S. J. Parris

The new historical crime thriller a Sunday Times bestseller perfect for fans of C J Sansom and Hilary Mantel

The No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling series The second book in S. J. Parriss bestselling, critically acclaimed series following Giordano Bruno, set at the time of Queen Elizabeth I

The No. 1 bestseller - perfect for fans of C.J. Sansom - and the fifth historical thriller featuring Giordano Bruno, heretic, philosopher and Tudor spy. PARIS, 1585. A KING WITHOUT AN HEIR Giordano Bruno arrives in Paris to find a city on the edge of catastrophe. King Henry III lives in fear of a coup by the fanatical Catholic League and another massacre on the streets. A DEADLY CONSPIRACY IN PLAY When murder strikes at the heart of the Palace, Bruno finds himself on the trail of a killer who hides a terrible secret. With the royal houses of France and England under threat, he must expose the truth - or be silenced for good...

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 MantelPrague, 1588.A COURT IN TURMOILThe 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 ALCHEMISTGiordano 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 ENEMYOrdered 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.The clever twists and turns of Alchemy are assuredly plotted and Prague, a city in religious and political turmoil, makes for a powerful setting The TimesOver the past dozen years, S. J. Parriss novels have been among the most enjoyable of all historical thrillers Sunday Times*S. J. Parris was Sunday Times No. 1 Bestseller for Execution the week of 12 July 2020

Introducing the monk Giodarno Bruno, magician, scientist, and heretic in a new series of historical thrillers for fans of C.J.Sansom and 'The Name of the Rose'England, 1583A country awash with paranoia and conspiracy - but a safe haven for a radical monk on the run. Giordano Bruno, with his theories of astronomy and extraterrestrial life, has fled the Inquisition for the court of Elizabeth I. Here, he attracts the attention of Francis Walsingham, chief spymaster and sworn enemy of Catholic plotters.Bruno is sent undercover to Oxford, where the university is believed to be a hotbed of French dissent. Bruno quickly finds himself drawn into college intrigues, and distracted by a beautiful young woman. Before long, he is investigating a hideous series of murders, each linked by a letter offering clues. The letters suggest that each victim was guilty of heresy. But is Bruno being aided or misled - or is he himself the next target? Stalking a cunning and determined killer through the shadowy cloisters of Oxford, Bruno realizes that even the wise cannot always tell truth from heresy. But some are prepared to kill for it…

The second in a major new series of historical thrillers featuring Giordano Bruno, philospher, scientist and heretic, for all fans of C.J.Sansom and The Name of the Rose. Autumn, 1583: Queen Elizabeth's rule is under threat. Plans for an invasion to put Mary Stuart on the throne of England are secretly being laid. And an astrological phenomenon believed to herald the death of one age and the dawn of another has led to frenzied speculation of terrible events to come. Giordano Bruno, the maverick and charismatic agent of Sir Francis Walsingham, spymaster to the queen, has infiltrated the plotters at the French embassy. His mission is to secure the evidence that will allow the execution of Mary Stuart and her cohorts for treason. But his position there is tenuous -- while the ambassador trusts him, his beautiful and cunning wife Marie seems determined to prise out his secrets. Meanwhile, the murder of a maid of honour within the palace walls involves Bruno in deeper mysteries. Occult symbols carved into her young flesh point to black magic, but the truth could be even more sinister!

England, 1583. A country awash with paranoia and conspiracy - but a safe haven for a radical monk on the run. Giordano Bruno, with his theories of astronomy and extraterrestrial life, has fled the In

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

Three gripping tales from No.1 Sunday Times bestseller S. J. Parris.

Perfect for fans of C.J. Sansom and The Name of the Rose, the fourth historical thriller featuring Giordano Bruno, heretic, philosopher and spy.August, 1583. Giordano Bruno, a heretic fleeing the Inquisition, finds a new life working as a spy for Sir Francis Walsingham.Along with his friend, Sir Philip Sidney, Bruno travels to Plymouth on the Queens behalf. There, they meet Sir Francis Drake, who is preparing to launch a daring expedition against the Spanish, which could turn the tide of war.Unbeknownst to Bruno, however, Sidney plans to stowaway with Drakes fleet and return a hero dragging Bruno with him to the New World. But when a murder occurs aboard Drakes own ship, fear and suspicion grip the fleet and threaten to abort the expedition before it begins.Navigating the jealousies and loyalties of the crew, Bruno learns that someone with a deadly grudge is shadowing his investigation.Tracking the killer through Plymouths menacing backstreets, he uncovers some of the darkest secrets the city is harbouring. Failure will come at the highest cost not just for Bruno, but all of England

