Frame 37

A joy to read, the novel reflects John le Carré's genre-stretching influence on every page

Sunday Times on THE SANDPIT

Wonderfully well written...old school in the best possible way, with an insidious escalation of menace, and paranoia that fairly shimmers off the pages

Guardian on THE SANDPIT

A remarkable contemporary thriller – with shades of Graham Greene and Le Carré about it – but also a profound and compelling investigation of a hugely complex human predicament. Brilliantly observed, captivatingly written, grippingly narrated – a triumph

William Boyd on THE SANDPIT

One of the best English novelists of our time

Wall Street Journal on PRISCILLA

Shakespeare honours the best traditions of the novel

TLS

A world writer

Sunday Herald on SECRETS OF THE SEA

A beautifully considered, subtle exploration of Englishness, of betrayal, of social change and character – elegantly and engagingly wrapped in a classic spy novel

Rory Stewart on THE SANDPIT

After time off from fiction spent writing the biography of Ian Fleming, Shakespeare is back with Frame 37, which finds John Dyer coming into conflict with an old university classmate now running for high office. The title agreeably suggests dark tricks. He is a novelist who blends public and private lives persuasively in a way that is reminiscent of a master of this sort of novel, Graham Greene

Allan Massie, Scotsman

This master of the meaningful thriller has again astounded me...reminiscent of the best of Graham Greene. If you want your thriller writer to be an accomplished novelist: Shakespeare's your man. If you want your thriller writer to let things rip: Shakespeare’s your man. He is an encompassing talent.

Thomas Keneally

Frame 37 is terrifyingly resonant at a time when allegations of high level corruption and sexual violence are shrugged off in Washington. With our hero in mounting danger, I was unable to put down this intelligently written thriller as I sped towards the denouement

Lindsey Hilsum, International Editor Channel 4 News, and author I BROUGHT THE WAR WITH ME; STORIES AND POEMS FROM THE FRONT LINE

Rich in atmosphere and foreboding and menace; from Buenos Aires to Washington DC, a group of friends are being hunted down by the unburied past. A thriller with chilling contemporary resonance, exploring shifting identity and the darkness at the heart of power. Can the innocent outrun the shadow of history?

Sinclair McKay

Shakespeare doles out backstory gradually, but the slow burn pays off in the end, and vibrant prose is a plus. This is a winner

Publishers Weekly