Rory Clements

{{Short description|British fiction author}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}

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| nationality = British

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| genre = Historical fiction

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| notable_works = Revenger, Nucleus

| spouse = Naomi Clements-Wright{{cite web |title=Rory Clements Books & Biography |url=https://www.harpercollins.ca/author/cr-174361/rory-clements/ |website=HarperCollins |access-date=16 September 2023 |archive-date=28 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028180556/https://www.harpercollins.ca/author/cr-174361/rory-clements/ |url-status=live }}

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| awards = CWA Ellis Peters Historical Fiction Award

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Rory Clements is a British author of historical fiction. He is best known for his John Shakespeare books, set in the Elizabethan era, and the Tom Wilde second world war spy thriller series. Clements has twice won the Crime Writers' Association Historical Dagger.

Biography

Following a career in print media working for titles such as the Daily Mail and the Evening Standard, since 2007 Clements has been working as a full-time author. He has found success with his series of Elizabethan historical thriller novels about the character of John Shakespeare, and also the Tom Wilde series of spy novels focused on the second world war era.{{cite web |title=Meet the Author: Rory Clements |url=https://www.suffolklibraries.co.uk/posts/meet-the-author/meet-the-author-rory-clements |website=Suffolk Libraries |access-date=16 September 2023 |archive-date=16 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230916184908/https://www.suffolklibraries.co.uk/posts/meet-the-author/meet-the-author-rory-clements |url-status=live }}

In 2010 Clements' historical mystery novel Revenger won the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Fiction Award.{{cite web |title=Historical Dagger 2010 Winner |url=https://thecwa.co.uk/past-winners/revenger/ |website=Crime Writers' Association |access-date=16 September 2023 |archive-date=15 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815013533/https://thecwa.co.uk/past-winners/revenger |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=RORY CLEMENTS BOOKS IN ORDER |url=https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/rory-clements/ |website=Book Series in Order |access-date=16 September 2023 |archive-date=28 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528224410/https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/rory-clements/ |url-status=live }} A further three of the John Shakespeare novels, Martyr, Prince, and The Heretics, were nominated for the same award.{{cite web |title=Rory Clements |url=https://www.hachette.co.uk/contributor/rory-clements/ |website=Hachette |access-date=16 September 2023 |archive-date=25 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125130911/https://www.hachette.co.uk/contributor/rory-clements/ |url-status=live }} In 2018 Clements won the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Fiction Award again, this time with the second world war Tom Wilde thriller novel Nucleus.{{cite news |last1=Peel |first1=Adrian |title=Rory Clement’s Cambridge spy Tom Wilde returns in The English Führer |url=https://www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/whats-on/rory-clement-s-cambridge-spy-tom-wilde-returns-in-the-englis-9302680/ |access-date=16 September 2023 |work=Cambridge Independent |date=9 March 2023 |archive-date=27 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327021451/https://www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/whats-on/rory-clement-s-cambridge-spy-tom-wilde-returns-in-the-englis-9302680/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Historical Dagger 2018 Winner |url=https://thecwa.co.uk/past-winners/nucleus/ |website=Crime Writers' Association |access-date=16 September 2023 |archive-date=29 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629012943/https://thecwa.co.uk/past-winners/nucleus |url-status=live }}

A TV series of the John Shakespeare novels is under development.{{cite web |title=Rory Clements |url=https://www.readersfirst.co.uk/authors/rory-clements |website=Readers First |access-date=16 September 2023 |archive-date=18 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220518171956/https://www.readersfirst.co.uk/authors/rory-clements |url-status=live }}

Clements lives in Norfolk, England, and is married to artist Naomi Clements-Wright.

Works

=John Shakespeare series=

  • Martyr (2009; {{ISBN|9781848542235}}){{cite news |last1=O'Connell |first1=John |title=Martyr |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/jun/20/martyr-rory-clements-review |access-date=16 September 2023 |work=The Guardian |date=20 June 2009 |archive-date=25 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125181738/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/jun/20/martyr-rory-clements-review |url-status=live }}
  • Revenger (2010; {{ISBN|9781848543881}}){{cite journal |title=Revenger: A Novel of Tudor Intrigue |journal=Publishers Weekly |date=2011 |volume=258 |issue=18 |pages=36–37}}
  • Prince (2011; {{ISBN|9781848544277}})
  • Traitor (2012; {{ISBN|9781848544314}})
  • The Man in the Snow (2012; {{ISBN|9780062301895}})
  • The Heretics (2013; {{ISBN|9781848544352}}){{cite news |last1=Norfolk |first1=Pam |title=Book review: The Heretics by Rory Clements |url=https://www.lancasterguardian.co.uk/arts-and-culture/book-review-the-heretics-by-rory-clements-2347695 |work=Lancaster Guardian |date=28 March 2018}}
  • The Queen's Man (2014; {{ISBN|9781848548466}})
  • Holy Spy (2015; {{ISBN|9781848548510}})