A thrilling novella following a young Giordano Bruno, set in the time of Elizabeth I, from the No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author Naples, 1568 A rebellious young monkNovice monk Giordano Bruno struggles to follow the strict rules of religious life. He has questions about God, life, the universe which could prove deadly especially at a time when the Inquisition is gaining power and influence. A secret societyOne night, Brunos mentor invites him to a hidden location outside the city where a group of like-minded men meet to discuss forbidden subjects a secret society. Bruno is captivated even more so when he meets Fiammetta della Porta, the niece of the societys wealthy leader, who initiates him into the ways of love. An enemy who could destroy everythingBut Bruno has enemies, and he has been followed to his assignations. Not only is the heretical society at risk of exposure, but Bruno and his new lover are in grave danger. Keeping his secrets has become a matter of life or death Please note that this story, along with two other Giordano Bruno novellas, will be published as a 3-in-1 collection called The Dead of Winter, coming out in Hardback, ebook and audio in November 2020. Praise for S.J. Parris A delicious blend of history and thriller The Times An omnipresent sense of danger 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 Pacy, intricate, and thrilling Full of historical detail and rich with atmosphere Observer Twists and turns like a corkscrew of venomous snakes Stuart MacBride Impossible to resist Daily Telegraph It has everything intrigue, mystery and excellent history Kate Mosse Parris writes with confident ease of Tudor London The Times Full of surprises TLS

The perfect historical crime novella to curl up with this Christmas! From a No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author. At the heart of the Eternal City, danger hides around every corner Rome, 1569. When novice monk Giordano Bruno is told the pope wants to see him, his first thought is that it must be a joke. The second is that it must be a trap. Young Brunos talent for complex memory games has caught the attention of the Lords Vicar. Summoned to Rome, the city captures Brunos imagination, and he soon slips away from his suspicious, austere host Fra Agostino da Montalcino, drawn instead to more glamorous, sophisticated companions. But accusations of heresy are only ever a whisper away, and Rome is a city of intrigue, trickery and blood. Bruno soon realises he will be lucky to escape the Eternal City alive. Please note that this story, along with two other Giordano Bruno novellas, will be published as a 3-in-1 collection called The Dead of Winter, coming out in Hardback, ebook and audio in November 2020. Praise for S.J. Parris A delicious blend of history and thriller The Times An omnipresent sense of danger 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 Pacy, intricate, and thrilling Full of historical detail and rich with atmosphere Observer Twists and turns like a corkscrew of venomous snakes Stuart MacBride Impossible to resist Daily Telegraph It has everything intrigue, mystery and excellent history Kate Mosse Parris writes with confident ease of Tudor London The Times Full of surprises TLS

THE START OF AN INCREDIBLE NEW SERIES FROM NO 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING S J PARRIS

Perfect for fans of C.J. Sansom. A short story featuring Giordano Bruno: heretic, philosopher and spy, from Parriss Sunday Times bestselling series. Even the dead have a story to tell Naples, 1566. During a sweltering summer, eighteen-year-old Giordano Bruno takes his final vows at San Domenico Maggiore and is admitted to the Dominican Order despite doubts over his tendency to ask difficult questions. Assisting in the infirmary, Bruno witnesses an illicit autopsy performed on the body of a young woman. Her corpse reveals a dark secret, and Bruno suspects that hers may not have been an accidental death. His investigation leads him to a powerful figure who wants to keep the truth buried and Bruno is forced to make a choice between his future in the Order, and justice for an innocent victim and her grieving family Please note that this story, along with two other Giordano Bruno novellas, will be published as a 3-in-1 collection called The Dead of Winter, coming out in Hardback, ebook and audio in November 2020. Praise for S. J. Parris: It has everything intrigue, mystery and excellent history Kate Mosse Impossible to resist Daily Telegraph Fascinating The period is incredibly vivid and the story utterly gripping Conn Iggulden A brilliantly unusual glimpse at the intrigues surrounding Queen Elizabeth I Andrew Taylor, bestselling author of The Ashes of London Parris writes with confident ease of Tudor London The Times Full of surprises TLS

The first book in the No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling series set at the time of Queen Elizabeth I In Elizabeths England, true faith can mean bloody murderOxford, 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 queens 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 Perfect for fans of C. J. Sansom and Hilary Mantel Praise for the Giordano Bruno series A delicious blend of history and thriller The Times An omnipresent sense of danger 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 Pacy, intricate, and thrilling Observer Vivid, sprawling Well-crafted, exuberant Financial Times Impossible to resist Daily Telegraph An atmospheric and well-written historical thriller Guardian Twists and turns like a corkscrew of venomous snakes Stuart MacBride It has everything intrigue, mystery and excellent history Kate Mosse The period is incredibly vivid and the story utterly gripping Conn Iggulden A brilliantly unusual glimpse at the intrigues surrounding Queen Elizabeth I Andrew Taylor Rich in both historical detail and ingenious twists Sam Bourne (bestselling author of The Righteous Men)

The second book in the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling series set at the time of Queen Elizabeth I Autumn, 1583. Under Elizabeths rule, loyalty is bought with blood An astrological phenomenon heralds the dawn of a new age and Queen Elizabeths throne is in peril. As Mary Stuarts supporters scheme to usurp the rightful monarch, a young maid of honour is murdered, occult symbols carved into her flesh. The Queens spymaster, Francis Walsingham, calls on maverick agent Giordano Bruno to infiltrate the plotters and secure the evidence that will condemn them to death. Bruno is cunning, but so are his enemies. His identity could be exposed at any moment. The proof he seeks is within his grasp. But the young womans murder could point to an even more sinister truth Perfect for fans of C. J. Sansom and Hilary Mantel Praise for S. J. Parris A delicious blend of history and thriller The Times An omnipresent sense of danger 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 Pacy, intricate, and thrilling Observer Vivid, sprawling Well-crafted, exuberant Financial Times Impossible to resist Daily Telegraph Twists and turns like a corkscrew of venomous snakes Stuart MacBride It has everything intrigue, mystery and excellent history Kate Mosse The period is incredibly vivid and the story utterly gripping Conn Iggulden A brilliantly unusual glimpse at the intrigues surrounding Queen Elizabeth I Andrew Taylor Rich in both historical detail and ingenious twists Sam Bourne (bestselling author of The Righteous Men)

THE NEW BESTSELLING SERIES FROM THE MASTER OF HISTORICAL CRIME FICTION, S. J. PARRIS England, 1601.Treason threatens the realm. When the body of a Scottish envoy washes up on the banks of the Thames, the Queens most powerful spymaster, Robert Cecil, is accused of arranging the murder. Cecil turns to his covert intelligencer Sophia de Wolfe to discreetly discover what the dead man was doing in London, and why he was killed. But this murder is borne of treacherous political currents. As loyalties shift and rebellion foments, as the Earl of Essex makes a dangerous play for power, Sophia is fast drawn into perilous waters. Everyone wants the Queens hard-won favour, even as tensions rise and the country begins to look for new answers. And Sophia has her own secrets to hide Praise for S. J. Parriss bestselling Sophia de Wolfe series Sophia is a dazzling heroine, and the world of late Elizabethan England brimful of plot and conspiracy, is vividly and thrillingly brought to life LAURA SHEPHERD-ROBINSON Right from the intriguing opening pages everything Parris layers into this Elizabethan crime drama screams bestselling series OBSERVER A new historical crime from S. J. Parris is always cause for celebration but she really has excelled herself with Traitors Legacy ANDREW TAYLOR S. J. Parris begins what promises to be an equally entertaining new series with this novel set in late Elizabethan England THE TIMES A writer who repeatedly proves that she is one of the most stylish of historical crime practitioners FINANCIAL TIMES Readers love Sophia de WolfeTop class historical crime Another fantastic historical thriller from master of the Elizabethan mystery A straight 5* for me! A very compelling novel I highly recommend I loved the characters. The only bad thing I have to say about this book is that it kept me reading way past midnight Sophia De Wolfe is a truly epic character I had very high expectations for this novel. It is excellent. And the even better news it is that this is the first of a new series The richly detailed Elizabethan setting and clever twists kept me hooked from start to finish The murder mystery is layered with political intrigue, keeping you second-guessing every revelation Excellently researched, great plot, beautiful execution. I love the combination of historical menace and a thriller SJ Parris does it again I didnt know who to trust or who to believe the whole way along Another glorious dive into the murky world of Elizabethan spies and lies Loved every minute of this book...

