By Any Other Name

By: Erin Cotter

Narrated by: James Meunier

“A high-stakes, high-drama mystery…led by a plucky, determined hero I would have followed anywhere…[A] romantic, delightful romp!” —Mackenzi Lee, New York Times bestselling author of A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue

A down-on-his-luck actor and an English lord reluctantly team up to solve the murder of Christopher Marlowe in this Shakespearean-era “quippy, heart-wrenching debut…ideal for fans of Mackenzi Lee and F.T. Lukens” (Kirkus Reviews).

London, 1593. Sixteen-year-old Will Hughes is busy working on Shakespeare’s stage, stuffing his corsets with straw and pretending to be someone else. Offstage, he’s playing a part, too. The son of traitors, Will is desperate to keep his identity secret—or risk being killed in the bloody queen’s imperial schemes. All he wants is to lay low until he earns enough coin to return to his family.

But when his mentor, the famous playwright Christopher Marlowe, is murdered under mysterious circumstances, Will’s plans are hopelessly dashed. What’s worse, Marlowe was a spy for the queen, tasked with stalking a killer rumored to be part of an elusive order of assassins, and his secrets and untimely death have put Will under a harsh spotlight. Then, when Will unwittingly foils an attempt on the queen’s life, she names him her next spymaster.

Now, to avoid uncomfortable questions, prison, or an even more terrible fate, Will reluctantly starts his new career, which—yes—will secure him the resources to help his family…but at what cost? Adding insult to injury is the young Lord James Bloomsbury, Will’s new comrade in arms, whose entitled demeanor and unfairly handsome looks get under Will’s skin immediately.

Together, the two hunt the cunning assassin, defend the queen’s life, and pray to keep their own...all while an unexpected connection blossoms between them.

Critic reviews

"Meunier’s narration adds to the novel’s rich atmosphere as he differentiates between upper- and working-class English accents, gives voice to Irish pirates, and delivers every exclamation of “Zounds!” with relish."

4.5 for the story

The story was a bit hard to read so I got the audio book and it’s definitely sold me on the story. It was a fun story and had me tear up a bit and shook by the plot twist at the end. I would recommend it but I don’t think I would reread it if that makes sense. It was a fun story.

Great narration, the story though was middling at best.

The narration was very well done, but plot was predictable, painful at times even. It's kinda like the writer decided to make the MC a 60 IQ Sherlock Holmes. The characters logic or lack there of, doesn't ever make sense, if there's a way to make the wrong decision, the MC finds it, and only gets out of any predicament by luck.
I did finish and it was okay overall, definitely listened to worse.

This one is good

This one was a good 'historical' style BL, and it was fluffy so I could defently let my 13yo neice read/listen to ot with out my brain going. 'NSFW'.