A story about stories within stories as four interconnected mysteries take the reader through the ages, from Shakespeare’s day to a 19th century Gothic former Priory, to 1920s Venice, and finally to 1940s California. We begin with the last testament of William Shakespeare as he investigates the real-life murder mystery of his friend, playwright Christopher Marlowe. The second story is a 19th Century Gothic tale about the discovery of Shakespeare’s manuscript, set in an isolated former priory, turned into a clinic for those who cannot sleep. The third is a lighter Golden Age detective tale set in Venice, where private investigator Honora Feldman looks into a baffling case of theft and murder in the British expat community, with the Gothic story at its heart. And finally, a 1940s American Noir as Ken Kourian finds a serial killer is recreating all the murders in The Waterfall, the companion book to his friend Oliver Tooke’s The Turnglass. The Waterfall is a beguiling and intricate mystery that cements Gareth Rubin’s position as one of the most original authors writing today.
