My thanks to the Author publisher's and NetGalley for providing me with a Kindle version of this book to read and honestly review.
Absolute quality third book in this excellent series, there are numerous references to our heroes previous adventures but would work as a standalone story. But my advice read them all. Well written and researched with superb characterisation throughout, the Author gives the reader a real feel for time and place, you feel totally involved in the action. Clever mystery with plenty of surprises.
Completely and utterly recommended.

Another brilliant Cesare Aldo tale set in medieval Florence full of violent deaths. Each member of a society is murdered by fire and Aldo sent into exile to a village two hours walk away is initially unable to investigate leaving constable Carlo Strocchi to hunt the killer. Posters proclaiming the return of the monk Savonarola burnt at the stake 40 years previously are given as the reason for the deaths. As religious fervour builds more deaths occur until all is revealed in a fiery finale. Beautifully atmospheric this is another superb addition to the series.

A great addition to the series! After the tension in the second book, discovering the killer of Cerchi, this book opens a few months later with Aldo in different circumstances. This was a very challenging case for the Otto, where prominent members of Florentine society meet unpleasant ends. It takes a combining of efforts to conclude the case.The writing evokes sixteenth century Florence in technicoloured and sensory detail. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

Forty years after the renegade monk Savonarola fell from grace Florence is revisited by a crime that echoes his death. A rich merchant is found dead, hung and burned, and messages appear around the city saying 'Savonarola lives'. Then another merchant is found dead at his country house and there is a link, five young men who grew rich after being part of the inner circle and are now in fear of their lives. For Cesare Aldo, banished from the city, it is clear that there is a link and who will be next but only his erstwhile colleague Strocchi is in a place to help.
This is the third book in what is becoming a really excellent series. I love the setting in renaissance Florence, it is unusual and well-researched. The plot is complex enough, although I had worked it out by half-way, and the whole is really good reading.

As in the first two books, I got completely immersed in the dark and creepy atmosphere of Florence! The powerful start has not let down, followed by much action! The story has embedded real historical facts making this novel interesting and definitely worth reading. I enjoyed the descriptions of life in Florence, its politics, its society. As to the characters, Aldo remains a favourite of mine! I hope he will further get involved in criminal cases!
I received a complimentary ARC of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.

Again D V Bishop has produced a fast paced novel featuring Cesare Aldo and his previous friend and younger officer Carlo Strocchi who work for the Otto the Criminal Court in 16 century Florence. The city is once again disturbed by the murder of a silk merchant who has been hanged and set ablaze during the night. As the novel moves between Strocchi in the city and Aldo working in the Tuscan countryside there is also the added fact that someone is stirring the populace to religious fervour with proclamations that Savonarola a puritanical monk who was executed 30years before by hanging and burning is once again alive and seeking vengeance on the corrupt of Florence for their sins. Linked to this is the heatwave the city is experiencing and the fact that 5 members of a secret group have become the centre of focus of a killer both in the city and in the countryside. How Aldo and Strocchi solve the mystery with the help of the Jewish doctor Saul and find themselves in great danger. Bishop uses a third person to move the story so that we get inside the killer’s head as he or she decides to take action. Having enjoyed both previous novels in this series I couldn’t wait to read this third one and once again enjoyed the detail of 1538 Florence during the heatwave as well as the carefully described citizens of the city. Edge of your seat ending made this extra special and I feel a fourth novel will come shortly to carry this along!

Ritual of Fire by D V Bishop
This is the third book to feature Ceasare Aldo and this on finds him in a village outside Florence where he has gone as it is impossible for him and Carlo Strocchi to work together any longer. In Florence a constable calls Strocchi from his bed to tell him that a man has been discovered tied to a cart and burnt. The manner of his death resembles that of Girolama Savaronola 30 years before. Then posters are placed around Florence stating that Savaronola has risen from the dead.
Aldo apprehends a thief in the countryside and discovers that he had been spying upon one of Aldo’s enemies from the past. Florence swelters in intolerable heat and as they do the body count begins to rise. Someone is taking revenge but what is they want revenge for. Aldo and strocchi are both striving for the same answers but find it impossible to work together.
A very good addition to the series of novels and one which I thoroughly enjoyed. I would highly recommend the book to anyone and if you have yet to meet Cesare Aldo begin with City of Vengeance, the first book in the series. Many thanks to the author the publishers and to Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.

