Ah Bruno. As the 7th book in a series I can safely say I’m obsessed with this story, bruno: the dr, the spy, the heretic, the mystery. Since being run out of his home country for his theories and reading Bruno has been in many places working for many royals but none have benefited him a place to call home despite his uncoverings of betrayals, plots and murders. Prague is the next in a long list and as always Bruno is hopeful for patronage from the Emperor who rules these lands, even more so knowing the emperor has a liking for science and the unusual as well as having the most lax rules of religion, Prague is one place the Jews have not been run out off or mass murderer for existing. But this is Bruno’s story, so nothing will be as simple and easy as it seems. Bruno along with his apprentice travel to Prague on the request of John Dee, a friend and previous Englishman aswell as the English spy master Sir Francis Walsingham. Before they have even entered the city news travels of a hideous murder of one of the emperors favourite alchemists and rumours spread that the Jewish community has set a Gollum against their enemies. Bruno is not one to believe in any religious stories and makes it his mission to clear his good friend John Dee of any accusations, in doing so he dives deeper into the conspiracy’s surrounding the murder, risking his and his apprentices life’s and even coming face to face with an old enemy he hasn’t seen since fleeing his homeland. Truly unable to put this down, every chapter brings a new revelation and no one is what they seem. Multiple groups are both involved and vulnerable, from the Catholic Church, to the Jewish community, to the alchemists and even the emperor himself.

I didn’t know this was part of a series before reading but that didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the book and it stands alone very well
I loved everything about this book, from the setting to the characters, prose, story and mystery it was all written so immaculately and although long it didn’t have a single word wasted, flawless and engrossing from beginning to end
I’m definitely going to be reading more from this author after this. What a wonderful ride this whole book was

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC

This novel is set in Prague during the Renaissance when Queen Elizabeth I is on the English throne and the Holy Roman Emperor, Rudolph II resides in Prague. Sir Francis Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth’s spymaster sends Dr Giordano Bruno to Prague to meet and aid his friend John Dee who is also another of Walsingham’s spies.
When Dr Bruno arrives in Prague it is to find his friend is missing, a brutal and sadistic murder has just happened and mounting religious tensions and political unrest are sweeping the town. Will our hero be able to find his way to the truth? With many plots, subplots, twists and turns and skulduggery this is a thoroughly enjoyable read.
This is the first S. J. Parris novel I have read but it surely won’t be the last.

Interesting and eventful historical thriller - an engaging read.

Dr Bruno arrives in Prague and becomes involved in the search for a murderer, the plot involving the Jewish community, alchemists, Catholic intervention and a host of other things. The characters are well-developed, diverse and interesting. The plot moves along relatively quickly and becomes quite elaborate.. This is the first S J Parris book that I've read, spurred on by my wife to read others - which I will eventually. There's a lot to enjoy here and I recommend it to lovers of murder mysteries, especially historical ones. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Bruno gets embroiled in alchemy, disassembling, murder, plots and a missing friend. Enough there for a good book I would say and so it proves as once again the author weaves an engaging story, this time through the court of Rudolf II, The Holy Roman Emperor and the melting pot of Prague. Always a good read and this is no exception.

I love SJ Parris I rely on this author to give me a break from contemporary fiction and life! I adore being brought to times past with rich and familiar characters romping through the ages. Thankyou!

It’s 1588 and Dr Giordano Bruno at Wittenburg University receives a communication from his old boss ‘spymaster’ Walsingham requesting that he goes to Prague to find out what has happened to John Dee, an alchemist and his former colleague and friend. It hints at ‘Malign practices against Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf’. There’s a fine balance between the religions in Europe; the Catholic Inquisition is over, but still highly influential and seeking to put a Catholic monarch both on the English Throne and a less tolerant ruler in the Holy Roman Empire. Rudolf entertains all sorts of engineers, alchemists, great thinkers, philosophers and physicians, and tolerates the Jews in his Kingdom - all anathema to the Italian Catholics and the Pope.
On his arrival Bruno and his young colleague Besler see one of the prominent alchemists hanging from a bridge by his armpits with his eyes and tongue cut out out, and John Dee is missing. The Hebrew word for death is cut into the corpse’s forehead. Bruno feels watched and followed as soon as he arrives and is unsure who to trust. He is given lodging by Dr Hayek, physician to the Emperor.
I love Bruno and his dry sense of humour (a bit thin in this book), and also the emergence of numerous plots, motives and suspicions. The historical detail and atmosphere are as always in this series, impeccable, really giving you a sense of the era. However I did find this plot a bit slow at times, leading me to put the book down more often and then losing the plot literally! I found it a bit of a plodder compared to other outstanding stories in the Bruno series, but still very interesting and I’m still invested in his future!

Giordano Bruno is sent to Prague by Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth I’s spymaster in response to a call from Bruno:s friend John Dee.
Bruno, accompanied by his young assistant find Dee missing and a gruesome murder of an alchemist to be solved. The populace think the culprit is the Jews or their Golem monster, Bruno suspects his old enemies the Spanish who wish to depose the mercurial ruler Rudolph.
An intriguing thriller set in a fascinating and little known period of history, which can be read as a standalone or part of the series of Bruno tales. It was my first but I will be looking out for the others.
Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy.

