Heresy

The first book in the No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling series following Giordano Bruno, set at the time of Queen Elizabeth I 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… 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 '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)

‘Heresy has everything – intrigue, mystery, excellent history and haunting sense of place. The beginning of a wonderful new detective series’ Kate Mosse ‘Fascinating … The period is incredibly vivid and the story utterly gripping’ Conn Iggulden (bestselling author of Bones of the Hills and The Dangerous Book for Boys) ‘Heresy is a riveting read. Rich in both historical detail and ingenious twists, S J Parris has created a character in Giordano Bruno that will endure. A true rival to C J Sansom’ Sam Bourne (bestselling author of The Righteous Men) ‘Heresy is a must-read for every fan of historical thrillers. S. J. Parris transports the reader back to an extraordinary time in history by mobilizing fascinating details, suspense, and fully-drawn characters. Giordano Bruno turns out to be that rare hero, charismatic and nuanced enough to impel an encore, and to leave us asking for more from the gifted Parris’ Matthew Pearl (author of The Dante Club) 'Parris paces her yarn perfectly' Daily Telegraph 'An atmospheric and well-written historical thriller' Guardian 'Parris succeeds where much historical fiction fails' Observer 'The places and people are vividly described with a merciful absence of period language, and the solution to this exciting, well-written tale comes as a real surprise' Literary Review

No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller S. J. Parris is the pseudonym of the author and journalist Stephanie Merritt. It was as a student at Cambridge researching a paper on the period 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 has also written the contemporary psychological thriller While You Sleep under her own name. She currently writes for the Observer and the Guardian, and lives in Surrey with her son.