"Martyr" is an ingenious debut in which the author, a former journalist, demonstrates masterful storytelling skills in this historical crime thriller. The novel, the first in a new series, introduces the central character of John Shakespeare, the chief investigator for Queen Elizabeth's top spymaster.

It is 1587, and the brutal, ritualistic murder of a young woman marks the beginning of a conspiracy, which involves a plot to assassinate Sir Francis Drake, England's renowned sea captain, leaving the country vulnerable to a Spanish invasion. Meanwhile, the queen's reign is already threatened as chaos and suspicion pit Protestants against Catholics; Mary Queen of Scots awaits execution; and the pikes above London Bridge are topped by the heads of those who have already met their fates at the chopping block.

Against a mosaic of horrendous prison conditions, underworld spies, paid informers, sorcerers and whores, Shakespeare follows the sketchy clues he unravels to discover the identity of the assassin from Spain before he can complete his mission. Making matters more difficult, the Queen's sadistic chief torturer, Topcliffe, is determined to prevent Shakespeare from achieving his goal and threatens him with arrest and torture on more than one occasion. The two men are longtime rivals and clash often over the enhanced interrogation techniques that Topcliffe uses to gain confessions.

Although there is a lot going on in this novel, Clements' vivid writing, his meticulous character development and the plot's heightening intrigue draw the reader into the action, page-by-page.

Lovers of contemporary thrillers as well as readers who enjoy historical fiction will undoubtedly look forward to the next novel in this series.