“Kit wrote death to purge it from his mind; London watched death for the theater of it. They’d revel in real death like poetry, and when they left, life would wash the blood from them like rain, and they would return to their work, to peace.”

Thank you to Doubleday Books for sending me this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Have you ever thought to yourself that historical fiction needs more queer spy playwrights? Because, oh man, do I have the book for you!

A Tip for the Hangman follows Christopher “Kit” Marlowe from his days at Cambridge through the rest of his life while he not only works to become famous for his plays, but also helps thwart the Catholic uprisings against the Crown. We follow Kit as h goes through taverns, theatres, meeting with the most powerful men in England and the disgraced Queen of Scotland.

This book is *excellent*. Kit comes to life from the first page and I loved him. Witty, reckless, arrogant, Kit is everything we want in our Elizabethan heroes and reluctant spies. The plot is full of betrayal, moral ambiguity, treason, bloodlust. All the while bringing these historical figures to life through not only their interactions with him, but also with glimpses into their thoughts and motivations.

The story is compelling, fast paced, with enough tension strung throughout to keep the reader turning pages until the end. Every time I had to set down the book I did so reluctantly while constantly looking forward to being able to dive back into Kit’s life. I appreciated the modern writing that made it easy to keep up with Kit’s adventures even during the events where I didn’t have much previous knowledge.


SMALL SPOILERS
The last couple chapters mixing with the last few scenes of Doctor Faustus? Amazing. The scene cuts like that are one of my favorite types of raising tension and I thought this part was so well done in A Tip for the Hangman.

Kit Marlowe (1564-1593), is a fascinating historical character. Was he a spy for the Crown, and who was he dispatched to spy upon, and why? Where did Marlowe's sympathies lie? Why was he arrested, and what happened between his arrest and his death by stabbing?

Epstein bets the whole novel "A Tip for the Hangman" on Marlowe being a fully realized character, because the reader never leaves Marlowe's perspective throughout. I found him to be endlessly fascinating and sympathetic. Even knowing that Marlowe died very young, I was hoping he would be spared somehow, to write more plays and possibly be with his lover. I enjoyed the complex, fraught romance that is never far from Marlowe's thoughts even as he juggles the worlds of spycraft and theater (with not much difference between the two except that he is clearly made to write and act, and not to be a political puppet for people obsessed with religion and power.

So much mystery surrounds the life, death, religious beliefs, contemporaries, sexuality, and even works of Marlowe that Epstein has many blanks to fill in. She does an admirable job, and I was left feeling bereft and robbed of Marlowe's company when the novel ended.

Oh, what a treat this book is! I loved the intrigue, the theater, the romance, and above all the hero -- Epstein's Marlowe is a wonderful creation, and I found myself wishing that Epstein would rewrite history and make this the beginning of a very long series. I am so looking forward to recommending this to friends and patrons!

Similar in setting and genre to The King at the Edge of the World, but a much different book. The guilt and potential attachment to the other side of spies is well represented. Marlow makes for a great central character. An enjoyable read.

I was not sure what to expect from this book but I loved it. It’s harrowing and exciting and romantic all at once. Even reading the note at the beginning I was still saddened and horrified by Kit’s murder.
I couldn’t help but root for Kit and Tom and wish for a world where they could be together safe and happy

I've always been fascinated by Christopher Marlowe, and this novel was an intriguing take on what secrets might have laid behind what we know about him. Plus, the queer romance was so wonderful to read. I wish there were more like that in historical fiction.

Christopher (Kit) Marlowe lived in a time of great intrigue and strife. The throne of England was contested by Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth the First. These cousins both had genealogical claims to the throne. A cobblers’ son attending Cambridge irritated those of means.

Kit had another problem, a lack of total subservience to the aristocracy. His humble beginnings were always a thorn of contention and a spear of disdain. As Kit is finishing his Masters’ he is approached by one of the heads of Queen Elizabeth’s spy service. His task was to unravel an intricate series of messages between Mary Queen of Scots and her supporters. Kit had shown himself very adept at breaking foreign syphers.

Kit is also a very prolific playwright. He is thrust into the under-belly of London society to uncover plots against the Queen. Tangled webs of deceit and subterfuge complicate his life and endanger him wherever he goes. Forces beyond his control continue to press him to decipher and expose the potential usurper to the throne. Getting into the good graces and trust of Queen Mary is one of his assignments. He succeeds and Mary is exposed and beheaded.

This author has pulled together a very believable narrative with predictable ends. Once one begins to read the book you must see it through to its’ conclusion.

The smells, sights, sounds, and the religious turmoil caused by a king who wanted to divorce his wife are sad. Beheadings are a common occurrence and hanging is rampant I recommend this book to any history buff. 5 stars - C.E. Williams

I've been putting off writing this review because no words can possibly express how much I loved this book. It's the kind of novel that transports you so fully into the narrator's head that you forget it was written by a modern-day author rather than the character himself - in this case, Kit Marlowe. Kit seems so real, with his irreverent wit and alluringly unbridled spirit, that I can't be blamed if I started talking to him when I'm sitting on the sofa! Epstein also manages to do a beautiful job with each of the other characters who get a turn from their point of view - Kit's love interest, Mary Stuart, various side characters. Each one has a unique, easily identifiable voice.
I think the characters are what most drew me into the story, as well as the relationships between them. I don't want to spoil anything, but I am in LOVE with Kit and Tom (I won't tell you how it ends for them!). Beyond that, though, were the incredibly evocative settings and the fast-paced plot. I could hardly put this book down, and had to fight to keep from opening it up on my Kindle when I was driving/at work/in the middle of conversations with people.
I adored A TIP FOR THE HANGMAN and cannot wait to purchase a copy when it comes out next year. Thanks to NetGalley, Knopf Doubleday, and Allison Epstein for the advance copy!

A Tip for the Hangman is brilliantly written, rife with tension and wit and characters that explode from the page. Kit is a flawlessly delivered protagonist, real and nuanced, admirable and tragic and complex. Epstein also painted the historical setting exceptionally well. I came into this read knowing very little about the history surrounding Kit Marlowe, but I never once felt stranded or left behind. It's detailed and immersive without being overwhelming, and left me with a hunger to know more - after I recover from those last few chapters. Highly recommeded!

What a dramatic introduction to Christopher Marlowe ! Allison Epstein has written a spell-binding, page-turning, dramatic historical novel centered around efforts to bring a Catholic monarch to the crown of Great Britain during Elizabethan times.

I didn't realize how little I knew about Christopher Marlowe until introduced to him through this novel. He is presented as a compelling personality, larger than life, full of ego, talent and equal amounts of complexity and duplicity. I was drawn to the story, but also hesitant to embrace it. There was little foreshadowing of a happy ending, but the character's maturation as a playwright and as a man was an interesting study.

I was more drawn to literature than history as a University student and in the many succeeding years I have made up for the shortcomings in my historical knowledge by reading novels such as this. The temptation is to read fiction as fact when the story is told in a compelling fashion such as this.

I understand that historians and scholars are still speculating on the tavern scene that ends this book---and, whether this fiction is factual, we can agree that it was dramatic and tragic.

Netgalley provided me a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a candid review