Execution

Another enjoyable read from Parris. Bruno returns to England and works for Walsingham again. Although it is slightly formulaic and it was obvious early on about Clara's death, it is still a good read for any fans of historical conspiracy.

Once again the continuing story of Giordano Bruno is fantastically written and true to the history of the time. This series just gets better and better even though some of us know how the series will end. The historical content is fantastic and as the books are set against a turbulent time in our History you almost can believe you are there experiencing it all. I am waiting with great anticipation for the next in this wonderful series.

This was the first, but hopefully not the last book in this well established series that I will read.

Excellently researched and exceptionally well written S J Parris has invented a wonderful everyman hero in the heretic cleric Giordano Bruno who at the behest of Elizabeth's spy master Walsingham now immerses himself in the Babington plot to put Mary Queen of Scots upon the English throne.

History buffs will know exactly how things turn out but the book still makes these events come to life and there is much scheming and intrigue as Bruno becomes an informer infiltrated into the plotters' gang.

An exciting, entertaining and thought provoking read.

Another of S.J. Parris' excellent reads. Once again Bruno is caught up in the protestant/ catholic underground war in another attempt to free Mary Queen of the Scots and Walsingham doing everything to persuade Queen Elizabeth to have Mary executed. Bruno has to work with the conspirators but who can he trust? In the same vein as Sansom and in my opinion just as good and I read it in just about 2 days - a real page turner. Recommend most highly.

I've really enjoyed the books in this series so far and this book was no different. I was worried that I wouldn't remember enough of the last book (its been awhile) to pick up the story but I needn't of worried, any events that are important to this book was recapped without you even noticing and the story itself is pretty much standalone. The amount of historical detail is always amazing in this series, the author has obviously done a lot of research. The characters are complex and interesting, I really connect with and root for Bruno though there are moments that I'm thinking 'what are you doing? You idiot Bruno!' His relationship with Sophia is a unending annoyance to me, they bring out the worst in each other, I wish he would move on. I loved the spy/undercover aspect of the story, you never knew when he was going to be found out (some of his actions didn't help with that). There is a lot of sexist remarks from men in this but that's true to the time and the main character doesn't have that view, it also has some great female characters. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes historical mysteries.

Bruno, the excommunicated Italian Dominican friar is back in fine form. He has been spending time in Paris, but yearns for England and his work with Walsingham - the spymaster protector of Queen Elizabeth I. He gets his chance when he is asked to impersonate a Spanish priest - Prado - who is coming to England to join a plot to execute Elizabeth, free her cousin Mary Queen of Scots, and place Mary on the throne of England as the true Catholic queen.

I've enjoyed all the books in this series so far and this is no exception. There are plenty of twists and turns and the first person narration works well to take us on the suspenseful journey with Bruno. He meets up with his old love Sophia along the way as well as other old friends and enemies. Highly recommended.

Thank you to S J Parris and Netgalley for my ARC of EXECUTION.
This is the first book I have read in this series. The amazing research is expertly interspersed with the premise, the execution of the fifty-five year old Queen Elizabeth to make way for Mary Queen of Scots to assume what she and her followers think is her rightful place on the throne of England. This is richly layered and excellent take on the Babington plot. Brilliant. I loved it.

This is the sixth novel of S J Parris to feature the sixteenth-century philosopher, mathematician, poet, astronomical theorist, occultist and one-time Dominican friar, Giordano Bruno. This novel makes good use of the fact that it has also been suggested that the Giordano Bruno of history worked as a spy for Sir Francis Walsingham, the Secretary of State to Queen Elizabeth I, while living in England in the 1580s.

This fast-paced novel begins with Bruno coming to England, from Paris, in 1586 to deliver to Francis Walsingham news of a plot by a group of Catholic Englishmen to kill Queen Elizabeth, and replace her on the throne with the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots currently held prisoner at Chartley Manor in Staffordshire.

