Alchemy

1588 and itinerant philosopher and spy Giordano Bruno is working at the University of Witternburg. He still wants patronage in England so when spymaster Walsingham asks him to go to Prague and investigate the disappearance of John Dee he does so. Prague is ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor, Rudolf, who is interested in magic and knowledge so his court is brimming with alchemists but one has been murdered and suspicion falls on the local Jewish community.
I love Parris' books which weave fiction around the real-life character of Bruno. Here science, magic and religion clash at a time of great learning and insecurity of the Catholic church. This makes for an excellent and rich setting for a cleverly plotted piece of fiction. It's exciting, show more funny and very readable - perfect then! show less

This seventh entry in the author's series of 16th century murder mysteries sees historical Italian religious renegade Giordano Bruno called to investigate the murder of an alchemist in Prague, the capital city of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II. Rudolf is eccentric and capricious but also a patron of artists and scientists and a protector of the city's Jewish community against the extremely widespread anti Semitism of the time. Various factions want to sow hatred of the city's Jews and/or topple the Emperor, and the machinations of Bruno's old nemeses in the Catholic church are as ever in the background. The real reasons for the murder of the alchemist and the later murder of a Jewish bookseller relate to murkier doings and include what I show more thought was a ludicrous plot element around the Emperor and a young Jewish woman, Esther. After the resolution of the plot threads, Bruno is left contemplating a job offer of Imperial librarian. show less

Dr Giordano Bruno is off on his travels again, this time to Prague at the behest of Walsingham because one of his spies needs help. However, as he nears the city, there is news of a death and rumour that Golem, a monster from the Jewish quarter, is the murderer.

One of the things about Parris' books is that there are so many wrong turns, cul-de-sacs, red-herrings and general misdirections that it takes a long time to get to the heart of the matter, and this book is no different. I really enjoy them but each time I get to the middle, I do wish they were a bit shorter.

In Alchemy, Parris explores the treatment of Jews, nothing changes, but keeps the theme of politics and religion running through the novel but the idea of beating death show more through the use of alchemy with Rudolf II being a keen proponent. It is an idea as old as time it's just that we might use different ways to try and achieve it now although it is still only the rich that can consider it. This willingness to consider new ideas means that Prague is open and tolerant to all sorts of people and religions but the book shows that the tolerance is only skin deep.

I enjoyed the descriptions of Prague. I have visited many years ago and loved the place.

Golden Prague spread out before us, more striking than the engravings I had seen in Germany. A forest of spires and pinnacles filling the valley, from the ramparts of the great castle on its outcrop of rock, dominated by the tower of St. Vitus Cathedral, down through the grand timber houses of the Lesser Town on the slope facing the plain, all the way to the narrow, crowded streets and bell towers of the Old and New Towns across the river. A sharp east wind herded drifts of cloud across a pale sky; the city goimmered in the low sun of late winter, that the threshold season that only exists in thsoe northern countries, when spring is not yet on the horizon but offers small intimations of her coming.
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The delight of this series is that you know what you are going to get - not the detail of how or where - but of the fact that Bruno will fall in love, that he will be beaten up and hit on the head several times during the story and that the Spanish catholic church will always be behin show less

I was given a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Alchemy is the seventh book in a series featuring Giordano Bruno, a sixteenth century free thinker. It is a rare historical novel that impresses me, particularly in this period of history which I know quite well, but like others in the series it does not disappoint.

The book is set in Prague during the Reign of Rudolph who was known for his patronage of early scientists. Alchemy was not just the search for eternal life or turning lead into gold, it was the search for knowledge of how substances react together and is the beginnings of the discipline of chemistry.

Bruno arrives in Prague in search of his friend the magician John Dee only to find he went missing three weeks earlier and show more a fellow Alchemist has just turned up murdered. Bruno is called in to investigate and is caught up in high politics, inter-religious tensions, and the perpetual struggle for power and influence at court. There are many twists and turns, reflecting the streets of the city, but of course are hero comes out on top.

It's a classic Bruno story, and one I really enjoyed reading. I think it stands up well on its own, whether or not you have read the other books in the series. Highly recommended. show less

The seventh in the Giordano Bruno mystery series set in the 16thC. In this episode Bruno has travelled to Prague at the behest of Sir Francis Walsingham to make contact with alchemist and mystic John Dee. When he gets there he finds John missing and another alchemist murdered. And then he bumps into his old nemesis and finds himself in danger yet again.

I read the previous book, Execution, via the Pigeonhole app a couple of years ago and loved it, so when Alchemy became available I jumped at the chance to read it. It didn’t disappoint - another cracking historical thriller. A combination of fact and fiction with a great sense of time and place, I found this quite the page turner. It’s full of intrigue and suspense with some great show more characters. I’m looking forward to reading the preceding books in the series as well as joining Bruno on his next adventure. Highly recommended. show less

Book 7, Signed