Scotland-based Kiwi author D V Bishop has spent decades penning diverse tales from ‘Judge Dredd’ comics to ‘Doctor Who’ tie-in novels. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that Bishop’s relatively new foray into historical mysteries is another example of his storytelling mastery.
His latest novel, Ritual of Fire is the third in his CWA Dagger-winning ‘Cesare Aldo’ series set in Renaissance Florence.
Bishop soaks readers in the grandeur and grime of 16th century Florence; Summer 1538, and the city-state is sweltering. A night patrol finds a rich merchant hanged and set ablaze in the main piazza, evoking memories of the execution of popular puritanical monk Girolamo Savonarola 40 years earlier.
Cesare Aldo has been banished to the Tuscan countryside, so it’s up to his protégé Carlo Strocchi of the feared Otto Di Guardia e Balia criminal court to investigate. When another rich merchant is burned alive, the pressure rises from the city’s leaders. A play for power, or long-marinated revenge? Aldo and Strocchi must set aside their differences to unmask dangerous killers as religious fervour and a scorching heatwave drive Florence towards riots and madness.
Bishop delivers another captivating, action-packed mystery that’s full of flavour and texture. He finely balances history and mystery, offering readers insights into the era without ever overwhelming the intrigue. Aldo’s a fascinating protagonist, and this is a great read in a great series that will hopefully have many instalments to come.
Reviewed by Craig Sisterson
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ABOUT THE AUTHORD V Bishop is the author of the Cesare Aldo mysteries set in Renaissance Florence, published by Pan Macmillan. An award-winning screenwriter and TV dramatist, his love for the city of Florence and the Renaissance period meant there could only be one setting for his crime-fiction debut.
He was awarded a Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship by the Scottish Book Trust in 2017 while writing the first Cesare Aldo novel, City of Vengeance. Bishop won the Pitch Perfect competition at the 2018 Bloody Scotland international crime fiction festival.
He was shortlisted for the 2021 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize, won the 2022 NZ Booklovers Award for Best Adult Novel and is shortlisted for the 2023 CWA Historical Dagger. His novels have also been longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger, and the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel.
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