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Published: 06/07/2023
Faultlessly plotted and once more rich in drama and historical depth, the seventh scintillating instalment in Parris’ bestselling series finds Giordano Bruno on a mission to make contact with a famous English alchemist at the Holy Roman Emperor’s court in Prague.
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 philosopher's 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 I's spymaster. His task: to contact the famous English alchemist and mystic John Dee, another of Walsingham's spies. But Bruno's 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, Bruno's 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.
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN: 9780008208547
Number of pages: 480
Weight: 720 g
Dimensions: 240 x 159 x 40 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
Praise for S. J. Parris:
'A brilliantly realised fictionalisation of the Babington plot against Elizabeth 1... nimbly 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
'Parris's 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, it's 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
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“Interesting and eventful historical thriller - an engaging read.”
Dr Bruno arrives in Prague and becomes involved in the search for a murderer, the plot involving the Jewish community, alchemists, Catholic intervention and a host of other things. The characters are well-developed,... More
“Another superb read, lose oneself in a spymaster’s history”
Thanks to Pigeonhole I read Alchemy by SJ Parris, which is seventh in a series of books with Giordano Bruno as the protagonist. Reading on the Pigeonhole app bookclub alongside others, lends such an experience of... More
“An excellent read! Highly recommend!”
Another brilliant edition of the Giordano Bruno books by SJ Parris! Although after the previous one, Execution, this is only the second one I've read.
This was excellent, and definitely lived up to my...
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