=Tom Wilde series=

  • Corpus (2017; {{ISBN|9781785762635}}){{cite journal |last1=MANN |first1=JESSICA |title=March 2017 Crime Round-up |journal=Literary Review |date=March 2017 |url=https://literaryreview.co.uk/march-2017-crime-round-up |access-date=16 September 2023 |archive-date=23 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220123162647/https://literaryreview.co.uk/march-2017-crime-round-up |url-status=live }}
  • Nucleus (2018; {{ISBN|9781785763731}})
  • Nemesis (2019; {{ISBN|9781785767517}})
  • Hitler's Secret (2020; {{ISBN|9781838770310}})
  • A Prince and a Spy (2021; {{ISBN|9781838773373}})Reviews of A Prince and a Spy:

:*{{cite news |last1=Scott |first1=Lee |title=Book review: Tom Wilde returns for intriguing WWII thriller |url=https://eu.jacksonville.com/story/entertainment/books/2021/10/17/book-review-a-prince-and-spy-rory-clements/8426144002/ |access-date=16 September 2023 |work=Jacksonville Florida Times-Union |date=17 October 2021 |archive-date=16 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230916184907/https://www.jacksonville.com/story/entertainment/books/2021/10/17/book-review-a-prince-and-spy-rory-clements/8426144002/ |url-status=live }}

:*{{cite news |last1=Kirby |first1=Carolyn |title=Review: A Prince and a Spy by Rory Clements |url=https://www.historiamag.com/review-a-prince-and-a-spy-by-rory-clements/ |work=Historia Mag |date=19 January 2021 |access-date=16 September 2023 |archive-date=7 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207124656/https://www.historiamag.com/review-a-prince-and-a-spy-by-rory-clements/ |url-status=live }}

:*{{cite journal |last1=Melton |first1=E |title=A Prince and a Spy |journal=Booklist |date=2021 |volume=117 |issue=22 |page=31}}

  • The Man in the Bunker (2022; {{ISBN|9781838777692}})
  • The English Führer (2023; {{ISBN|9781804181058}}){{cite news |last1=Norfolk |first1=Pam |title=The English Führer by Rory Clements: Packed with drama, action and subterfuge – book review – |url=https://www.lep.co.uk/arts-and-culture/books/the-english-fuhrer-by-rory-clements-packed-with-drama-action-and-subterfuge-book-review-4002050 |access-date=16 September 2023 |work=Lancashire Post |date=26 January 2023 |archive-date=28 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230128181629/https://www.lep.co.uk/arts-and-culture/books/the-english-fuhrer-by-rory-clements-packed-with-drama-action-and-subterfuge-book-review-4002050 |url-status=live }}
  • A Cold Wind from Moscow (2025; {{ISBN|9781804185087}}){{cite news |last1=Norfolk |first1=Pam |title=A Cold Wind From Moscow by Rory Clements: real history at its heart-thumping, page-turning best – book review - |url=https://www.lep.co.uk/arts-and-culture/books/a-cold-wind-from-moscow-by-rory-clements-real-history-at-its-heart-thumping-page-turning-best-book-review-4974125 |access-date=15 May 2025 |work=Lancashire Post |date=4 February 2025 |archive-date=15 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250215094344/https://www.lep.co.uk/arts-and-culture/books/a-cold-wind-from-moscow-by-rory-clements-real-history-at-its-heart-thumping-page-turning-best-book-review-4974125 |url-status=live }}

=Other works=

  • Munich Wolf (2024; {{ISBN|9781804181423}}){{cite web |last1=Bardos |first1=Alan |title=Historia review: Munich Wolf by Rory Clements |url=https://www.historiamag.com/historia-review-munich-wolf-by-rory-clements/ |website=Historia |access-date=7 September 2024 |date=20 May 2024}}

See also

  • {{ Annotated link | Robert Harris (novelist)}}
  • {{ Annotated link | R. N. Morris}}
  • {{ Annotated link | C. J. Sansom}}

References

{{Reflist}}