Heresy (Giordano Bruno, #1)

Title: Heresy (Giordano Bruno, #1)

Author: S.J. Parris

Published in: 2010

Date read: 31st January 2024

Score: 4/5

Genre: Historical fiction, Mystery

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Heresy" by S.J. Parris (pseudonym for Stephanie Merritt) is the first novel in the "Giordano Bruno" historical mystery series. Set in 16th-century Europe, it introduces the real-life philosopher, former Dominican friar, and occultist Giordano Bruno as an unlikely detective.

The year is 1583. Bruno, who has fled Italy to escape the Inquisition for his radical theological and philosophical views (including his belief in an infinite universe and multiple worlds), finds himself in England. He has sought refuge and patronage at the court of Queen Elizabeth I. However, his presence is met with suspicion and hostility, particularly from powerful figures like Francis Walsingham, the Queen's spymaster.

Bruno is attempting to present his latest work to Elizabeth I when he is reluctantly drawn into a sinister plot at Oxford University. A young, brilliant scholar at Exeter College, Henry Percy (the "Wizard Earl" of Northumberland), has been found dead, apparently from suicide. However, Bruno, with his sharp intellect and an eye for hidden details, suspects foul play. The authorities, particularly the staunchly Protestant university officials, are quick to dismiss it as a self-inflicted death by a troubled young man.

As Bruno begins to discreetly investigate, he uncovers a nest of intrigue, religious fanaticism, and dangerous secrets within the hallowed halls of Oxford. He navigates a world rife with religious tensions – the lingering conflict between Catholics and Protestants, the fear of Jesuit infiltration, and the persecution of those deemed heretics. He encounters a range of characters, from zealous Puritan academics to cunning Catholic sympathisers and suspicious scholars.

Bruno's investigation reveals that Percy's death is just the beginning. Other scholars and academics are dying under suspicious circumstances, and it soon becomes clear that a ruthless killer is targeting those involved in forbidden studies or holding dangerous political and religious views. The murders are often staged to look like accidents or suicides, but Bruno sees the pattern.

The stakes are raised when the Queen herself plans to visit Oxford, placing immense pressure on Bruno to uncover the truth quickly. He uses his knowledge of philosophy, his keen observational skills, and his understanding of human nature (and its darker impulses) to piece together the puzzle. The novel delves into the scientific and philosophical debates of the era, the political conspiracies surrounding the Queen, and the ever-present threat of the Inquisition and religious extremism.

The climax sees Bruno confronting the true culprit, whose motives are deeply rooted in fanaticism and a desire to purge perceived heresy from the university. "Heresy" is a meticulously researched and atmospheric historical mystery that vividly brings the Elizabethan era to life, with its intellectual ferment, political paranoia, and chilling religious dogmatism.

Comments:
I picked up a book that is later in this series from a charity shop and it was not until I got home that I found out that it was later through a series. I tracked this one down and am so glad that I did. A murder mystery in Elizabethan England with secret Catholicism rife...what is not to love. I am keeping an eye out for the missing ones.

Books that we've read by S.J. Parris (1):
Heresy (Giordano Bruno, #1) (2010)