Bruno soon discovers that Walsingham is well aware of the plot and is himself planning to use these Catholic plotters, nominally led by the wealthy young nobleman Thomas Babington, in an attempt to encourage Mary Queen of Scots to put her support in writing and so implicate herself in the plot enough to make certain of her own execution when Walsingham springs his trap and arrests the conspirators.

Bruno is sent undercover by Walsingham to pose as a Catholic priest to report on the progress of the plot and to investigate the murder of a young woman Walsingham had previously sent to spy on the conspirators.

Of course, the Babington Plot is a well-known event in Elizabethan history and there can be little in the way of suspense for the reader regarding the final outcome of the plot. There is, however, a good deal of suspense once Bruno is operating undercover with the plotters and constantly in danger of being discovered. In addition to Bruno himself a number of the main characters in this story are real historical figures not least Francis Walsingham who is shown to be a complex figure seemingly capable of both kindness and compassion as well as professional ruthlessness. His cryptanalyst, Thomas Phelippes, who is convincingly portrayed as a brilliant, but socially awkward, cryptographer acts as Bruno’s handler when he goes undercover.

Naturally a number of the conspirators also feature in the novel. In addition to Thomas Babington, the brilliant and driven Jesuit priest, John Ballard, is clearly the real leader of this murderous enterprise. There are also some very strong female characters and while the social attitudes must necessarily reflect those of the Elizabethan era several of the characters, including Bruno himself, are shown to have in some respects at least more modern attitudes.

This novel has clearly been written by someone with a deep knowledge and understanding of the period and who is more than capable of effortlessly using that knowledge to create a convincing representation of London at that time against which to present this very enjoyable Elizabethan thriller. Highly recommended.

I would like to express my thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for making a free download of this book available to me.

It was such a pleasure to return to this series. Bruno is a great protagonist – he has many admirable qualities and interesting traits but he’s fallible and therefore believable. There’s an added frisson in knowing that he was a real person and that the story is woven around real events – in this case, the Babington Plot to assassinate Elizabeth I and put Mary Queen of Scots on the English throne.
I’d forgotten just how good Steph Merritt’s writing is. Descriptive without being too flowery, it immerses you in the noise and filth of sixteenth century London. I enjoyed the previous book, Conspiracy, set in Paris but it was good to be back on home soil. I love imagining London as it was then, trying to fit it in my mind with what remains.
Despite the fairly wide cast of characters, it’s easy to keep track of who’s who because they’re so well drawn. The dialogue feels authentic, and the nods to future events subtle rather than clunky. There’s only one problem with reading an excellent book like this ahead of publication – there’s too long to wait for the next instalment!

After absorbing the action-man aspect to historical figure, Giordano Bruno, I got utterly caught up in the machinations of spies and Catholic/Protestant plotting so vividly rendered in this novel set in Tudor England .. revolving around real history is always distracting because I keep trying to remember what historical reports purporting to be real in history books I read .. I mean, Bruno was killed by his church enemies for his religious writings finally, and there were only rumours he was a spy.. probably unfounded. Characters and action in this novel are terrifically and plausibly set out .. and I'll seek out more in this series which I've been eyeing for a long time. It's great!!

Given a copy of this in exchange for an honest review .I was delighted to get this as have read all of S J Parris' Giordano Bruno novels and looked forward to any addition to he series.Set during the reign of Elizabeth 1 against a background of plots and conspiracies to replace the Protestant Elizabeth with the Catholic Mary Stuart.
Bruno an Italian ex Dominican brother who left Italy on the run from the Spanish Inquisition.This time he is sent by the queens secretary Walsingham to investigate the brutal murder of a friend of his daughters..He also has to impersonate a captured spanish priest who its believed is involved in a plot against the queen.
There follows an investigation labyrinthine in its complications more murders and brutal treatment.The books give a remarkable picture of Elizabethan London you can almost smell the stench and you imagine the squalor those unfortunates not born to money or property lived in and it is easy to understand the reasons for the low life expectancy of he times.
The book like the previous ones is a thrilling page turner if you like historical fiction ,brilliantly researched and brilliantly written you've probably already read SJ Parris if not you've a treat in store.

