The plague has closed many theatres in London and William Shakespeare and his players have been invited to perform Romeo and Juliet in Oxford to a pair of warring families, presumably as a lesson. There are a few mysteries that puzzle player Nick Revill, foremost being a method to prevent contagion when the plague spreads to Oxford. The disease opens up new opportunities for frauds feigning sickness and robbers who take the valuables with the bodies. This was a fun read and also an interesting account of daily life in the final year of Queen Elizabeth's reign. ( )