Heresy

By: S. J. Parris

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Masterfully blending true events with fiction, this blockbuster historical thriller delivers a compelling murder mystery set on the sixteenth-century Oxford University campus.

Giordano Bruno was a monk, poet, scientist, and magician on the run from the Roman Inquisition on charges of heresy for his belief that the Earth orbits the sun and that the universe is infinite. This alone could have got him burned at the stake, but he was also a student of occult philosophies and magic. In S. J. Parris's gripping novel, Bruno's pursuit of this rare knowledge brings him to London, where he is unexpectedly recruited by Queen Elizabeth I and is sent undercover to Oxford University on the pretext of a royal visitation. Officially Bruno is to take part in a debate on the Copernican theory of the universe; unofficially, he is to find out whatever he can about a Catholic plot to overthrow the queen. His mission is dramatically thrown off course by a series of grisly murders and a spirited and beautiful young woman. As Bruno begins to discover a pattern in these killings, he realizes that no one at Oxford is who he seems to be. Bruno must attempt to outwit a killer who appears obsessed with the boundary between truth and heresy.

Like The Dante Club and The Alienist, this clever, sophisticated, exceptionally enjoyable novel is written with the unstoppable narrative propulsion and stylistic flair of the very best historical thrillers.

©2010 S.J. Parris (P)2010 Random House

Critic reviews

“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

Matthew Shardlake series is a hard act to follow.

And maybe that's why this book just didn't grab me. The narration actually kept my attention but I just found it to be lackluster. I love historical mysteries and other series I really enjoy are Poldark, Shardlake mysteries, and Sam Burnell's books. I can't put my finger on why this novel didn't enthrall me. I was rather bored with it for some reason.

Wasted John Lee's talent. Unoriginal & uninspired.

Sorry, fans. I didn't enjoy anything about this book, except John Lee (who is a genius). There were few twists that couldn't be seen from a mile away.
They call this a "historical thriller," but I can't agree on either account. The only really historical thing about it is that it is set in years past, in a location that existed, and references people who really lived. It's also not very thrilling. I actually fell asleep a couple times and had to rewind the book. That doesn't happen to me, typically, and should be taken as a testament to my level of boredom.
If you like historical fiction that takes fictional people, inserts them into historical places and circumstances, and tells history from their point of view, this is MOST CERTAINLY not a book for you.
Requesting my credit back on this one!