Another outing for Cesare Aldo, and as always, very satisfactory. I do love an Aldo book, and although Strocchi is still an a@*~hole, he is becoming less so from book to book. If there is a negative, it would be the faint echoes of modern gender ideology that pervade the book, but this does not detract. A good addition to the series.

So good, a sublime piece of historical crime fiction that made me long for a holiday to Florence again (it's been a really long time and I want to wander its streets and see the art).
The twisted mind of a killer, such shocking violence in the stunning city, the clever officers, the politics, it was all so so good.

Although returned to Florence and working for the Otto, Cesare Aldo is placed on night patrol, a lowly position. When he finds a body posed in an unusual way, Aldo is reunited with his former partner Strocci to investigate. Another body is found and the clues seem to focus on the priests who carry out exorcisms. Meanwhile Aldo is also tasked with a mission for the Duke, to infiltrate the spy network of the Venetian state, led by a glamorous Contessa.
This is another excellent novel from Bishop. The different lines of the plot intertwine effortlessly and the juxtaposition between brutal murder and everyday life in Renaissance Florence are handled well. This is satisfying on both levels.

was really excited when Pan MacMillan got in touch to offer me a copy of A Divine Fury, the new Cesare Aldi to review. This is the fourth book in the series and Aldo is now back in Florence working for the Otto di Guardia e Bali, the criminal court. He finds himself demoted to constable and on permanent night patrol, that is until he finds a body in the Piazza della Signoria, posed in a crucafix position. Aldo finds himself working with friend, and newly promoted Officer Strocchi, to find the killer after another body is found.

I love, love, love this series, it feeds my obsession of historical fiction, Italy and Florence. We mainly see sixteenth century Florence, Renaissance Florence, as a city of beauty, large palazzo, art and the Medici, but D.V. Bishop shows another side, the darker underbelly of this famous city. Like most cities there are the poorer parts with families living in one room, the thieves waiting in shadows, the bordellos and sex workers and those shunned by society. I love this juxtaposition of rich and poor where Aldo finds himself in a meeting with Cosimo de Medici one moment then going down to the tanneries by the river, with their foul smells, the next.

D.V. Bishop’s writing is evocative, capturing the sights and smells that jump from the page, making you feel you are part of Florence at this time. The historical detail is remarkable, the politics of the era, the working of the guilds, the different areas of the city and the criminal system. The church was always important in the sixteenth century, especially after the Savonarola period at the beginning of the century, and in A Divine Fury, as the name suggests the church plays an important part in this book. D.V. Bishop focuses on the churches use of Exorcism, how it was perceived, the act itself and the priest who performs this, Father Negri, a very unlikeable character.

I am loving the development of the regular characters, especially Aldo and Strocchi. Aldo as always has his own way of doing things, and Strocchi now doesn’t complain as they usually result in capturing their culprit. I did have a wry smile in his interactions with the beautiful Contessa Coltello, a spy for Venice who uses her feminine whiles to gain information. Aldo is gay, but the Contessa does have an effect on him that he is not use to; I’m hoping we see her in future books. The characters in all these books are representive of this period in Florence’s history, and all are well drawn and develop their own back stories.

I cannot recommend this series highly enough, and for me I think this is the best book yet. A Divine Fury is a compelling historical thriller, that twist and turns like the river Arno. The characters are wonderfully written, and D.V. Bishop brings sixteenth century Florence to life. This is another atmospheric, dark and utterly immersive read that I highly recommend to everyone, and can’t wait for the next in the series.

An outstanding fourth instalment in the historical mystery-thriller series. Dripping with charming characters and gruesome murder; this was a satisfying instalment in the franchise and offers a change of pace from other modern thrillers.

I had not read any of DV Bishop’s series with Cesare Aldo previously but thoroughly enjoyed Divine Fury. Aldo had been demoted to constable on constant Night Watch when a series of gruesome murders took place in Florence. As well as working to solve the murders Aldo had to deal with the internal politics of the church, the police (the Otto) and the city, each of which brought its own difficulties.

The setting was wonderfully brought to life and the plot was complex but never confusing. I’ve already ordered the books previous to this to learn more about Aldo!

Thanks to the author/publisher/NetGalley for the chance to read the Advance Reader Copy for which I have given my own view.

My thanks to the Author publisher's and NetGalley for providing me with a Kindle version of this book to read and honestly review.
This is the fourth book in this excellent Historical fiction series, well researched and written. Atmospheric clever descriptive intelligent storytelling, character driven with superb characters throughout. The Author gives the reader a real feel for time and place, describing graphically at times the sights smells and sounds of ancient Florence.
Completely and utterly recommended.

DV Bishop has managed, once again, to create one of the best murder mysteries I´ve read.

