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There are currently 25 member reviews
for Heresy
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Barbara R. (Fort Myers, FL)
Heresey
I enjoy historical mysteries and Heresy did not let me down. Many twists, turns and surprises. I cannot wait for another Giordana Bruno adventure by S.J. Parris.
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Mary R. (Eagan, Minnesota)
Heresy by S.J. Parris
Heresy by Parris is enticing and layered. This is a great book club book! The ending was not at all what I expected and the murderer was not even on my radar. This is a book that brought up questions about politics and religion, love and betrayal, and right and wrong. I kept thinking about how this book relates to today and how people are still fighting about religion. Reading Heresy made me interested in researching more about Giordano Bruno - a complex man who finally met his end at the hands of the Inquisition.
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Theresa W. (Apollo Beach, FL)
Heresy
Fans of historical fiction and mystery novels will find Heresy a successful blend of both genres. King Henry the Eight's lust for Ann Boleyn and a desire for a male heir resulted in a break from the Roman Catholic Church. The result of this action is the background setting for multiple murders at Oxford University in 1583. A possible romantic interest and the hunt for rare manuscripts enhances the plot and keeps the pace moving.
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Marganna K. (Edmonds, WA)
Heresy - a Good, Solid Read
I enjoyed this book - the story line is strong; the characters are well developed and I cared what happened to them. It was suspenseful until the end. Good news bad news: Good: In addition to being an enjoyable book, I learned considerable information about the period of time (1580), Oxford University, the Catholic Church, etc; Bad: it was so story driven and so suspenseful I wouldn't stop reading long enough to research more history and gain additional background of the time period and situations. However, I will pursue the interest the book sparked by reading more history for that time and setting. The author was kind to the reader by NOT filling pages with meaningless "filler". Although there are graphic parts to the novel, I would not classify them as unnecessary. Part of my criteria for giving a book a "good" rating: would I recommend it to book clubs and friends - yes; and if l lost the book, would I seek another one out to finish it - yes; and would I read another book by this author - yes. Good book.
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Cheryl D. (Angola, NY)
Well researched historical fiction....
I am fond of historical mysteries. The book Heresy by S. J. Parris is reminiscent of the books of C. J. Sansom (Dissolution, etc.) and was well researched and interesting. It takes place during the reign of Elizabeth I and involves her spymaster Walsingham. There are a series of murders at Oxford University that must be solved by the main character, based on the real life person of Giordano Bruno. The story dragged in a few places where it became a little too scholarly, but it was mostly fast paced and entertaining.
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Valerie C. (Chico, CA)
Good Historical Fiction
This book reminds me of other historical fiction/mystery novels and is a good representative of the genre. Plot is surprisingly good, and the tale moves along well.
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Nancy O. (Hobe Sound, FL)
A new medieval detective in Tudor England
Heresy is a new book in the realm of Medieval whodunits, with something for every mystery reader: spies, cryptic texts and codes, grisly murders and even a little romance.
While at times it moves rather slowly, with a lot of historical detail & debate thrown in, at the last part of the book the action picks up, the story unravels and all is made known. Throughout, the author's writing is very good, although I think she spent more time on plot rather than on her characters.
My understanding is that this is the first of a planned series, and hopefully the author will flesh out the ongoing characters a bit more. However, I liked this book, both for plot and writing. I'd recommend it to people who like CJ Sansom's Tudor era-based books, and to those who like historical mysteries in general, and people interested in the history of religion in England and Europe during the Tudor period.
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