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Book Summary and Reviews of Treachery by S. J. Parris

Treachery by S. J. Parris

Treachery

Giordano Bruno #4

by S. J. Parris

  • Critics' Consensus (5):
  • Published:
  • Dec 2019, 592 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

The new historical thriller featuring Giordano Bruno, heretic, philosopher, and spy, perfect for fans of C. J. Sansom and The Name of the Rose.

August, 1585. A relentless enemy. A treacherous conspiracy. Elizabethan England is on the brink of war. 

Sir Francis Drake is preparing to launch a daring expedition against the Spanish when a murder aboard his ship changes everything.

Giordano Bruno agrees to hunt the killer down, only to find that more than one deadly plot is brewing in Plymouth's murky underworld. And as he tracks a murderer through its dangerous streets, he uncovers a conspiracy that threatens the future of England itself.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"[E]xcellent...This is historical mystery fiction at its finest." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A masterful work that deserves a place on all public-library historical-fiction shelves, and that should be recommended to Phillipa Gregory fans." - Booklist (starred review)

"Parris' fourth Giordano Bruno mystery is long, leisurely, and labyrinthine, written in an ornate formal voice that echoes its era." - Kirkus Reviews

"Hugely enjoyable. It's played straight, but never humourlessly so, and there's just enough 'proper' history amid the intrigue to keep purists on side." - The Guardian (UK)

"There are echoes of C. J. Sansom's here. Her prose is taut and compelling. Her wielding of the historical material is always convincing but never overwhelming." - The Times (UK)

"S. J. Parris is one of my favorite authors, and she is unquestionably our greatest living writer of historical thrillers. Few novelists inhabit a setting―any setting―with such confidence and command; fewer still devise plots of such cunning and craft. If Hilary Mantel, John Le Carré, and Michael Connelly were to join forces, they might gift us with a novel as atmospheric, intelligent, and addictive as Treachery―or indeed any of Parris's books featuring monk-turned-spy Giordano Bruno." - A. J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author

This information about Treachery was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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Author Information

S. J. Parris Author Biography

S. J. Parris is the pseudonym of author and journalist Stephanie Merritt.

Parris first became fascinated by the rich history of Tudor England and Renaissance Europe while researching a paper as a student at Cambridge. Since then, her interest has grown and led her to create this series of historical thrillers featuring Giordano Bruno.

Parris has worked as a critic and feature writer for a variety of newspapers and magazines, as well as radio and television shows. She currently writes for the Observer and the Guardian and is the author of six books.

Stephanie is also a regular speaker and chair at literary events, including the Hay Festival, Edinburgh Book Festival, the National Theatre, Foyles, the British Library, Guardian Live and the Southbank Centre. From 2007-8 she curated and ...

... Full Biography
Author Interview
Link to S. J. Parris's Website

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