Set in Florence, 1539, this time, Aldo is back to town busy with his night patrols, when a corpse is discovered in the middle of a piazza. Strocchi is the official in charge of the investigation and Aldo (still a constable) should help him find the murderer. Once again, there are religious (and slightly political) themes in the story.
I got to say that this is the 4th book in a series and I´ve read the previous ones (probably that´s why I was so hyped up for this one: If you´re looking for a good thriller with an accurate historical background, this one´s for you). And I´d say, for context, it´s better you read these books in order. But still, they can be enjoyed as standalones, since in each book there´s a different crime to solve.
As for this novel in particular, I´d say it´s my favorite along with The Darkest Sin. Maybe I like it too much when one (or several) suspects are members of the church and we can learn how much power the church had in those times.
I won´t say anymore not to spoil who wants to read, but I didn´t guess who the killer was (good sign here, if you ask me: it means the murder plot is able to surprise you).

So yes, 100% recommended. I hope we have more Aldo for a very long while... :D

Unfortunately I did not get to finish this book before it was archived which is a real shame as I was enjoying it.
Still a recommended read.

D.V. Bishop’s “A Divine Fury” plunges readers into the heart of 16th-century Florence, a city of both beauty and dark undercurrents. The return of Cesare Aldo, our flawed but captivating protagonist, is a welcome one. Relegated to night patrol after a period of exile, Aldo stumbles upon a gruesome scene – a murder with a distinct religious motive.

Bishop weaves a historical thriller that feels fresh and exciting. The atmospheric setting of Renaissance Florence comes alive, filled with the sights, sounds, and even the smells of the time period. This backdrop complements the chilling mystery of a religious serial killer terrorizing the city.

“A Divine Fury” is a compelling read that will keep you guessing until the very end. The plot is well paced, with twists and turns that leave you eager for more.

While this is the fourth book in the Cesare Aldo series, “A Divine Fury” works well as a standalone novel. However, be warned – you might just find yourself wanting to dive into the previous adventures of this unforgettable investigator.

4.5 rounded up to 5. The score is high because as well as being an interesting plot, we see the personal and professional development of Aldo in a way which promises a new direction for the series from now on. I don’t want to say much more to avoid spoilers but if you’ve enjoyed the series so far, read on! Many thanks to NetGalley for an arc of this book.

This is the Author's latest book in the series set in 16th century Florence featuring Cesare Aldo -
I would recommend reading the previous books in the series to set the characters in place

Aldo is finally back in Florence , demoted and on the night shift where on finding a body
he decides to investigate with a view to being reinstated as an ' investigator '. With the
help of his colleague Carlo Strochhi they soon find themselves with yet another body
to investigate - they way these bodies have been laid out , tortured and with pieces of
paper in their mouths leads them to an involvement with the all powerful Church
This investigation shows the power of the Church and the Secular authorities to
manipulate events that will show them in the best lights and emphasises their powers
over the common man
A page turner , full of twists and turns it kept me fully engaged from start to finish

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

A superb edition to the series, broadening the world beyond the city walls and further developing the character and the milieu in which he operates. Highly recommended

A Divine Fury is the fourth book in DV Bishop’s historical crime series set in 16th century Florence. As with all the volumes in this series, it could possibly be read as a stand alone. But this is a series best tackled in order ad the characters developing from book to book and there are usually some call backs to previous volumes.
A Divine Fury opens one year after the events of Ritual of Fire. Cesare Aldo has been allowed back into the city but is stuck on night patrol. When he finds a body he sees the investigation as a chance to get himself reinstated as an investigator. He is joined with old colleague Carlo Strochhi and the two are given only a short time to find the killer. But before they have made inroads a second body is found. At the same time Aldo is commissioned by Cosimo Medici to ingratiate himself with a Venetian spy, who is herself having issues with her masters who believe a man would do a better job.
The mystery element of A Divine Fury is not particularly complex but it is not really the point. Of more interest is Bishop’s evocation of the setting and his focus on the way in which Aldo and Strocchi go about their investigation. In particular the constraints put on them due to the influence and power of the church, particularly as it starts to emerge that one of their suspects is a priest. Aldo and Strochhi themselves are great central characters with interesting histories and complex personal lives who continue to grow and develop.
A Divine Fury is another great entry in a consistently high quality historical crime series. Bishop brings 16th Century Florence to life and uses his crime and espionage plots to explore social, political and religious aspects of the time. By the end of the book Aldo, particularly is in a new place, opening interesting opportunities if the series continues.

