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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
A lot
A murder; violent confrontations; the death is depicted
Language
Some
Some strong language
Sexual Content
Some
Adult relationships including a gay romance; non-explicit but present
Substance Use
A lot
Extensive alcohol and drug use within the student theatre world
Emotional Intensity
A lot
Explores the psychology of performance, identity bleed, and complicity in a closed world
What this book is about
Oliver Marks, a Shakespearean actor, was convicted of murder ten years ago and is finally released. As he tells his story to the detective who put him away, we return to his seventh year at a conservatory where seven talented students played Shakespeare — and one of them ended up dead. A dark, literary thriller about theater, obsession, and the slipperiness of identity.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
A murder and sustained investigation into a closed community
Extensive drug and alcohol use
Obsession and the collapse of self into a role
Reader Verification
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