Sacrilege

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

In the pursuit of power, nothing is sacred…

Summer, 1584. The Protestant Prince William of Orange has been assassinated by a fanatical Catholic, and there are whispers that Queen Elizabeth will be next. Fear haunts the streets of London, and plague is driving many citizens away.

Giordano Bruno, radical philosopher and spy, chooses to remain, only to find that someone is following him through the city. Confronting his stalker, he realizes it is the woman he once loved – she is on the run, having been accused of murder.

Bruno travels to Canterbury to help clear her name, and also on behalf of Sir Francis Walsingham. The Queen’s spymaster has long suspected Catholic influence in the ancient centre of pilgrimage, and instructs Bruno to work to expose any enemy plots.

As Bruno begins his hunt for the real killer, he is drawn into the heart of a sinister conspiracy hiding in the shadow of England’s holiest shrine…

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