A fascinating debut thriller about a real-life monk who was a poet, scientist, magician, and spy.

England is rife with conspiracies to assassinate Elizabeth I and return the country to Rome—plots that foment in places like the fiercely papist University of Oxford. Giordano Bruno—renegade monk, poet, scientist, and magician—arrives in London, fleeing the Roman Inquisition. Bruno believes that the Earth orbits the sun, and this alone could have him burned at the stake, but he also seeks a lost book of ancient truth, which he believes will end the Wars of Religion.

Bruno is recruited by Elizabeth's spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham, and sent undercover to Oxford, but his mission is thrown off course by a series of grisly murders. Bruno suspects that the murderer is trying to send a message— but what and to whom? Stalking the killer through the shadowy cloisters of the colleges and back streets of Oxford, he soon learns that sometimes even the wisest men cannot tell truth from heresy.

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Praise for Heresy:

“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, New York Times bestselling author of The Poe Shadow and The Dante Club

"Heresy has everything - intrigue, mystery, excellent history and haunting sense of place. The beginning of a wonderful new detective series."
—Kate Mosse, New York Times bestselling author of Labyrinth and Sepulchre

“The famous scientist Giordano Bruno,erupts with volcanic force from the pages of S. J. Parris's spellbinding debut novel, Heresy. Blending the philosophical sleuthing skills of Brother Cadfael with the magic sorcery of Voldemort, Bruno cracks the secret code, unraveling a church conspiracy as deep and dark as that in a Dan Brown novel.”
—Katherine Neville, bestselling author of The Eight and The Fire

"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

“Fascinating . . . The period is incredibly vivid and the story utterly gripping. Cadfael can't hold a candle to this.”
—Conn Iggulden, New York Times bestselling author of The Dangerous Book for Boys and Bones of the Hills

“A rich, dark and utterly gripping tale, paced to perfection and populated with a glorious cast of characters.”
—Mark Mills, bestselling author of The Savage Garden and Amagansett

“Parris interweaves historical fact with psychological insight as Bruno, a humanist dangerously ahead of his time, begins his quest to light the fire of enlightenment in Europe.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“The murders stack up, the pace becomes helter-skelter and the action overloaded as Bruno, in pursuit of a corrupt Jesuit priest, confronts endless perils before justice is finally and bloodily served. Spirited storytelling, an appealing sleuth and a cool, mutilated villain will lead readers to hope this is the launch of a series.”
—Kirkus Reviews