My thanks to Pan Macmillan for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Ritual of Fire’ by D. V. Bishop.

This is Book 3 in a series of historical mysteries set in 16th Century Florence, Italy. Its main protagonist is Cesare Aldo, an officer of the Otto di Guardia e Balia, the city’s most feared criminal court. Aside from his investigative work he leads a secret life that if discovered could cost him everything.

A year has passed since the events covered in ‘The Darkest Sin’. While Bishop does provide some background, I would suggest that due to ongoing storylines that this series is best read in order.

Florence. Summer, 1538. A night patrol discovers the body of a wealthy merchant, who has been hanged and set ablaze in the city’s main square. It is a shocking killing that reminds the residents of Florence of the execution in the same manner forty years earlier of the puritanical monk Girolamo Savonarola. Could this mean that his fanatical disciples are reviving the monk’s regime of terror?

As Cesare Aldo is no longer based in Florence and instead is engaged in hunting thieves in the Tuscan countryside, it falls to Constable Carlo Strocchi to investigate the killing. Then another merchant is burned alive in public and the rich and powerful of Florence begin to panic. No further details to avoid spoilers.

Bishop moves seamlessly between the perspectives of Aldo and Strocchi as they initially individually negotiate aspects of this complex case. During a scorching heatwave the city becomes increasingly gripped by fear and religious fervour.

As in the other books Bishop includes Historical Notes that provides details of the people and events that feature in ‘Ritual of Fire’, including suggestions for nonfiction further reading.

Overall, I found ‘Ritual of Fire’ another fascinating and highly engaging work of historical crime fiction that effectively transported me to 16th Century Florence and Tuscany. I highly recommend both it and the series as a whole.

This third book in the series featuring Cesare Aldo starts in dramatic style as a man is tied to a gibbet on a cart, wheeled into the central square of Florence and then set alight. This opening couldn’t fail to grab my attention and then I was hooked as always. D V Bishop has a an excellent way of conveying the feel of Renaissance Florence and I was quickly immersed in the setting and the story.
It is 1538, the young Cosimo Medici rules Florence but there are strange rumours that a fanatical monk, Savonarola, who was executed 40 years ago, is alive. The murdered man in the square proves to be a wealthy merchant and other murders quickly follow. Unusually, Aldo is not at the centre of things as he is representing the authorities in the nearby villages. Strange events are happening there too and Aldo becomes convinced that everything is linked together somehow.
I loved the character development in this book. We don’t just get to learn more about Aldo but also see Strocchi struggling with his ideas of right and wrong and gradually coming to see that sometimes things cannot be as he would like them to be. I also really liked the way that we saw more of Bindi’s character. He is just as pompous and irritating as before but we saw more of his inner feelings and his complete loyalty to the city.
My only minor issue was the points of view changed very rapidly and that seemed to interrupt the flow of the story especially early on in the book.
This is the third book in this series but I would think that the author provides enough background detail that this could be read as a stand alone. I would recommend that you read the entire series though to get the most out of this latest book. It’s a great read for any lover of historical fiction who enjoys crime laced with a heavy dose of Italian renaissance politics.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers, Pan Macmillan, for my ARC in exchange for my honest review

Florence, 1538. A wealthy merchant is hanged and set ablaze in the main square of the city. And he is only the first…

This is the third book in D V Bishop’s Cesare Aldo series, and I have adored both of his previous works, City of Vengeance and The Darkest Sin. Ritual of Fire is another cracker, taking the reader back to sixteenth century Florence with authority and conviction. If you’re new to the work of D V Bishop, you can start here if you wish to, but why not start with City of Vengeance? This is a series worthy of your time.

