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Heresy

by S J Parris

ISBN13: 9780385531283
ISBN10: 0385531281
Condition: Standard
Dustjacket: Standard
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Masterfully blending true events with fiction, this blockbuster historical thriller delivers a page-turning murder mystery set on the sixteenth-century Oxford University campus.

Giordano Bruno was a monk, poet, scientist, and magician on the run from the Roman Inquisition on charges of heresy for his belief that the Earth orbits the sun and that the universe is infinite. This alone could have got him burned at the stake, but he was also a student of occult philosophies and magic.

In S. J. Parris's gripping novel, Bruno's pursuit of this rare knowledge brings him to London, where he is unexpectedly recruited by Queen Elizabeth I and is sent undercover to Oxford University on the pretext of a royal visitation. Officially Bruno is to take part in a debate on the Copernican theory of the universe; unofficially, he is to find out whatever he can about a Catholic plot to overthrow the queen.

His mission is dramatically thrown off course by a series of grisly murders and a spirited and beautiful young woman. As Bruno begins to discover a pattern in these killings, he realizes that no one at Oxford is who he seems to be. Bruno must attempt to outwit a killer who appears obsessed with the boundary between truth and heresy.

Like The Dante Club and The Alienist, this clever, sophisticated, exceptionally enjoyable novel is written with the unstoppable narrative propulsion and stylistic flair of the very best historical thrillers.

Synopsis:

Like "The Dante Club," this clever, sophisticated, exceptionally enjoyable thriller is written with unstoppable narrative propulsion and stylistic flair. Follow the monk, poet, and scientist Giordano Bruno on his quest to uncover a plot to kill Queen Elizabeth I.

About the Author

S. J. PARRIS is a contributing journalist for various newspapers and magazines including the Observer, the Guardian, and the New Statesman.

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Average customer rating based on 2 comments:

: Seattleite, January 1, 2011 (view all comments by Seattleite)
This book was fun and interesting to read right from the start. There's humor, suspense, and a wonderful medieval story. The author's writing style is enjoyable to read, and I'm hoping for more.
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: Ronrose, March 17, 2010 (view all comments by Ronrose)
Heresy is an historical novel telling the tale of Giordano Bruno's visitation to Oxford during the reign of Elizabeth I of England. The book smoothly blends facts and fiction to give us a very engaging tale of a mystery surrounding this man of many dimensions. As a young man, he was trained as a Catholic monk in Italy until his unorthodox views of the universe and Christian religion necessitated his timely departure, one step ahead of the Inquisition. He eventually gravitated to England hoping its non-Catholic religion would prove a safe haven while he wrote and continued to study and develop his theories. He finds himself in Oxford on the trail of a book banned through out Europe. He stumbles into a nest of intrigue and murder, surrounding an enclave of Catholic believers in the Protestant country. Bruno quickly finds that his Italian nationality and previous association with the Roman Church sometimes works for him and sometimes against. The book quickly draws us deeply into the factions working at cross purposes at this time in Elizabethan England. The writing flows smoothly, blending facts and fiction into a tight mystery. The characters almost beg to given another adventure as they come to life in the story.
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Product Details

ISBN:: 9780385531283
Author:: Parris, S J
Publisher:: Doubleday
Author:: Parris, S. J.
Subject:: Thrillers
Subject:: Mystery & Detective - Historical
Subject:: Historical fiction
Subject:: Biographical fiction
Subject:: Popular Fiction-Contemporary Thrillers
Publication Date:: 20100223
Binding:: Hardback
Grade Level:: General/trade
Language:: English
Pages:: 448
Dimensions:: 9.50x6.50x1.50 in. 1.48 lbs.

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Fiction and Poetry » Literature » A to Z
Fiction and Poetry » Mystery » A to Z

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