A thrilling new historical crime novella from #1 bestseller S. J. Parris, perfect for fans of C. J. Sansom and Hilary Mantel Venice, 1576. Giordano Bruno, heretic, philosopher and spy, is on the run from the Inquisition. He flees to Venice, but the beautiful city proves no safe haven. The killing of an aristocrat and the arrest of his wife and secretary for murder are causing unrest. When an anonymous letter, written in code, proclaims the womans innocence, the citys chief of intelligence employs Bruno to find the writer. But the death is mired in a tangle of dangerous secrets, and Bruno soon learns there are some very powerful people who will stop at nothing to suppress the truth READERS LOVE S. J. PARRIS Top class historical crime Another fantastic historical thriller from master of the Elizabethan mystery A straight 5* for me! A very compelling novel I highly recommend I loved the characters. The only bad thing I have to say about this book is that it kept me reading way past midnight The richly detailed Elizabethan setting and clever twists kept me hooked from start to finish The murder mystery is layered with political intrigue, keeping you second-guessing every revelation Excellently researched, great plot, beautiful execution. I love the combination of historical menace and a thriller SJ Parris does it again I didnt know who to trust or who to believe the whole way along Another glorious dive into the murky world of Elizabethan spies and lies S. J. Parriss book Traitors Legacy was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 2025-05-12.

The new historical crime thriller, a Sunday Times bestseller, perfect for fans of C. J. Sansom and Hilary MantelPrague, 1588.A COURT IN TURMOILThe court of the Holy Roman Emperor, Rudolf II, is a haven for scientists, astrologers and alchemists. The dream to discover the philosophers stone and attain immortality. But now there are rumours of heresy.A MURDERED ALCHEMISTGiordano Bruno is sent to Prague as a spy for Elizabeth I. He arrives to find the palace in uproar an alchemist has been murdered.AN UNFORGIVING ENEMYOrdered by the emperor to uncover the killer, Bruno must negotiate the jostling factions at court, as well as the religious tensions brewing in the city. And his hunt to track down a murderer soon proves as elusive as the elixir of life itselfPraise for AlchemyThe clever twists and turns of Alchemy are assuredly plotted and Prague, a city in religious and political turmoil, makes for a powerful setting The TimesOver the past dozen years, S. J. Parriss novels have been among the most enjoyable of all historical thrillers Sunday TimesBreathless pace and acutely observed detail make for a story that confounds and surprises ObserverS. J. Parriss book Alchemy was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 03-07-2023

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERINTRODUCING AN INCREDIBLE NEW SERIES FROM THE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING MASTER OF HISTORICAL CRIME, S. J. PARRIS Sophia is a dazzling heroine, and the world of late Elizabethan England brimful of plot and conspiracy, is vividly and thrillingly brought to life LAURA SHEPHERD-ROBINSON Right from the intriguing opening pages everything Parris layers into this Elizabethan crime drama screams bestselling series OBSERVER A new historical crime from S. J. Parris is always cause for celebration but she really has excelled herself with Traitors Legacy ANDREW TAYLOR A writer who repeatedly proves that she is one of the most stylish of historical crime practitioners FINANCIAL TIMES England, 1598. Queen Elizabeths successor remains unnamed. The country teeters on a knife edge. When a young heiress is found murdered at the theatre, the Queens spymaster Robert Cecil calls upon former agent Sophia de Wolfe to investigate. A cryptic note found on the dead girls body connects to Sophias previous life as a spy, and her quest soon takes her into dangerous waters. Powerful enemies emerge, among them the Earl of Essex: the Queens favourite courtier and a man of ruthless ambition. This is a murder that reaches directly into the heart of the court. And Sophia is concealing a deep-buried secret of her own. She must uncover the truth before her past threatens to destroy her. Traitors Legacy was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 12-05-2025 READERS LOVE TRAITORS LEGACYTop class historical crime Another fantastic historical thriller from master of the Elizabethan mystery A straight 5* for me! A very compelling novel I highly recommend I loved the characters. The only bad thing I have to say about this book is that it kept me reading way past midnight Sophia De Wolfe is a truly epic character I had very high expectations for this novel. It is excellent. And the even better news it is that this is the first of a new series The richly detailed Elizabethan setting and clever twists kept me hooked from start to finish The murder mystery is layered with political intrigue, keeping you second-guessing every revelation Excellently researched, great plot, beautiful execution. I love the combination of historical menace and a thriller SJ Parris does it again I didnt know who to t...