Alchemy (Giordano Bruno, Book 7)

(Hardback)

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The new 2023 historical thriller in the court of the Holy Roman Emperor in the The No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling series, perfect for fans of C. J. Sansom and The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel
Prague, 1588.

A COURT IN TURMOIL
The Holy Roman Emperor, Rudolf II, wants to expand the boundaries of human knowledge, and his court is a haven for scientists, astrologers and alchemists. His abiding passion is the feverish search for the philosophers stone and thus immortality. The Catholic Church fears he has pushed too far, into the forbidden realm of heresy and the greatest powers in Christendom are concerned about the imperial line of succession.

A MURDERED ALCHEMIST
Giordano Bruno is sent to his court by Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth Is spymaster. His task: to contact the famous English alchemist and mystic John Dee, another of Walsinghams spies. But Brunos arrival in Prague coincides with the brutal murder of a rival alchemist and John Dee himself has disappeared.

AN UNFORGIVING ENEMY
Ordered by the emperor to find the killer, Brunos investigations bring him face to face with an old enemy from the Inquisition. But could the real danger lie elsewhere Amidst the jostling factions at court and the religious tensions brewing in the city, Bruno has to track down a murderer as elusive as the elixir of life itself.

Reviews

Praise for S. J. Parris:

A brilliantly realised fictionalisation of the Babington plot against Elizabeth 1Nimbly braiding history with suspense, this is a classy mystery Observer

Execution has an atmospheric sense of place. The plot twists and turns The Times

Immaculate the depth of period detail, the all-enveloping sense of time and place, and the sheer gory drama Metro

Sumptuous New York Times

Parriss attention to the details of Elizabethan life and her ability to create characters of depth are again on display in a gripping narrative The Sunday Times

Fast-paced and entertaining, its a well-researched and authentically claustrophobic romp through the Elizabethan underworld Mail on Sunday

Parris is one of the stars of historical crime fiction and this, her sixth Giordano Bruno novel, is among her best i

Excellent The Times

Superbly plotted, shimmeringly written, it will have you on the edge of your seat Kate Williams, author of The Storms of War

An impressive feat. The plot, one of exhilarating complexity, was handled with aplomb 'Marisa Haetzman, also writes as Ambrose Parry

A delicious blend of history and thriller The Times

A tight plot combines with subtly-realised characters and an omnipresent sense of danger My pleasure in the vividly textured backdrop and a cracking story was accompanied by an uneasy shudder Daily Mail

Colourful characters, fast-moving plots and a world where one false step in religion or politics can mean a grisly death Sunday Times

S. J. Parris is one of my favourite authors and unquestionably our greatest living writer of historical thrillers A.J. Finn

Vivid, sprawling Well-crafted, exuberant Financial Times

Successful historical thrillers need three elements: a killer plot that weaves seamlessly into the history; an engaging protagonist; and an atmospheric sense of place. Parris nails all three The Times

Author Bio

S.J.Parris is the pseudonym of Stephanie Merritt. It was as a student at Cambridge researching a paper that Stephanie first became fascinated by the rich history of Tudor England and Renaissance Europe. Since then, her interest has grown and led her to create this series of historical thrillers featuring Giordano Bruno. Stephanie has worked as a critic and feature writer for a variety of newspapers and magazines as well as radio and television. She currently writes for the Observer and the Guardian and lives in Surrey with her son.