know the three women writing every word of his plays: Mary Herbert, Countess of Pembroke, a frustrated poet; Emelia Bassano, a court musician with a passion for complex stories; and Jane Daggett, a seamstress with an impressive ability to spin fantastic plots. Frustrated by the patriarchal restrictions of their sixteenth-century society, they come together to write anonymously.
Soon the three women come under the scrutiny of one of the Queen’s spies, who notices their surreptitious meetings and odd behavior and suspects they are involved in an ongoing plot to kill the Queen. To help guard their secret as they face inquisition, they hire an actor named Will Shakespeare to be the face of their endeavor and divert attention.
As the plague deepens its grip on London and the Queen’s man traces their every move, the women are forced to choose between admitting what they’ve done and betraying each other to the Crown or hiding the truth at risk of endangering the Queen herself.
The Shakespeare Secret is a thrilling feminist tale of perseverance, justice, and freedom where friendship and trust are put to the test, for fans of Tracy Chevalier and Charlie Lovett.
The late 16th century brought forth the esteemed William Shakespeare, whose legacy is part of today’s educational curriculum.
What if, though, a deep dive into the culture of that time period offers a plausible theory about the real author of the plays bearing Shakespeare’s name?
Author D. J. Nix serves up an imaginative period piece in The Shakespeare Secret. Set against the backdrop of Queen Elizabeth’s court, there’s plenty of intrigue involved.
Three women with a shared passion for the arts and an equal disdain for the restrictions placed upon women write a satirical play. In order for it to be performed, they convince a young actor known as William Shakespeare to take credit for it.
The combination of three women from radically different backgrounds enhances the story’s appeal. Not only is there a countess who has the ear of Queen Elizabeth, but she is joined by a court musician/courtesan and a lowly seamstress. However, their creative talents are unmatched.
The drama heats up as the women come under scrutiny for their clandestine meetings. With spies around every corner watching for signs of plots against the Queen, it’s only a matter of time before the women are suspected of treason.
The Shakespeare Secret delivers a fascinating alternative origin story for the work of our esteemed bard.
D. J. Nix has called Austin home since 1998 with his wife and three children, where he fully embraces the city motto of “keep Austin weird.” He is a member of Regency Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of Central Texas, female-centered organizations that have taken him under their wing and shared their collective wisdom. He broke into traditional publishing in 2020 writing historical romance for Entangled Publishing under the pseudonym Sawyer North.
