The No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling seriesThe fifth book in S. J. Parris’s bestselling, critically acclaimed series following Giordano Bruno, set at the time of Queen Elizabeth IPARIS, 1585. A KING WITHOUT AN HEIR Giordano Bruno arrives in Paris to find a city on the edge of catastrophe. King Henry III lives in fear of a coup by the fanatical Catholic League and another massacre on the streets.A DEADLY CONSPIRACY IN PLAY When murder strikes at the heart of the Palace, Bruno finds himself on the trail of a killer who hides a terrible secret. With the royal houses of France and England under threat, he must expose the truth – or be silenced for good…Perfect for fans of C. J. Sansom and Hilary MantelPraise for S. J. Parris‘A delicious blend of history and thriller’ The Times‘An omnipresent sense of danger’ Daily Mail‘Colourful characters, fast-moving plots and a world where one false step in religion or politics can mean a grisly death’ Sunday Times‘Pacy, intricate, and thrilling’ Observer‘Vivid, sprawling … Well-crafted, exuberant’ Financial Times‘Impossible to resist’ Daily Telegraph‘Twists and turns like a corkscrew of venomous snakes’ Stuart MacBride‘It has everything – intrigue, mystery and excellent history’ Kate Mosse‘The period is incredibly vivid and the story utterly gripping’ Conn Iggulden‘A brilliantly unusual glimpse at the intrigues surrounding Queen Elizabeth I’ Andrew Taylor