Book Log 2014 #5: The Bookman's Tale by Charlie Lovett

A reclusive book seller, still reeling from the untimely death of his wife, finds himself drawn into a mystery when he discovers a painting of his wife in an old book, a painting that dates to well before his wife's birth. In trying to track down this mystery, he gets pulled into a greater one - whether or not Shakespeare wrote the plays attributed to him - that is proving to have deadly consequences.

There's a lot to like about this book - the historical chapters tracing a book central to solving the Shakespeare question are a nice change of pace - but I did find some of the story set in the present day a little too neatly wrapped, especially the ending.  Maybe that's intentional, reflecting some of the unlikely coincidences and neat endings you might find in Shakespeare. Still, it wasn't a bad book, worth a read if you're into the Shakespeare question.