Sacrilege - Hardcover

Parris, S. J.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0385535473 ISBN 13: 9780385535472

Publisher: Doubleday, 2012

Synopsis

A gripping historical thriller set in sixteenth-century England and centered on the highly secretive cult of Saint Thomas Becket, the twelfth-century archbishop murdered in Canterbury Cathedral.

London, summer of 1584: Radical philosopher, ex-monk, and spy Giordano Bruno suspects he is being followed by an old enemy. He is shocked to discover that his pursuer is in fact Sophia Underhill, a young woman with whom he was once in love. When Bruno learns that Sophia has been accused of murdering her husband, a prominent magistrate in Canterbury, he agrees to do anything he can to help clear her name.

In the city that was once England's greatest center of pilgrimage, Bruno begins to uncover unsuspected secrets that point to the dead man being part of a larger and more dangerous plot in the making. He must turn his detective's eye on history—on Saint Thomas Becket, the twelfth-century archbishop murdered in Canterbury Cathedral, and on the legend surrounding the disappearance of his body—in order to solve the crime.

As Bruno's feelings for Sophia grow more intense, so does his fear that another murder is about to take place—perhaps his own. But more than Bruno's life is at stake in this vividly rendered, impeccably researched, and addictively page-turning whodunit—the stability of the kingdom hangs in the balance as Bruno hunts down a brutal murderer in the shadows of England's most ancient cathedral.

About this title

Review:

Praise for S. J. Parris:

· ‘Impossible to resist ... Parris creates a convincing sense of the past, woven with so much intrigue that the head fairly spins’ Daily Telegraph

· ‘It has everything – intrigue, mystery and excellent history’ Kate Mosse

· ‘Parris writes with confident ease of Tudor London ... The dialogue balances nicely on a tightrope of period phrases and cut-to-the-chase colloquialisms. More, please’ The Times

· ‘Full of surprises ... an imaginatively satisfying addition to the many real intrigues surrounding the imprisoned Mary Stuart and the threats to Elizabeth’s security’ TLS

· ‘Fascinating ... The period is incredibly vivid and the story utterly gripping’ Conn Iggulden

· ‘A brilliantly unusual glimpse at the intrigues surrounding Queen Elizabth I’ Andrew Taylor, bestselling author of The American Boy

About the Author:

S. J. PARRIS is the pseudonym of Stephanie Merritt. Since graduating from Cambridge she has worked as a critic and feature writer for a variety of newspapers and magazines as well as for radio and television. She currently writes for The Observer and The Guardian and is the author of five books.

About this edition

• Publisher: Doubleday
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0385535473
• ISBN 13: 9780385535472
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 432