For the first time in the series, the two main characters, Aldo and Strocci, are separated for much of the book. This has the advantage, not only of broadening the setting and world-building of the series, but also allowing both characters, particularly Strocci, the space to further develop and grow.

Perfect for fans of C J Sansom and S J Parris. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers, MacMillan, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This fascinating historical crime series is fast becoming a favourite and I was eager to read the third book in the series which features Cesare Aldo, an officer of the Otto in Renaissance Florence.

D.V. Bishop takes us into the sweltering dry summer heat of Florence, where the citizens are toiling under the harsh glare of the sun and tempers are running short. At the end of the last book, Cesare Aldo had agreed with Carlo Strocchi that following Strocchi’s inability to forgive what he sees as Aldo’s transgressions, he would take himself out of the city, leaving Strocchi to work Florence on his own.

He has been as good as his word and he now lives and works in the Tuscan countryside where rich citizens have their summer mansions and the peasants toil on the land. Aldo has, however, caught a thief and he therefore makes the journey back to the city where justice will be served on the man.

Returning to Florence, and looking forward to calling in on his friend Saul, he learns of the horrifying public immolation of a man in a way that conjures up memories of the Dominican friar and puritan fanatic Girolamo Savonarola who was hanged and then burned at the stake.

Carlo Strocchi meanwhile is struggling at home; he has a new baby and it is keeping him and his wife awake all night. The burning of this rich merchant, as the body turns out to be, has his superior, Bindi breathing down his neck to find the culprit. Bindi is an arch politician, determined to keep his place running the Otto the Otto di Guardia e Balia, the city’s most feared criminal court.


Florence is ruled by the young Duke Cosimo de Medici and Bindi is ever fearful that he will be replaced as the Duke’s adviser on matters of justice and criminality, so he is a hard taskmaster in a city where conspiracies are part of the life blood and Cosimo must be seen to be effective in the face of older and more experienced noblemen and rich merchants.

So when the first murder is quickly followed by a second and proclamations begin appearing suggesting that Savonarola has returned, there are those in Florence only too willing to give succour to such a suggestion.

Strocchi finds himself promoted, but expected to deliver results and deliver them quickly. There is, however, not a great deal to go on. While Aldo quickly realises that there is a link between the victims – who are known to him, Strocchi struggles to take his advice and Bindi, never Aldo’s greatest fan, takes the opportunity to humiliate him further.

But as another murder takes place, it becomes clear that the Aldo and Strocchi will have to work this case, albeit from different angles, as religious fervour sweeps the city and riots break out, seemingly spontaneously.

D.V. Bishop does an excellent job of steeping us in the politics and skulduggery of 16th Century Florence and his descriptions of the heat in the city and in the parched countryside leave us in no doubt of the size of the task that Cosimo has in ruling this part of Italy. Bindi is his usual conniving self, looking after No.1, and Ruggerio, one of the rich merchants, is as narcissistic as they come.

All of this firmly roots us in a place of intrigue and turmoil and the reader can feel the heat blazing as the sweltering city refuses to give up its murderer. With pace and an excellent sense of both place and time, Bishop spins a fascinating tale that engrosses and creates a heady brew of mystery, murder and political conniving.

Verdict: A thoroughly enjoyable historical murder mystery that beautifully blends historical figures of the past with rich, descriptive detail and a scorchingly excellent plot. I’m really enjoying this series. I just hope Aldo finds a way back to Florence soon.

