The Semper Sonnet by Seth Margolis Review!

The Semper Sonnet by Seth Margolis

Publication Date: April 19, 2016 Diverson Publishing eBook & Paperback; 374 Pages Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery/Thriller 

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 In this stunning thrill ride, perfect for fans of Dan Brown and Steve Berry, a long-lost manuscript, written for Elizabeth I, holds the key to unlocking the past—and to eliminating the future. Lee Nicholson is ready to take the academic world by storm, having discovered a sonnet she believes was written by William Shakespeare. When she reads the poem on the air, the words put her life in peril and trigger a violent chase, with stakes that reach far beyond the cloistered walls of academia. Buried in the language of the sonnet, in its allusions and wordplay, are secrets that have been hidden since Elizabethan times, secrets known only to the queen and her trusted doctor, but guessed at by men who seek the crown and others who seek the world. If the riddles are solved, it could explode what the world knows of the great Elizabeth I. And it could release a pandemic more deadly than the world has ever imagined. Lee’s quest for the answers buried in the sonnet keeps her one step ahead of an international hunt—from the police who want her for murder, to a group of men who will stop at nothing to end her quest, to a madman who pursues the answers for destructive reasons of his own. As this intelligent thriller moves back and forth between Tudor England and the present day, Lee begins to piece together the meaning behind Shakespeare’s words, carrying the story to its gasp-out-loud conclusion.

"Imaginative plotting and depth of character distinguish this centuries-spanning thriller..."—Publishers Weekly

“The Semper Sonnet is a wildly imaginative thriller that fans of Dan Brown and Steve Berry will love."—Phillip Margolin, New York Times bestselling author

“This provocative and knuckle-biting thriller will have you on the edge of your seat as it careens through the hallowed halls of academia into the turbulent past. Hold tight to your farthingales: this is a roller-coaster ride of a book!”—C.W. Gortner, international bestselling author of The Last Queen

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About the Author

Seth Margolis is a writer whose most recent novel, THE SEMPER SONNET, was published on April 19. He is the author of six earlier novels, including LOSING ISAIAH, which was made into a film starring Halle Berry and Jessica Lange. Seth lives with his wife, Carole, in New York City. They have two grown children, Maggie and Jack. Seth received a BA in English from the University of Rochester and an MBA in marketing from New York University’s Stern School of Business Administration. When not writing fiction, he is a branding consultant for a wide range of companies, primarily in the financial services, technology and pharmaceutical industries. He has written articles for the New York Times and other publications on travel and entertainment. For more information, please visit Seth Margolis' website. 
You can also find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Review
I have to say that this book grabbed me from the beginning chapter to the last page. I love anything Elizabethan and after reading the first chapter that was dated March 20 1555 by a man, Rufus Hatton, physician to Elizabeth I. What intrigued me about that first chapter was the fact that Queen Elizabeth I gave birth to a son. Of course historians would probably disagree but what if? I don't think that it could not have been possible. Her lack of wanting to marry might just be what was stated in the book, she had a hard delivery and never wanted to go through that again. Knowing that if she had married that she would be obligated to produce an heir, makes sense to me. Of course it probably never happened.

The real story of the book though is about a woman, Lee Nicholson who has discovered a sonnet, written by Shakespeare and this sonnet holds a secret that if unleashed upon the world would be devastating. After Lee has an evening with a man, goes to get coffee and comes back to this man dead in her bed. She had read the poem on the air of a radio broadcast the evening before. She is interrogated by the police and her story to them does not sound plausible and she turns out to be a suspect in this murder. 

She wants to figure out what happened and she ends up on the run, staying one step ahead of the people that want that sonnet, for what secrets it holds. She narrowly escapes with her life as she desperately tries to find the information needed to exonerate herself.

This book is a thriller at it's best. Like I said, I was taken in by the story from, page one. The story goes back and forth from Tudor England to present, from a diary written by a man who was privy to the secrets in the sonnet to a young woman on the run, trying to stay one step ahead of the people out to get the sonnet one way or another. If you like historical fiction, Tudor England and thrillers, this one is definitely for you. I loved it and give it 5 stars!! Congrats to the author for a well written, thrilling book!

This review was done voluntarily.

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