"Leo Daugherty's dedicated and meticulous scholarship and research processes ... elucidates how the complex life and death of the Elizabethan, most known as Shakespeare's patron, was a lightning rod for the momentous political, cultural, and historical currents of the time. ... The book is useful in combining scholarly and investigative techniques with its attention to facts and details, and with the inclusion of seemingly unconnected aspects of the case/culture. ... The book represents the best aspects of primary research and historical scholarship." - Sixteenth Century Journal
"The author is a talented sleuth who knows a great deal about the case, and he has turned up some important finds ... a charmingly eccentric guide written by an enthusiast, which takes the reader along many fascinating paths and byways, providing genuine insight into the murky world of Elizabethan spying, plotting and counter-plotting." – Times Literary Supplement
“This study of Lord Strange’s murder is cogent and marked by deep knowledge of the Age of Shakespeare. The peripheral illumination of Shakespeare’s stage career is very valuable.” – Harold Bloom, Sterling Professor of the Humanities, Yale University
“Daugherty has solved one of the most perplexing and controversial mysteries of English history in a stylish, witty, and impeccably researched work.” – Catherine Canino, author of Shakespeare and The Nobility
“This in-depth examination of heretofore unavailable or ignored documents reveals a new and convincing perspective on the murder of Shakespeare’s patron Ferdinando Stanley, Lord Strange.” – Carol Curt Enos, editor/compiler of the online Shakespeare Encyclopedia
“Leo Daugherty is the best literary detective I know. His discoveries here will change the ways we think about Shakespeare and his times.” – Steven Shaviro, DeRoy Professor of English, Wayne State University