Alchemy

The new historical crime thriller, a Sunday Times bestseller, perfect for fans of C. J. Sansom and Hilary Mantel

Prague, 1588.

A COURT IN TURMOIL
The Holy Roman Emperor, Rudolf II, wants to expand the boundaries of human knowledge, and his court is a haven for scientists, astrologers and alchemists. His abiding passion is the feverish search for the philosopherâs stone and thus immortality. The Catholic Church fears he has pushed too far, into the forbidden realm of heresy â" and the greatest powers in Christendom are concerned about the imperial line of succession.

A MURDERED ALCHEMIST
Giordano Bruno is sent to his court by Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth Iâs spymaster. His task: to contact the famous English alchemist and mystic John Dee, another of Walsinghamâs spies. But Brunoâs arrival in Prague coincides with the brutal murder of a rival alchemist â" and John Dee himself has disappeared.

AN UNFORGIVING ENEMY
Ordered by the emperor to find the killer, Brunoâs investigations bring him face to face with an old enemy from the Inquisition. But could the real danger lie elsewhere? Amidst the jostling factions at court and the religious tensions brewing in the city, Bruno has to track down a murderer as elusive as the elixir of life itself.

âThe clever twists and turns of Alchemy are assuredly plotted and Prague, a city in religious and political turmoil, makes for a powerful settingâ The Times

âOver the past dozen years, S. J. Parrisâs novels⦠have been among the most enjoyable of all historical thrillersâ Sunday Times

âBreathless pace and acutely observed detail make for a story that confounds and surprisesâ Observer

S. J. Parris's book Alchemy was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 03-07-2023