Hurray!!! Giordano Bruno is back! This time he becomes involved with the events around Mary Queen of Scots and the Babbington plot. If you are missing the Shardlake Series by CJ Samson which have sadly come to an end then you should take a look at this series about an ex monk "detective" set in Elizabethan (rather than Henry VIII) times. This narrative for this outing really zips along, the series seems to just get better. I really like the intrigue and mystery around Mary, Queen of Scots attempts to free herself from prisoner and plot against Elizabeth and the plot of this novel does not disappoint. Very gripping. A real page turner. So enjoyable. Write more!

Such a pleasure to read the latest offering in this well researched and wonderful series! Giordano Bruno, is back in London and working for Sir Francis Walsingham, in the guise of a Roman Catholic priest, trying to infiltrate the Babington plotters and get information about the conspiracy to assassinate Queen Elizabeth and put Queen Mary Stuart on the English throne.
Bruno cannot stay out of trouble! He constantly falls into plots, gets beaten up on a regular basis, is always first on the scene when a dead body is found, is either climbing over walls, breaking down doors and creates hostility and suspicion from the native English folk, on account of being a swarthy foreigner. Sadly for Bruno, he is usually disappointed in love. He meets an old flame, but due to his investigations, has to ignore her presence, only to hear later, that she is not interested in a relationship with him!
The research in this series of books is brilliant. I have been reading books about Mary Stuart for forty years, and because I knew this story so well, I could concentrate upon the mishaps of Bruno and his friends. Anthony Babington and John Ballard were actual characters, likewise Walsingham, and the smell and lifestyle in Tudor London was well portrayed.
My only complaint was that the conclusion seemed rushed. It was almost like the author couldn't decide whether to stretch this story into a few more pages, or a new book, but the jump from the identity of the murderer to the traitors deaths weren't fully explained, nor, how the conspiracy was discovered and what the consequences were for both Elizabeth and Mary. There were some very strong and likeable characters in this story, and I did so enjoy this book! The only trouble is, I now have to wait such a long time for the next one to be completed!! Thank you for my advance copy, I am so very grateful. I will post a review to Goodreads this evening.

I loved this book, and couldn't put it down. I haven't read any other Giordano Bruno books, but will definitely seek them out now. The story is gripping and compelling, and the characters well-drawn. The author conjures up a real sense of 16th century England, and even though the characters sound modern, this doesn't seem like an anachronism. Even though everyone knows the outcome of the Babington plot there is still a real tension to the story. I would thoroughly recommend this book.

I loved this. So much to enjoy. The period and the characters are beautifully drawn and the story romps along with intrigue, plotting and double dealing. I will be reading others by this author. Highly recommended.

Having read the previous Giordano Bruno books by SJ Parris I was keen to read her latest in this historical fiction series and it did not disappoint. This is a stand alone tale as the author provides enough contextual information about Bruno and the other key characters to answer readers' questions. However it is also a great continuation of the series. This time Bruno, an excommunicated Dominican monk, has returned to England from France hoping to find peace and sponsorship to write his philosophical texts. In order to achieve this he finds himself involved in spying on a group who are plotting to assassinate Queen Elizabeth and replace her on the throne with Queen Mary, currently imprisoned by Elizabeth. The two queens are only alluded to in the story and although they are of relevance to the plot they do not feature as characters but rather as symbols of belief systems. Few of the characters in the book are straightforward - double dealing, disguise, false names and secrets abound. The action is fast-paced and the main character is helped along the way by strong and well portrayed women and children. Although set nearly five hundred years ago many of the themes in the book are contemporary issues such as distrust of foreigners, religious prejudice and bigotry, sexism and homophobia. Parris weaves commentary on these issues throughout the text without in any way preaching. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction and also to those who enjoy a thrilling read. I look forward to the next in the series. I received a complimentary ARC of this book from the publisher via Net Galley in return for an honest review .

