Prophecy

Starred review from March 21, 2011
Tudor England again proves to be fertile ground for an outstanding historical thriller, as shown by Parris's marvelous second novel featuring philosopher spy Giordano Bruno (after Heresy). In 1583, as a legion of enemies imperils the reign of Elizabeth I, Bruno is playing a dangerous double game as an aide to the French ambassador and as a trusted agent for the queen's spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham. When someone strangles Cecily Ashe, one of Elizabeth's maids of honor, then carves the astrological sign of the planet Jupiter into her breast, Walsingham plucks Bruno from a wedding feast to add his insights into the highly sensitive murder inquiry. A doll in the victim's hand made up to resemble the monarch only intensifies the concern that the killing is linked to a plot against the queen. The suspenseful search for the murderer and the conspirators behind him makes the pages fly by. An admirable original sleuth and persuasive period detail bolster the taut plot.

The second in this historical mystery series is set in 1583, the year of the Great Conjunction, an astrological phenomenon occurring once every thousand years, presaging the end of an era. When one of the queen's ladies-in-waiting is strangled, an astrological sign carved into her breast and a doll resembling Queen Elizabeth I clutched in her hand, Francis Walsingham employs defrocked Italian monk, philosopher, and spy Giordano Bruno to investigate. John Lee's performance as Bruno makes PROPHECY a delicious wallow in court intrigue, the occult, and murder. Lee's characters are singular, multilayered, and credible. His accents are as well developed as his characters. While there's enough backstory to make this second Bruno adventure accessible, listening to HERESY first will make this a richer experience. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine