S.J.Parris is the pseudonym of Stephanie Merritt. It was as a student at Cambridge researching a paper that Stephanie first became fascinated by the rich history of Tudor England and Renaissance Europe. Since then, her interest has grown and led her to create this series of historical thrillers featuring Giordano Bruno. Stephanie has worked as a critic and feature writer for a variety of newspapers and magazines as well as radio and television. She currently writes for the Observer and the Guardian and lives in Surrey with her son.
<p>"The new 2023 historical thriller in the court of the Holy Roman Emperor in the The No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling series, perfect for fans of C. J. Sansom and The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel</p><p>Prague, 1588.</p><p>A COURT IN TURMOIL</p><p>The Holy Roman Emperor, Rudolf II, wants to expand the boundaries of human knowledge, and his court is a haven for scientists, astrologers and alchemists. His abiding passion is the feverish search for the philosopher’s stone and thus immortality. The Catholic Church fears he has pushed too far, into the forbidden realm of heresy – and the greatest powers in Christendom are concerned about the imperial line of succession.</p><p>A MURDERED ALCHEMIST</p><p>Giordano Bruno is sent to his court by Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth I’s spymaster. His task: to contact the famous English alchemist and mystic John Dee, another of Walsingham’s spies. But Bruno’s arrival in Prague coincides with the brutal murder of a rival alchemist – and John Dee himself has disappeared.</p><p>AN UNFORGIVING ENEMY</p><p>Ordered by the emperor to find the killer, Bruno’s investigations bring him face to face with an old enemy from the Inquisition. But could the real danger lie elsewhere? Amidst the jostling factions at court and the religious tensions brewing in the city, Bruno has to track down a murderer as elusive as the elixir of life itself.</p><p>*SJ Parris was Sunday Times No. 1 Bestseller for Execution the week of 12 July 2020."</p>