Another fabulous and gripping read from S.J. Parris. This is book 6 featuring Giordano Bruno and is even more enthralling than the other 5, brilliantly written and researched....I could smell those streets of London! A totally thrilling and unputdownable read....more please!!

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

I’ve enjoyed all of the Bruno series so far, so I had perhaps ridiculously high expectations for this book. It absolutely did not disappoint. I wondered whether the Babington plot was such well worn territory that there was nothing new to say but the focus was very quickly on who was on what side and this was so skillfully done that it kept me guessing right to the end. It was so compelling that I read the second half of the book in a day. In fact I was delighted my train was delayed as it gave me the opportunity to finish it uninterrupted! I wholeheartedly recommend this book and will eagerly await more myself.

SJ Pariss is such an acclaimed and successful author I was very delighted to be given early access. I loved it it completely absorbed me for a delicious weekend during rubbish Irish weather!!

Thank you for enhancing my education and giving me a massive early gift

The story opens in July 1586. Elizabeth Tudor is the queen of England, a Protestant England, and Mary Stuart is under house arrest at Chartley Manor, Staffordshire. Mary wants the throne of England which she and many others believe is her right and this will open the way to restoring the 'true faith', Catholicism.
There is another plot afoot to kill Elizabeth and enthrone Mary. There have been many such plots all have failed due to the tireless work of Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth's principal secretary and 'spymaster' and his network of informers and code breakers.
This is a book where, if we know our history, the outcome is no mystery. Nevertheless there is a vey good medieval detective story contained within the overall assassination plot.
In reading this book I was completely immersed in the everyday life of 16th century squalid London. The sights, the sounds and especially the smells of the people and places and the vast amount of geographical detail is a tribute to the research done by the author.
I read this as a Kindle edition which helped enormously with understanding the many archaic words used.
This is a thoroughly good read but for those of a squeamish nature you might want to close your eyes when you read of the traitors' execution. (Get it?)

I was sent a copy of Execution by S.J. Parris to read and review by NetGalley.
Another cracking good read from S.J. Parris with Giordano Bruno at the helm. Full of intrigue and twists and turns the story concerns a plot by conspirators to murder Queen Elizabeth and put Mary Queen of Scots on the throne. We meet some familiar characters in the story and a whole host of others, with much dealing and double-dealing going on, while the author evocatively portrays the London of the time. I have to admit there was a moment when I guessed without meaning to the truth regarding one of the intrigues, but that didn’t mar my enjoyment of the book as a whole. There is plenty of tension – and gore – and everything picks up a pace towards the end, just as a good thriller should! I was toying between giving this novel 4 or 5 stars but in the end it’s a story that keeps you reading and as there is no option of 4 ½ stars 5 it is!

The latest in the Giordano Bruno series, although the story can easily be read as a standalone piece.

It is 1586 and plotting continues against Elizabeth. Bruno seines his opportunity to place himself again at the service of Walsingham and infiltrate a group intent on the despatch of the queen and the promotion of Mary Queen of Scots to the throne.

Bruno is as resourceful as ever and has a helpful assistant in young Ben, a street urchin. There is danger and deceit and Bruno suffers his usual regular beatings. The pace is steady and the plotting (by the author not by the conspirators) is well constructed and satisfying. There is less focus on Bruno's beliefs than in previous novels and the search for heretical manuscripts appears all but forgotten.

Massively entertaining and possibly the best yet in the series.

I've been a fan of Bruno for a number of years now and as he gets older all of his struggles become ever more poignant as you know what ultimately happens to him.

For those of you who are unaware of this Bruno is based on a real life character who is ultimately burned to death by the inquisition. It's why this novel based around the Babbington plot is particularly relevant to what ultimately will befall Bruno.

