CONSPIRACY

Notorious real-life figure Giordano Bruno, last seen in Treachery (2014), returns to France in 1585, hoping to ingratiate himself with the church and return to the Brotherhood. He playfully surprises his old friend Père Paul LeFèvre in the confessional to plead his case. But shortly afterward, Bruno discovers Paul facedown in the Seine, clinging to life, the victim of an attack.  Paul’s dying word to his friend: “Circe.” Bruno’s arrival has clearly been noticed. King Henri, pilloried as an enemy of Catholicism and dubbed “King of Sodom” by his many enemies, brings Bruno to the palace. Blaming the Duke of Guise for the campaign against him, he asks Bruno to find the informants who are helping Guise. One of the likeliest is Frère Joseph de Chartres, who writes pamphlets for the Catholic League excoriating the king. Bruno finds a letter in Peter’s room describing explicit sexual acts. Could it have been planted by an enemy? Parris’ overstuffed plot vividly dramatizes the vibrantly vicious world of the court in rich historical detail: tangled allegiances, back-stabbing, secret romances, and bizarre customs. (Bruno attends a court party where the king is in drag.) Newcomers to the series may be frustrated by the numerous references to events from previous books. A second murder complicates Bruno’s task and raises the need for a solution. The discovery of a dance called The Masque of Circe signals a major break in the case.

Thanks for reading.
Please Share, Comment, Like the post And Follow, Subscribe CTS Store.

fromSource