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Heresy (Abridged) Audiobook
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(3.00) - 2,395 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Masterfully blending true events with fiction, this blockbuster historical thriller delivers a page-turning murder mystery set on the sixteenth-century Oxford University campus.Giordano Bruno was a monk, poet, scientist, and magician on the run from the Roman Inquisition on charges of heresy for his belief that the Earth orbits the sun and that the universe is infinite. This alone could have got him burned at the stake, but he was also a student of occult philosophies and magic. In S. J. Parris's gripping novel, Bruno's pursuit of this rare knowledge brings him to London, where he is unexpectedly recruited by Queen Elizabeth I and is sent undercover to Oxford University on the pretext of a royal visitation. Officially Bruno is to take part in a debate on the Copernican theory of the universe; unofficially, he is to find out whatever he can about a Catholic plot to overthrow the queen. His mission is dramatically thrown off course by a series of grisly murders and a spirited and beautiful young woman. As Bruno begins to discover a pattern in these killings, he realizes that no one at Oxford is who he seems to be. Bruno must attempt to outwit a killer who appears obsessed with the boundary between truth and heresy. Like The Dante Club and The Alienist, this clever, sophisticated, exceptionally enjoyable novel is written with the unstoppable narrative propulsion and stylistic flair of the very best historical thrillers.
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"I listened to this book on my iPod and found it intriguing as well as disturbing. The story takes place during the 1585, mostly at Oxford University in England. During this time England was approaching one of the greatest crises in its history. Queen Elizabeth, excommunicated by the Pope for her refusal to return the Church of England to Rome was under threat from all Catholic powers. To read further check out Amazon for a review by Edward Rutherford. I highly recommend this book."
— Meredith (5 out of 5 stars)
Heresy Listener Reviews
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" This was not my normal type of book, but it was super engaging and I definitely want to read more in the series... "
— Harriet, 2/2/2014 -
" Plot was alright, a little disappointed at the ending...I guess I thought there would be a lot more intrigue/drama when the killer was discovered but it was all very haphazard and anticlimactic. Not a waste of time to read but it's definitely not on my re-read list. "
— Brandy, 1/20/2014 -
" Loved this. If you like C.J. Sansom, this will work for you, too. Looking forward to the next ones. "
— Sarah, 1/19/2014 -
" I don't usually pick up historical fiction,mysteries or series books, but this looked interesting--and I wasn't disappointed! I do like first novels. Giordano Bruno is on the run from the Holy Roman Inquisition, he becomes a spy and comes upon several murders. I hope he has more adventures. "
— Debbie, 1/4/2014 -
" Interesting story but too slow. Did not give me the urgency to turn the page. Lacked momentum. "
— Marcie, 12/11/2013 -
" Lost respect for this book when the subtitle read "An historical thriller". "
— Glenda, 12/3/2013 -
" Very slow going at first, but picked up nicely for the last third of the book. I was pleasantly surprised by a few of the plot twists in the end. "
— Jennifer, 10/7/2013 -
" A first attempt. Pretty amazing escapes from situations and an unsettling and valid question asked at the end. "
— Lwalling, 4/16/2012 -
" Giorgdano Bruno was a real historical figure and he did visit Oxford. He was excommunicated for reading Erasmus, a heresy. In solving a series of murders while at Oxford, Bruno comes to realize that heresy is not restricted to Italy and that England has its own form of religious Inquisition. "
— Hilary, 1/29/2012 -
" Despite the book's length, I really liked it. It seemed to capture Elizabeth I England. "
— Mary, 11/30/2011 -
" Well written story of intrigue in the Elizabethan era "
— Jill, 8/20/2011 -
" S. J. Parris's Heresy was a good read. It was slow in the beginning but worth hanging in there. It takes place in Oxford for the most part after starting out in Italy. If you like things Elizabethan and the strange ideas about science you'll like this. "
— Cupoftea, 7/2/2011 -
" good story and characters, but something was missing--a little bland "
— Barak, 5/14/2011 -
" A first class historical mystery. I look forward to reading the second in the series. "
— Lee, 5/11/2011 -
" Not as good as the Shardlake mysteries. Did not find the character of Giordano Bruno to be particularly convincing - he could have just been a fictional character, which might have worked better. Also, mysteries do not need love interest subplots! "
— theresa, 5/11/2011 -
" a historial mystery. set in time of queen elizabeth. I liked the historial part of it and liked the main character. It was a bit slow moving. Could have used a bit more action and a few more "clues" - but overall enjoyed it and I would read the next in the series. 31/2 stars "
— Beth, 5/1/2011 -
" I could not wait to get back to the book. I became frustrated at the end with yet another situation for the main character. "
— Betsy, 4/19/2011 -
" Mystery. Takes place in Oxford. Pretty sub-par, but a good quick read. "
— Gabrielle, 4/17/2011 -
" I enjoyed this book but it started out better then it ended. I would read another in the series. <br/> "
— Journeywoman, 4/6/2011 -
" Completely rapt thus far. Fantastic mystery. Only Three stars because I'm just halfway through. "
— Steph, 4/6/2011 -
" Page-turning historical fluff at its best! "
— Jennifer, 4/5/2011 -
" This fell between a 2 and a 3. I enjoyed the details of the period and the main character was quite interesting if rather underdeveloped. I will probably pick up the next one (if it is a series) and see if she flushes out her characters better and keeps the interesting historical details. "
— Susan, 4/4/2011 -
" This type of book always reviews better than it is. 16th Century murder mystery-sounds interesting but always seems to come up little flat "
— Bob, 3/31/2011 -
" Loved everything about this book from start to finish. "
— Paula, 3/28/2011 -
" Sorry, this one lost me pretty early on with some unrealistic reactions of most of the characters to the first crime in the story and then it didn't seem to recapture me quickly after that. I may proceed with it at a future time, but I am moving on to something else now. "
— SarahC, 3/27/2011
About S. J. Parris
S.J. Parris is the pen name of Stephanie Merritt who began reviewing books for national newspapers while she was reading English literature at Queens’ College, Cambridge. After graduating, she went on to become Deputy Literary Editor of the Observer in 1999. She continues to work as a feature writer and critic for the Guardian and the Observer and from 2007-2008 she curated and produced the Talks and Debates program on issues in contemporary arts and politics at London’s Soho Theatre. She has appeared as a panelist on various Radio Four shows and on BBC2’s Newsnight Review, and is a regular chair and presenter at the Hay Festival and the National Theatre. She has been a judge for the Costa Biography Award, the Orange New Writing Award, and the Perrier Comedy Award. She lives in the south of England with her son.
About John Lee
John Lee is the winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He has twice won acclaim as AudioFile’s Best Voice in Fiction & Classics. He also narrates video games, does voice-over work, and writes plays. He is an accomplished stage actor and has written and coproduced the feature films Breathing Hard and Forfeit. He played Alydon in the 1963–64 Doctor Who serial The Daleks.