Giordiano Bruno is back. This time he is trying to find his good friend John Dee, who was last seen in Prague. When Bruno reaches Prague there’s no sign of Dee, but Dee is suspected of killing a rival alchemist. As with other Bruno mysteries, there are lots of turns and twists, making an enjoyable read!

Thanks to S J Parris and HarperCollins for the Advanced Reader Copy. All opinions are my own.

Hooray! Giordano Bruno the detective priest is back. I've really enjoyed reading all the books in this series as they are published and this one is no exception. It's 1588 and Bruno has gone to Prague in search of Dr.Dee for his paymaster Walsingham. There is no sign of Dee but another alchemist has just been murdered and the Holy Roman Emperor asks Bruno to investigate. Expect all the usual twists, turns, jeopardy and red herrings. Great stuff.

Another story in the 'life' of Bruno as he navigates his way through the trials of sixteenth century Europe. This time he is in Prague on his way to see his old friend Dr Dee. Unfortunately Dee is nowhere to be found but many others are bound up in an intrigue that captures Bruno and that ultimately he is the only one who can solve the murders. I love reading SJ Parris' books. She writes cleanly and clearly and engagingly. I look forward to the next - soon please!

I'm not sure where to start with this one except to say I loved it.

A political style thriller set in Prague 1588 and as the blurb says "A court in turmoil, A alchemist murdered and An unforgiving enemy' what more do you want in a great thriller. And although it is a long read it didn't feel long as there was always something happening.

All the characters, including Bruno of course, bring their own personality to the story which is great and the story itself flows effortlessly while keeping you involved, excited, thrilled even a bit scared at times. It had all the twists and turns you would expect and was suspenseful but with a great historical aspect of course.

A great read and I highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

Another excellent Giordano Bruno story, this time set in Prague. The story is nicely paced and very descriptive making you feel like you’re a part of the story too. Some nice new characters throughout the story and the new setting of Prague adds some nice new touches to the environment. Nice ending too. Let’s hope there will be many more!

I’m a big fan of the Bruno series. The background research appears to be meticulous and the plots are woven around real people and events. In this book, the first for some three years, Bruno is off to Prague to look for John Dee who’s disappeared. This is a satisfyingly complex tale which explores a number of themes, not least the search for the philosophers stone. There’s religious conflict and persecution and of course murder to be investigated.

Whilst this works as a standalone, to truly appreciate character development and relationships, the books are best read in order. They all link back to Bruno’s association with the English Court and spymaster, Walsingham. Rich in historical detail, there’s a real sense of time and place. A cast of characters who bring each page to life. I really enjoyed this tale; I was swept back in time and lost in the story. A sign of great writing.

Well researched but a plot I found rather heavy going. A little bit too slow and unlikely in places but there is not doubt about the author's skill in historical matters.
My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for this ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Alchemy is the 7th book in SJ Parris’ Giordano Bruno series of historical thrillers. After a break of 3 years since the last book, we pick up Bruno as he’s travelling to Prague for his latest adventure.

All in all, this is a very enjoyable book. 16th Century Prague makes for a great setting, and the cast of characters are as shifty and untrustworthy as you would expect. Unlike the previous 6 brilliant novels, I feel like the actual plot let this one down a bit. That’s not to say its not very good, I just felt that it weaker compared to the previous books, and the final unveiling of the criminal/crime left me a bit underwhelmed.

Nonetheless, it was great to catch up with Bruno again, and I hope there are many more stories to come (before he meets his untimely ending!)

Alchemy by S J Parris
This is the 7th outing for S J Parris’s Giordano Bruno and this novel finds him in Prague with a view to locating Dr John Dee but by the time he arrives in the city Dee has disappeared and an alchemist has been brutally murdered. Suspicion falls upon the Jewish community as the murdered man was found with a Hebrew symbol carved into his forehead. Prague is usually a safe place for the Jewish community due to the liberal attitude of Rudolf II. In addition to this there are Spanish agents loose in Prague and Bruno fears for his life.
Bruno is travelling with a young innocent called Besler and as he investigates the murder he is fearful of the trouble in which he is involving Besler. As always the novel is very well researched and there are a number of characters all of whom are carefully drawn. The plot is convoluted and requires one’s focus to keep abreast of all the developments. The story is resolved effectively and this is an excellent addition to this series of novels. If you have yet to read the series begin with the first to become fully aware of Bruno’s unusual life and talents.
Many thanks to the author, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the novel in return for an honest review.

This was such a good book. I love historical fiction, especially when it is about eras/ situations that I previously knew nothing about and this was definitely one of those books. It was so well researched and so compelling in its narrative that not only did I love reading it but I felt that I learned too. A really enjoyable read and perfect for any fans of historical fiction.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

Wow! Amazing, once again!

An absolutely fantastic follow up. I loved this and galloped through it.

Thank you to the writer, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Giordano Bruno returns again in "Alchemy" He has journeyed to Prague, at the behest of Walsingham, to discover the whereabouts of his old friend Dr John Dee.

He arrives just after the gruesome murder of another alchemist and is charged by Rudolf, the Holy Roman Emperor, with discovering the killer.

As with all the Bruno books, there are many twists and turns in the plot but the pace of this one was a little too slow therefore slightly disappointing.

SJ Parris is a master of the historical detective novel but this doesn't quite meet the standard of her other books

I would like to thank Netgalley and Harper Collins Publishing for the chance to read and review this book