SJ Parris is so clever in they way she weaves people in and out of the plot. The misdirection and characterisation.

Such a clever book and one that brings to life the fervid and fetid world of religious extremism and what people will do in the name of god.

Impeccably researched, and carrying off the rare feat of bringing the period to life without an over emphasis on detail to show the amount of research the author has done and clogging up the narrative.

This is the first book I have read by SJ Parris and I wish I had discovered this series earlier. I am a fan of CJ Sansom Shardlake series and enjoy this genre set in the reign of Elizabeth the first. Although there are lots of characters and the plot is fairly complex this was an enjoyable read . Time for me to read the rest in this series.

Giordano Bruno, a heretic turned spy, arrives in England with shocking information for spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham. A band of Catholic Englishmen are plotting to kill Queen Elizabeth and spring Mary Queen of Scots from prison to take the English throne in her place. Bruno is surprised to find that Walsingham is aware of the plot, led by the young, wealthy noble Anthony Babington, and is allowing it to progress. He hopes that Mary will put her support in writing – and condemn herself to a traitor's death. Bruno is tasked with going undercover to join the conspirators. Can he stop them before he is exposed? Either way a queen will die; Bruno must make sure it is the right one.

After I finished reading this I bought the entire preceding set of SJ Parris novels and am hoarding them for my summer holiday reading. 'Execution' grabbed me from the outset. and pulled me in to Elizabeth I's London - the squalor of the city and the sharp, dangerous brightness of the royal court. It was an exciting murder mystery which had me guessing at every chapter and I loved every page of it.

Absolutely brilliant. Parris's novels are all so beautifully written, invoking real atmosphere and connection with the times.
His characterisation is so good - he uses a light touch, yet every personality has depth and we are able to understand not only our hero's motivations, but the passions (strange as they might seem to us) that drive every individual we meet.
This was a fascinating era in English history, and we know a great deal about the monarchy and aristocracy and their stories, but so little is said about the common man - his fears, dreams, way of life and beliefs. These novels give us a deeper understanding of society in the teeming streets of London and not only in the palaces.
A fast-paced read, demanding late nights and the casting away of household chores until the book is done. Loved it, can't wait for the next!

i haven't read previous books in the series, but as this is one of my favourite periods of history , I enjoyed it as a standalone. Mixing fact and fiction is always great fun and makes for a fascinating read.

This was another excellent read from the writer. I find Parris' books very remarkable in historical mystery and this was no exception.
I loved the story, the pace, and characterization. I was completely hooked from beginning to end.
If you like the genre, this is one not to miss.

Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

I read other books in this series and always loved them, this one was no exception.
Even if the book Giordano Bruno is a bit different from the historical one, I love how he is written and I find him an interesting and well thought characters.
The plot is engrossing and entertaining, there's a lot historical research and you can note them in the details and in the vivid historical background.
The mix of fiction and historical facts works well and creates an interesting and entertaining plot.
I liked the well thought cast of characters and I loved the mystery side of this story.
I can't wait to read the next instalment.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This book is part of a series but reads equally well as a stand alone novel. I always enjoy books that teach you history incidentally, and this book does exactly that. The tension between Catholics and the Church of England is perfectly encapsulated. The characters are very well drawn out, and not too many that you forget who’s who. And unlike some novels set in this period, there are some excellent female characters too. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.

My thanks to HarperCollins U.K. for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Execution’ by S.J. Parris in exchange for an honest review. Its publication was originally planned for late April though due to Covid-19 has been rescheduled for 09 July.

However, I was pleased to find that its audiobook edition, narrated by Daniel Philpott, was available now. So, I bought a copy and listened alongside reading the eARC for an immersive experience.

This is the sixth in Parris’ series of historical mysteries set in Elizabethan England featuring ex-priest turned spy Giordano Bruno. I had read the first book in the series, ‘Heresy’, some years ago and found it excellent. I had intended to continue with the series though the vision problems that I had until 2018 curtailed my reading.

