The Counterfeit Crank (Nicholas Bracewell Book 14)

Alexander Marwood, the cantankerous landlord of the Queens Head is away, leaving the Westfields Men theatre troupe free to play. Marwoods replacement, Adam Crowmere, is a welcome change and Westfields Men being to dread their landlords return. But strange occurrences begin to take place within the company and book holder Nicholas Bracewell fears something sinister is afoot. Then the companys costumes are stolen from a locked cabinet and they are forced to perform without them. Nick delves deeper into the mysterious events happening around London because for Westfields Men, the show must go on. Nicholas Bracewell, the book holder and stage manager for Lord Westfield's Men, has a few problems on his hands. Edmund Hoode, the troupe's talented playwright, has fallen ill and is unable to complete his next opus. But is his illness from natural causes or is something more sinister afoot? Then a gambler has moved into the inn the troupe calls home and is proceeding to relieve the actors of their hard earned money. Then, as if these problems are not enough the troupe's theatre costumes go missing. As usual, Nicholas will stop at nothing before he gets everything under control. After all, the show must go on Nicholas Bracewell befriends a young beggar who is trying to eke out a living as a counterfeit crank, pretending to have spectacular epileptic fits in order to get money from gullible bystanders. When the beggar is murdered inside Bridewell, Nicholas has to pose as a beggar himself in order to get inside the notorious institution so that he can solve the crime. Counterfeiting of all kinds is exposed. With the cantankerous landlord of the Queen's Head is away the Westfield's Men theatre troupe free to play. But strange occurrences begin to take place within the company and book holder Nicholas Bracewell fears something sinister is afoot. Nick delves deeper into the mysterious events because for Westfield's Men, the show must go on.