In Elizabeth's England, true faith can mean bloody murder . . .
Oxford, 1583. A place of learning. And murderous schemes.
The country is rife with plots to assassinate Queen Elizabeth and return the realm to the Catholic faith. Giordano Bruno is recruited by the queen's spymaster and sent undercover to expose a treacherous conspiracy in Oxford - but his own secret mission must remain hidden at all costs.
A spy under orders. A coveted throne under threat.
When a series of hideous murders ruptures close-knit college life, Bruno is compelled to investigate. And what he finds makes it brutally clear that the Tudor throne itself is at stake . . .
Staff Choice: Simone
Here I thought I didn't like historical fiction, when this series by Parris ended up on my bookshelves. In 1583 Giordano Bruno, once a monk in Italy who has now fled from the Inquisition, starts a new function as a gatherer of information for highly placed figures in England. The country is dealing with clashing loyalties to different faiths and leaders, there is the Pope in Rome (still there) and Queen Elizabeth on the throne in England (also still there), so the scenery is not that different from today after all. Well, there are the spies in cloaked robes, some quartering and use of the guillotine... You are straight away engaged in the character of Bruno, and his detective work. Find of the year!
Staff Choice: Simone
Parts 1 through 6 have been just FANTASTIC, with Bruno ending up having to solve murders wherever he goes; Oxford, London, Canterbury, or Sir Francis Drake's ship. He does so with great flair, humor and charm.
Part 7 is due to be published in Spring 2022 - I can't wait.