Still as I was familiar with the premise of the series and its historical setting, it didn’t prove at all difficult to read this out of order. In addition, enough background was provided for new readers to the series.

In ‘Execution’ set in 1586, Bruno returns from Paris with intelligence for Sir Francis Walsingham about a new Catholic conspiracy to murder Queen Elizabeth and place Mary, Queen of Scots on the English throne.

It turns out that Walsingham is already aware of the plot, led by the young, wealthy noble Anthony Babington, and is intending to allow it to progress with the hope that Mary will put her support in writing, which would allow her to be charged with treason and executed.

At Walsingham’s bidding Bruno agrees to go undercover with the conspirators by impersonating a Spanish Jesuit that they are expecting to join them. In addition to reporting on the group, Walsingham wants Bruno to discover who murdered Clara, a close friend of Walsingham’s daughter. Clara had previously infiltrated the group joining her half-brother, Robin, to spy for Walsingham.

This was an excellent work of historical fiction. Parris is drawing upon historical events, such as the Babington Plot and her protagonist, Bruno, is also a notable historical figure. So these fictional events play out against this historical backdrop.

It was easy to feel immersed in Parris’ London. Aside from it being meticulously researched, she creates a strong sense of immediacy through the sights, sounds, and smells of the city. The limited roles for women in Elizabethan society was especially highlighted.

I was intrigued by the introduction of Leila Humeya, an Arabic woman working as a healer and midwife in Southwark. She makes a spectacular entrance by aiming a crossbow at Bruno’s face when he follows a boy he wants to question into her medicinal herb garden.

Overall, I have nothing but praise for S.J. Parris and plan to read the previous novels in this excellent series while waiting for news of Book 7.

Highly recommended.

Thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining Elizabethan thriller. Execution is a marvellous, gripping drama set at the time of the Babington conspiracy. It follows the book's hero Giordano Bruno as he works alongside Elizabethan spy master Francis Walsingham to solve a murder and infiltrate the would-be regicides as the plot to kill Elizabeth I and put Mary Queen of Scots in the throne.
The story is fast-paced and replete with fascinating detail.
From the brothels of Southwark to Whitehall Palace itself, the story leads the reader through the warrens of London's street, meticulously recreating Elizabethan love in intricate detail. The research, of the plot and the times, is impeccable.
The characters are wonderfully vivid - full of life and experience.
This is a fabulous novel, an engaging and entertaining read. Thrilling!

I think this might be the best in the series so far. Walsingham at his most enigmatic and Bruno with a mixture of bravery, charm and determination managing to survive everything thrown at him. As always, the characters are three dimensional and engaging. This is well paced, well written and well researched. I really enjoyed reading this book and would thoroughly recommend it for anyone who enjoys historical fiction without inaccuracies or anachronisms.

After being exiled to Paris, Giordano Bruno is recalled by Walsingham to help in an audacious endeavour. There is another plot against the life of Queen Elisabeth but Walsingham wants it to progress to allow Mary, Queen of Scots, to implicate herself and therefore be guilty of treason. Bruno is asked to infiltrate the plotters in the guise of a priest and also to investigate the death of Walsingham’s daughter’s friend.

This is another cracking tale from Parris. Her novels combine all that is best about historical fiction, a believable protagonist, a twisty and clever plot which is grounded in truth, a fantastic cast of characters with mercurial ideas and an amazing sense of time and place. Here the lives of women are brought to the fore, the frustrated noblewomen who are not allowed to do anything, the bright but poor and the woman who can do no more than be whores. Add this to a story which races along and you have a great read.

When in doubt read a Tudor Whodunit. Giordano Bruno was my first Tudor detective and remains my favourite. Execution sees him back in London in the service of Walsingham plunged headlong into the Babbington plot with a side order of murder to contend with. Parris paints a vivid picture of the smells, sounds and geography of Tudor London with a generous dollop of romance on top. Excellent page turning stuff.