Ritual of Fire is the third book to feature Cesare Aldo, an officer of the Otto. Set in Florence in 1538 whilst out on a night patrol, a constable finds the burning body of a man. Prior to being burnt, it appears that the victim was hung. The death is reminiscent of the one suffered by the fanatical monk Girolamo Savonarola forty years earlier. Duke Cosimo has to deal with rumour of the Monk Savonarola's resurrection. Meanwhile, Aldo's previous actions and his rigid position against Bindi result in Aldo now being told to leave Florence and only operate in the countryside, which is where Aldo apprehends a thief. Inside the city, newly promoted Carlo Strocchi finds being promoted a bittersweet experience. Now that he’s a married man and a father, desperately tired with a baby keeping him up nights, he has little experience in conducting a complex investigation. As Aldo finds himself caught up in the investigation of what is happening in the countryside, there is a suggestion that there might be more than one killer.

As with the previous books in this series, the plotting keeps you guessing till the very end. There is plenty of tension and a sense of danger throughout the story. I did find myself struggling for the first 40 pages, however, the story did eventually click. The historical aspect is well done and Renaissance Florence comes alive on the page. The characters have depth and you feel emotions, certainly for Carlo Strocchio. The pace is good throughout the story and the thriller aspect is well done. There was a nice twist at the end and talk about edge-of-your-seat read.

An excellent continuation of this series and I can only hope there are more investigations for Carlo Strocchio and Cesare Aldo in the future. My thanks to both NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

Ritual of Fire is the third instalment of the excellent Cesare Aldo novels, set in Medici-era Florence. Like the first two books, there is a high body count and lots of morally questionable and violent activity by all concerned, but it was an excellent romp and a great continuation of the wider story.

Recommended to lovers of historical fiction, but start with book 1 City of Vengeance to get the full character arcs.

Once again DV Bishop immerses the reader in Renaissance Italy, with his blend of fact and fiction, in what is an unforgettable addition to the series, although this one took me sometime to get into. It is a sweltering 1538, and tensions are set to rise in Florence ruled by the young, but remarkably able Duke de Cosimo. A night patrol comes across a gruesomely burnt body, no effort has been made to hide it, it is publicly displayed in the same way as that of the Monk Savonola, burnt 40 years ago. This is not a good omen as it's proclaimed in the city that the puritanical Savonola returns, something many would be happy to see. It is not going to be the first death in this manner, with the targets being rich men. The self serving Bindi, serving the criminal court, finds himself under the kind of pressure he is not used to, from a demanding Duke expecting arrests, but there are few clues as to who is behind the deaths.

Carlo Strocchi finds the experience of being promoted a bitter sweet experience, he is a married man and a father, desperately tired with a baby him up nights, and he has little experience of conducting a complex investigation. He cannot accept Cesare Aldo's actions, his rigid position resulting in Aldo now operating outside the city, which is where Aldo apprehends a thief, bringing him to the city, where he learns of the horrifying burning. As Aldo finds himself caught up in the investigation with what is happening in his region, there is a suggestion that there might be more than one killer.. As more murders occur, it becomes clear the 2 former friends will have to find a way to work together, a process that is oiled by Strocchi's wife, and with him becoming a changed, more cautious man that begins to comprehend that the world is far more complex than he first thought.

The ruthless and cruel silk merchant, Ruggerio, returns, initially his usual obnoxious self, but shockingly his confidence slowly beginning to seep away as it dawns on him that his past, which he has worked so hard to keep hidden, may come back and haunt him. Aldo's relationship with the Jewish doctor, Saul, continues, but Aldo does not want to continue to spend so much time apart from him, so he cannot wait to return to Florence. This is a fantastic historical series that is likely to appeal to a wide range of readers, I for one cannot wait for the next in the series! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

I was a massive fan of the first to Cesare Aldo books (City of Vengeance and The Darkest Sin), so I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy of the third book in the series. It did not disappoint.

The rich men of Florence are being systematically and horrifically burned to death and whomever is behind the killings is simultaneously whipping the good people of Florence into a frenzy with what you might politely call a propaganda campaign that's nostalgic for more puritanical times. (That is, the mad monk Savonarola's reign of holy terror – a bloody interregnum in the rule of the Medici.)

