Fresh off closing the Garden of Eden Murder Case, Shamus is summoned to the 16th century by none other than the King of Denmark, who fears for his life. His instincts are spot on—before Shamus can even unpack his trench coat, the king is murdered, poisoned in his sleep. With his dying breath, the old king pleads for justice, entrusting Shamus to uncover the truth and push his reluctant son, Prince Hamlet, toward revenge.

Navigating the treacherous corridors of Elsinore Castle, Shamus encounters a cast of suspects and schemers: the alluring and ambitious Lady Ophelia, who wants everything—including him; the voluptuous and calculating Queen Gertrude; and Claudius, the newly crowned king, whose rise to power seems just a little too convenient. But the biggest challenge? Hamlet himself, more interested in directing his debut play than avenging his father’s murder.

With danger at every turn and the smell of something rotten in the air, Shamus will need all his wits—and maybe a few well-placed soliloquies—to crack the case before he becomes the next victim.

A razor-sharp noir twist on the greatest tragedy ever told, *Shamus & Shakespeare: The Danish Dagger* launches a brilliant new detective series where classic literature meets classic hardboiled crime.