Set in Elizabethan England, this is a brilliant series - historically accurate, pacy and exciting. Giordano Bruno is back in England and under the direction of Sir Francis Walsingham, spymaster to the Queen. He is given a difficult and dangerous assignment, but with French dogs snapping at his heels, he is pleased to be able to serve in England once more.

The story is well written and flows really well. The author paints a great picture of the time, and writes in a humorous and interesting style. Bruno is portrayed in a sympathetic manner, and his character shines through.

A great read, I really enjoyed it and can't wait for more.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Have loved all the Giordano Bruno books they are full of character intrigue and danger, and puts you back into the 16th century when life was very hard, and women were thought of as trophies that were owned, and Elizabeth 1 on the throne and her cousin Mary Queen of Scots who is always plotting against her and Elizabeth very reluctant to put her head on the block. Starts when Bruno heretic former monk comes back from France and is in dire need to see Walsingham who he spies for as he has important information about Mary and another plot against the Queen, but being an Italian has it disadvantages as many think he is a Spaniard and they would like any excuse to start a war with England. After a sticky start, he gets to Walsingham to find Walsingham's daughter who is married to Sidney who Bruno has great affection for and has had many adventures with informs him that her friend has been murdered and wants Bruno to investigate which put her father who works for the queen at odds with him. Turns out she was going on a mission to pick something for Walsingham when she was brutely murdered, and Walsingham does ask Bruno to go undercover for him to see if he can get news and information that Mary is conspiring to murder Elizabeth and if they can get written acknowledgment then that constitutes Treason and it's your head, literally, at the same time to see who is a traitor and who is for the cause., what cause? to free Mary or to keep Elizabeth on the throne. The description in the written word is colourful and you can almost see and feel the streets of London in that era only protection is a knife sword or a gun but that is basic as once it's been used takes time to reload, so wit and a sharp mind may keep you safe. Well done S J Parris for good penmanship and written entertainment, brilliant piece of work, and I thank Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for an ARC copy to review.

Pacy and intricately put together this merger of fact and fiction revolving around Elizabeth 1, Mary Queen of Scots, and the Babington Plot drives Giordano Bruno, reluctantly, to assume an identity and infiltrate said plotters. Possibly connected he also is tasked with solving a murder and the mix of the two leads us to a toe curling finale. As atmospheric as ever it it really creates the scene in the minds eye. A must read series if ever there was one and my thanks to Harper Collins and Net Galley for the opportunity to review.

It must be very difficult to write a gripping historical thriller where everyone knows what the outcome was. But this author has done precisely that. Execution has a strong plot and many satisfying twists along the way. It was a very difficult book to put down. Parris' character Giodarno Bruni is sent undercover, to infiltrate a plot against Elizabeth Tudor, and to also investigate the murder of another of Walsingham's agents. I have not read any other of S J Parris's works but on the strength of this book I most certainly shall.

I was delighted to read this book which I realise is part of a series set in Elizabethan England of 1586 and to be introduced to the character of Giordano Bruno, an Italian who was once a Dominican Friar and is renowned for his writing on philosphy as well as his interest in mathematics and astronomy. Although i had not read of his previous exploits in the undercover world of the spy network organised by Sir Frances Walsingham I realised that he had been living in Paris after exposing a previous plot against Queen Elizabeth and as this novel begins he is once more asked to help uncover a plot that Walsingham hopes will allow Mary, Queen of Scots to betray herself, so that she will go to the scaffold for execution - hence the title of the novel. Throw into the plot a host of Catholic nobles under Anthony Babington plus some double agents who Walsingham controls by various ways and the scene is set for a great story.
S. J. Parris brings the London of Elizabethan times to life that one can almost smell and see the streets and one is made aware of how cheap life was in those days. Bruno has to undertake his role as a Spanish priest called Prado sent by the King of Spain with money to support the overthrow and death of Elizabeth. He arrives to meet the plotters in a gaudy silk outfit (the priest's disguise as a merchant) that has been obtained by Walshingham from original Prado who is held in the cellars under Walsingham's house. Add to this the fact that Bruno has been tasked also to find out who killed Clara, his daughter's best friend and previously his ward. The tale enfolds with lots of action, coded messages as well as threats inside the Plotters' group by one of the protangonists, Ballard and his side-kick. Definitely the sort of story that grips the reader from the first page.