This time we get go outside Florence itself, into the Tuscan countryside, which provides a nice change of scene. Some old villains return alongside our old heroes (Cesare, Strocchi, Saul). Ritual of Fire absolutely can be read as a standalone book, but I think the coda will be more satisfying if you've read the other two books first (plus, you'll have a great time reading them and it's a good way to get to know the characters). Speaking of which...

There are quite a few POV characters in this book, including one from the assassin, which is written in the second person. It means you bounce around a lot. It's almost like watching a TV show, switching from scene to scene, and if I have one criticism it's that you're never in one POV long enough to feel like you're getting close to the characters (there's also not much character development, as the story unfolds over a matter of days). It does, however, allow the story to build nicely and keep up the tension and the pace.

The historical aspects of the book are really well written. When I read the first book I knew very little about Renaissance Florence, beyond watching the Medici series on Netflix. Since then, I've listened to about forty hours of lectures on The Great Courses Plus, which hardly makes me an expert but it meant I knew all about the monk Savonarola and I was thrilled to see his spirit invoked in this third outing for Aldo. It provided really rich pickings. If you're not across your Florentine history though, don't worry. It's all spelled out for you.

Overall, this was a fast-paced page turner with suspense, thrills, a good twist. I think the pace is perhaps why, for me, it didn't quite have the heart of the other two books (more Saul and Cesare, please! #teamsauldo), but it is, nevertheless, a fantastic read and highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another good outing for Aldo from D V Bishop, and this one is a worthy addition to the series. All aspects of the story are well-handled and the characters develop well, A good book, well worth the reading.

I love a good historical thriller and this is a good one. The third outing for the main character Ceasere Also of the Otto in 16th century Florence. Richly descriptive and beautifully written. Great characters and masterful story telling. It can easily be read as a standalone. Atmospheric, gripping and almost five stars.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

I enjoy this kind of historical detective story and this, the third outing for Cesare Aldo, does not disappoint. Set in the Tuscan hills and the city of Florence it is a satisfying mystery which successfully blends real life with fiction. It is good to see the character of Strocchi developing as he realises that there are sometimes no clear right and wrong solutions to issues and compromise is sometimes necessary.

The Medici family continue to dominate Florence and the intrigues are a good background component as is Aldo's relationship with his male lover.

Forty years after puritanical monk , Girolamo Savonarola was hanged and set alight in the main square in Florence , another man has been found in the same condition in the same square ...... does this mean a return of the puritanical monks disciples reign of terror ?
Cesare Aldo no longer works in the city , his area now covers the Tuscan countryside . When he takes a thief into the city for processing he becomes aware of the hanging ....... a case that now comes under the purview of newly promoted Strocchi . However when another death by fire occurs , this time in a hillside palazzo he discovers a link with the city murder
He needs to work with Stocchi , despite the tensions still running between them ,to discover the murderer ....... can they put their differences aside long enough to solve the cases ?

This is an enjoyable historical, murder mystery with twists and turns around every corner
I look forward to reading more from the Author in the future

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Set in Florence during the red-hot summer of 1538, Ritual of Fire is the third outing for Cesare Aldo.
On a night patrol, a constable finds the burning body of a man. Prior to being burnt, it appears that the victim was hung. The death is reminiscent of the one suffered by the fanatical monk Girolamo Savonarola forty years earlier. And then posters appear all over the city declaring that Savonarola lives.
No longer working within the city limits, Aldo now fights crime in the towns on villages in the Tuscan hills but when he has cause to bring a thief into the city for processing, he becomes aware of the case of the burning man. But it’s not his problem now so he returns to the hills. Except there is another death by fire, this time in a hillside palazzo and the victims have a connection.
Aldo and Strocchi must work together to solve the case but with the tensions between them still running high, can they put aside their differences to catch a killer?
A work of fiction interwoven with real characters and real events Ritual of Fire is a joy for lovers of Florence in general and the Renaissance period in particular. The author has a way of putting the reader there in the situation, allowing them to get a feel for how people lived.
Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.