Once again I have been given the opportunity to read about the adventures of Cesare Aldo in this 4th novel. Due to his exile for his previous actions he has now returned to the Otto’s services not as an officer but as a constable with night duties. Whilst on patrol he chases a thief only to stumble upon the body of merchant. The body is laid out like it has been crucified & horrifically his tongue has been split in half. With his old student Strocctie they are involved in searching for the killer with various twists and turns in the story . Also with in the mouth of the victims are torn pieces of paper. Whilst Cosimo Medici is the secular ruler of Florence, the Bishop holds the religious reins but doesn’t want anything to reflect badly on the church which at that time is wholly invested in exorcisms and purges. And so the tangled novel continues by the introduction of Contessa Colto, married to a Venetian merchant who is supposedly the spy from Venice but in that regard is actually the person running the network. Add to this Cosimo asking Aldi to find out about the Contessa & what she is up to & to culivate her as well. With various characters like the young male prostitute whose wife is about to give birth. The sister of the dead merchant having deep secrets the tale spins to a tremendous finale. At the back of all is Dr Saul Orvieto who is a Jewish Doctor & helps Cesare with examine his murder victims and is really his lover. Also thinks don’t work smoothly because of the incompetent Head of the Orto the feared court Bindi. Once again bishop has given us a great novel full of the Renaissance Florence that you feel, hear and smell that time.

Here we go, my fourth review in the Cesare Aldo series this year. Wait a minute, what do you mean I have to wait a YEAR for the next one? What the hell am I supposed to do with myself until then?! I’d like to speak to the manager, please, this Queen is very displeased and that won’t do.

*Ahem*

So, I’ve been on a Cesare Aldo binge this year, as you might have noticed, and with each book, I’ve become increasingly more obsessed with the series. I read an ARC for A Divine Fury, but I still need to stress that you totally should get the audiobook versions (too) of these books. Seriously.

The year is 1539, Aldo is finally back in Florence, although he is stuck with night patrol duties while Strocchi is becoming one of the best investigators the Otto has. Obviously, Aldo is not happy with his status and so he is determined to become an officer once again. Finding a dead body next to the David statue in a position like Jesus on the cross, seem to provide that opportunity. While Strocchi and Aldo work on the case that’s becoming more and more tangled, they also work on their friendship. They still need to build up the trust lost between them, which is not easy as Aldo tends to follow his own ideas rather than follow instructions. On top of it all, Strocchi is also struggling with his role within the Otto. His strong sense of justice and his idealistic view of keeping the law clash with the reality of politics and a secretary who only cares about his own power and status. On one hand, the money he earns as an officer helps to provide for his growing family, but on the other, he feels trapped in a job that doesn’t meet with his morals and ideals. Which is pretty relatable, if you think about it. I like how these characters we’ve been following so far grow and evolve with each book.

“Strocchi grabbed Aldo’s arm. ‘What are you doing?’
‘Have I ever led you astray before?’
‘Frequently.’
Then you should be used to it by now,’ Aldo said with a smile.
‘This isn’t funny.’
‘Trust me, Carlo.'”

In A Divine Fury, Aldo and Strocchi investigate a series of murders that seemingly has no connection with each other, except for the way the bodies are treated – they are positioned like Jesus on the cross, their tongue is cut in half, and they appear to be strangled with something beaded. They also have ash on their forehead and a piece of paper in their pockets that seems to be from the book of an exorcist. One would say they investigate, in short, a serial murder case, but 1) the term is not known yet in this age and 2) technically you need 3 murders to be counted as a serial murder and there are only 2 here. Plus one and an attempt. Anyway. The only thing Aldo and Strocchi have to go with are the names of their victims – Zamora, a wealthy wool merchant who is well-liked in Florence, and Freccia, a thief who also used to sell his body, whom Aldo knows all too well as an officer.

This time we don’t know the killer or the motive, so we investigate along with Aldo and Strocchi, which I always find exciting, because I love collecting the clues and trying to figure out what happened. I mean, I read murder mysteries for a reason, duh. Bishop provides us with a couple of possible suspects, and handles them really well as I kept guessing until the reveal, because every time I thought “Okay, I think it was this person”, new information came up and made me doubt myself (damn you, Bishop for making me doubt myself, how very dare!).

As it happens with mystery books, we get a range of new side characters. First we have Father Negri, the exorcist, who has pretty, uh, “interesting” views on how the devil works and how demons appear to possess queer people (they are not called as such, of course, given the fact that the term wasn’t in use in the 16th century), and how an exorcism can make them change their ways. Which is pretty much an early version of conversion therapy and we all know how well that tends to go… Little surprise that he is not the most liked priest in town. Let’s take Vanni, who works in a tannery together with Freccia’s wife, who lost her brother not longer after Negri’s exorcism. And who is determined to go to anyone who might listen to her to complain about him and his church. There is also Father Zati, Negri’s assistant, who changed places quite a few times in the past, and whom we met already in The Darkest Sin, even if only fleetingly. I love how Bishop used events in that book to incorporate in Zati’s plotline. That was very smartly done, just as I love how Rebecca from City of Vengeance is still around, proving to be an intelligent and independent young woman. I really hope we’ll see more of her in the future.