I started this straight off the back of one of the best books ive read in a long time, so it faced an uphill battle. The fact that i finished it two days later and loved it tells you how very good this was.

I've enjoyed every book in the Bruno series so far, and this was comfortably the best yet. Set around the final days of the Babington plot to put Mary Queen of Scots on the throne, Parris weaves a brilliant tale of murder and mystery in Elizabethan London. What initially appears to be a book set to deal with one of the great plots of Elizabeth's reign - instead a story unfolds of personal loss and grief, of individual characters playing out against the backdrop of global plots.

The pacing of the story is brilliant, and the plot twist at the end managed to completely catch me off guard. Such a great book, well worth waiting a few years for. I cant wait for the next Bruno story!

S.J. Parris does it again - I love the Bruno series -This one is about one of the plots to assassinate Elizabeth - free Mary Queen of Scots & put her on the throne.
Full of twists & turns - it keeps the reader engaged all the way.
Continues the back story of Bruno & Sophia & their complicated relationship & cleverly weaves it into the present adventure.
The characters - some known adversaries & allies & some new ones - come to life on the page and there are plenty of threads of intrigue that bind together well
The description of London during the period is rich & detailed.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes Tudor Mystery. An excellent read

Loved this book and looked forward to each read and each new chapter! Have read about Bruno before! I like him and his dry humour and his unrequited love for Sophia! The author manages to conjure up the sixteenth century streets of London vividly and I could almost smell the smells and feel the smog, I was able to immerse myself totally in the Babbington plot and very much look forward to reading of Bruno’s next historic adventure!

This is the 6th book in the Giordano Bruno series, with the hero, an excommunicated priest, now spying for Sir Francis Walsingham, spy master for Queen Elizabeth I. Sent to find out more information in another plot to bring Mary, Queen of Scots, to the throne, he goes undercover as Prado, a Spanish priest.

This is exactly what you expect from this author, a fast paced, well researched and engaging story, with well fleshed characters and an excellent sense of life at that time. Despite knowing that the plot will never succeed it’s still a book that grips you to the final page. Although part of a series, it is still a stand alone read. Excellent book, I thoroughly enjoyed it, as I have her previous books

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for an ARC I return for an honest review.

Until the end of the book when there were adverts for other books by the same author, I was not aware that this was part of a series – it definitely stands alone though I am sure that any previous books would help to explain some of the characters even more.
Growing up close to some of the locations where Mary Queen of Scots was held prisoner, and being intrigued by the life of people like Bess of Hardwick, I have been aware of “the Babington Plot” for many years - a plot by Catholics to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I, a Protestant, and put Mary Queen of Scots, her Roman Catholic cousin, on the English throne.
This story takes us into the heart of 1586 London – but not just the palace of Whitehall or the house of Lord Walsingham, but also the shadowy alleyways near the docks, a graveyard in Southwark, and some less than reputable inns, and on more than one occasion we have to stop to consider who is on which side as people betray those closest to them, or become double agents.
Most of the characters depicted are historical ones, supplemented by vividly described fictional people who complement the historical figures & support the main story well. There is evidence of significant historical research into some of the smallest details.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The story line was very believable, and complemented the historical facts well. The pace was good and at various points there was tension and excitement and twists that all worked very well to keep the reader engaged & interested.

Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book free via both NetGalley & ThePigeonhole. Whilst thanks go to the publisher & author for the copy of the book, all opinions are my own.