Book Reviews and More: Put Out The Light - Guy Hale

Monday, 7 September 2026

Put Out The Light - Guy Hale - The Shakespeare Murders Book 3

Put Out The Light

Shakespeare Murders Book 3

Guy Hale

Bullington Press

ISBN 9781068363337

eISBN 9781068363351

ASIN B0FHFRSMTZ

Put Out The Light - Guy Hale - The Shakespeare Murders Book 3

Wow! This series just keeps getting better and better, and to be honest darker and darker! I picked up the first volume in this series for a few reasons. First over the last several years I have become a big fan of mystery books coming out of England, Ireland and Scotland. I have read most volumes from the likes of J.D. Kirk, Alex Smith, K.T. Galloway, and J.E. Mayhew and am always willing to give another author a try. Second my kids and I are huge fans of Shakespeare and we attend the Stratford Festival in Ontario often and typically go to all the Bards plays each year. Third I have been reading some other Shakespeare based fiction lately like Ted Neill’s Post Apocalyptic Space Shakespeare Series and the Shakespearean Shorts from Pettyfeather Publishing. Volume one was highlighted in a Kindle blast of books on sale I might be interested in. I loved that first volume and almost started this offering as soon as I finished that first one. The first two were great reads and this one took it to a whole new level. About the author on his site we are informed:

“Guy Hale was born in Worcestershire, England. His first job was as a Professional Golfer. He also played Rugby and raced motorcycles until his mid-twenties. When this failed to kill him he started writing plays, mostly two handers which he performed in pubs and assorted venues with his mate, Andy.”

This was an excellent story I am now planning on reading everything in print from Guy Hale. My friends call me a ‘completionist’ in that when I find an author I love I try and read everything they have in print. But I am getting ahead of myself, back to the volume at hand.

The description of this volume is:

“Put Out The Light

Act III Stratford-upon-Avon, Spring 1972

On the streets of Stratford four murders remain unsolved. For DC Toby Marlow there is only one potential killer: Oliver Lawrence. But nobody has seen Oliver for over fifteen years. They don’t even know what he looks like, they are chasing a shadow.

Oliver’s first act is complete. As Spring turns to summer Act III is about to begin. Like Othello, he is poisoned by lies from the past. Revenge has consumed him…Now is the time to put out more lights!”

This story is set in the 1970s Stratford-upon-Avon and is a police procedural. This story features elements from Cymbeline, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and for the revenge plot both Hamlet and Macbeth. There are elements of Cymbeline for forgiveness and reconciliation between Morris and Lady Oxford. But the main focus is Othello. And the use of Midsummer a a lure was masterfully done. Felix is beginning to have doubts, regrets and real fear, but he is stuck between a rock and a hard case.

As the bard penned “All the world's a stage” and in this volume we get to see how Oliver is and was likely a master when he tread the boards. We get to see a lot more of Whomper, and there is far more to him than originally meets the eye, or even other senses. We also get a much deeper look at Detective Sergeant Fred Williams. Detectives DS Fred Williams and DC Toby Marlowe know that Oliver is the killer, they just do not know what he looks like for certain. They have some new clues to his appearance after events in this volume. They figure out that his gruesome crimes mirror major Shakespearean plays like Hamlet and Othello but the cannot seem to catch a break in the case.

I will say pay close attention to the chapter titles some are terribly clever. The characters in this series are excellent, and they just keep getting better. The plot surprising and fresh, though this one is much darker. And the book leaves you desperate for the next instalment! This is an excellent read. I can easily recommend it and the whole series!