And then, let’s say a few words about my new favorite character in this series – Contessa Coltello, who married a Venetian merchant, who was sent to Florence as a spy. Not that he himself did much spying, but you know how it is in male-dominated worlds – there is no way a woman could do a 100 times better job than an old privileged man. Obviously. And so when Venice has a new spymaster, the Contessa is facing the problem of being replaced. I was literally giddy with excitement to see what she’d figure out to literally hand the new guy his balls. It didn’t quite go as I hoped, but I shall give her credit for being smart about the whole business. I think that was probably my only disappointment with A Divine Fury. I wish I’d never have bigger problems, really. That said, I very much look forward to her future interactions with Aldo, because damn, those were highly entertaining.

I’m starting to feel like D. V. Bishop is unable to go wrong with this series, and A Divine Fury is another example of an excellent historical mystery novel. Please just hook me up and inject any further Cesare Aldo novels directly into my veins, because that’s how much I love them. Mr Bishop, if you ever find yourself in need of a beta reader, please remember me. Sincerely, an impatient fan who needs the next book right about now. *slinks off to wallow in despair until next time*

Diving into religious serial killer territory, the fourth in the Cesare Aldo series is an enjoyable, historical romp, even when it runs into the odd pacing issue and disappearing character.

A Divine Fury is another great entry in the Cesare Aldo series. Opening up a few months after the end of the third book, Aldo is back in Florence, no longer a constable but instead demoted to night patrol. It’s here that he stumbles across a conspiracy, but one that’s harder to uncover in the daylight.

As with previous books, this is a fast paced mystery, almost thriller-like at times, and that’s its biggest strength. I usually gravitate towards more in-depth historical fiction than this, but it’s the quick nature of it that I like most here. You’re never in want of the next thing happening and, quite often, it’s a move you don’t really expect.

Bishop is also not afraid of putting his characters into sticky situations — here, Aldo has been put on night patrol, a far cry from his position in previous books as he remains out of favour in the Otto. Added onto that, Strocchi has taken up the position that Aldo previously held and is not in the best of moods with his old friend/colleague. Which is hardly improved when Aldo starts to go lone wolf on the investigation that is, supposedly, run by Strocchi.

Overall, A Divine Fury is a fun new entry into the series, one that will have you on your toes, keeping you guessing throughout. And given that ending, one that leaves me excited for what’s to come.

DV Bishop once again returns us to Renaissance Italy, and Florence, with his latest well researched blend of fact and fiction with his vibrant, captivating historical mystery series featuring former criminal court officer, Cesare Aldo. It is more than a year later after the events from the previous book, 1539, a Florence operating under the young Duke de Cosimo, a time of curfews, cconflicts, and city states, when the Church wields immense power and influence. Aldo has returned from exile, serving as a constant night constable amidst the streets overflowing with roaming dangerous individuals, illegality, and drunks.

One particular night chase sees Aldo coming across a dead body at the base of Michelangelo's statue of David, appearing to be crucified. A slew of familiar characters return, including Saul, the Jewish doctor, Bindi from the criminal court, the struggling and fearful Carlo Strocchi with all the demands of a family, as Aldo investigates a complex mystery with more bodies turning up, whilst the Duke has another task for him. There is intrigue, a spying Contessa whose interactions with Aldo are a fabulous joy to glimpse. Perhaps aspects of the plot is a trifle too obvious, but I would have to say this is still an engaging and gripping addition to the series.

Bishop is wonderful in the sense of location he imparts, making this period of historical Florence come alive, I appreciated how he creates and develops his characters and the themes he chooses to focus on, and look forward with great anticipation to the next book in the series. A great historical series that I think will appeal to a wide range of readers. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

A Divine Fury by D V Bishop
Having read the previous 3 novels in this series I was eagerly anticipating another outing for Cesare Aldo. Having been forced to carry out night duty for the last 18 months Aldo is desperate to escape the tedium of the night watch and return to his investigative role. Then one night, after curfew, whilst chasing a person breaking the curfew Cesare comes across a body which has been murdered and then placed in the position of Christ on the cross.
The book reveals the power of the church in the Medici Florence of 1539. Those who stray from the norm are submitted to the priests who attempt to drive out their evil spirits through exorcism; but this can have a terrible impact upon the victim.
The author evokes the sights, smells and the sounds of Florence during the Renaissance period. We are immersed in a society of city states which are constantly spying upon one another and a population who are all in awe of the church. The description of Aldo’s meeting with the scheming Contessa was wonderful and it would be interesting to see what the Contessa gets up to in the next book.
Meanwhile Strocchi is coping with living with a young child and a wife who is suffering from terrible sickness due to her next pregnancy. Fortunately his mother arrives to ease the burden. The story is gripping, well written and an entertaining read for those new to Aldo and or for those who have encountered him before. I will be recommending this to my various book groups and would like to thank the author, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.