Listen free for 30 days
-
City of Vengeance
- Cesare Aldo Series
- Narrated by: Mark Meadows
- Series: Cesare Aldo Series, Book 1
- Length: 13 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Historical Fiction
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Listen with a free trial
Buy Now for £13.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Darkest Sin
- Cesare Aldo, Book 2
- By: D. V. Bishop
- Narrated by: Mark Meadows
- Length: 14 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Florence. Spring, 1537. When Cesare Aldo investigates a report of intruders at a convent in the Renaissance city’s northern quarter, he enters a community divided by bitter rivalries and harbouring dark secrets. His case becomes far more complicated when a naked man’s body is found deep inside the convent, stabbed more than two dozen times. Unthinkable as it seems, all the evidence suggests one of the nuns must be the killer. Meanwhile, Constable Carlo Strocchi finds human remains pulled from the Arno that belong to an officer of the law missing since winter.
-
-
Fascinating books
- By London Gin on 15-04-22
-
Hearts of Stone
- By: Simon Scarrow
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Sunday Times best-selling author of The Gladiator and Brothers in Blood returns with another unpauseable, thrilling, and action-packed adventure. The fierce courage of the men and women of the Greek Resistance is brought to vivid life in Sunday Times best seller Simon Scarrow's powerful new novel of World War II. It's 1938. A perfect summer on the Greek island of Lefkas for three young people untroubled by the simmering politics of Europe.
-
-
Another gripping, historic tale.
- By Ian C Dando on 01-11-16
-
Daughters of Night
- By: Laura Shepherd-Robinson
- Narrated by: Lucy Scott
- Length: 15 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
London, 1782. Desperate for her politician husband to return home from France, Caroline 'Caro' Corsham is already in a state of anxiety when she finds a well-dressed woman mortally wounded in the bowers of the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. The Bow Street constables are swift to act, until they discover that the deceased woman was a highly paid prostitute, at which point they cease to care entirely. But Caro has motives of her own for wanting to see justice done and so sets out to solve the crime herself.
-
-
Excellent novel and performance
- By Laurence Jones on 05-03-21
-
The Leviathan
- By: Rosie Andrews
- Narrated by: Rupert Farley
- Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Norfolk, 1643. With civil war tearing England apart, reluctant soldier Thomas Treadwater is summoned home by his sister, who accuses a new servant of improper conduct with their widowed father. By the time Thomas returns home, his father is insensible, felled by a stroke, and their new servant is in prison, facing charges of witchcraft.
-
-
Immersive and beautifully crafted!
- By Cathy on 04-02-22
-
A Taste for Killing
- By: Sarah Hawkswood
- Narrated by: Matt Addis
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
January, 1145. Godfrey Bowyer, the best but least likeable bow maker in Worcester, dies an agonising death by poisoning. Although similarly struck down after the same meal, his wife, Blanche, survives. The number of people who could have administered the poison should mean a very short investigation for the sheriff’s men, Hugh Bradecote, Serjeant Catchpoll and Underserjeant Walkelin, but perhaps someone was pulling the strings, and that widens the net considerably.
-
-
More please. Loved it.
- By Mrs C Cowood on 15-05-22
-
The King's Justice
- A Stanton and Barling Mystery, Book 1
- By: E. M. Powell
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
England, 1176. Aelred Barling, esteemed clerk to the justices of King Henry II, is dispatched from the royal court with his young assistant, Hugo Stanton, to investigate a brutal murder in a village outside York. The case appears straightforward. A suspect is under lock and key in the local prison, and the angry villagers are demanding swift justice. But when more bodies are discovered, certainty turns to doubt - and amid the chaos it becomes clear that nobody is above suspicion.
-
-
Great murder mystery
- By KAH on 04-10-18
-
The Darkest Sin
- Cesare Aldo, Book 2
- By: D. V. Bishop
- Narrated by: Mark Meadows
- Length: 14 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Florence. Spring, 1537. When Cesare Aldo investigates a report of intruders at a convent in the Renaissance city’s northern quarter, he enters a community divided by bitter rivalries and harbouring dark secrets. His case becomes far more complicated when a naked man’s body is found deep inside the convent, stabbed more than two dozen times. Unthinkable as it seems, all the evidence suggests one of the nuns must be the killer. Meanwhile, Constable Carlo Strocchi finds human remains pulled from the Arno that belong to an officer of the law missing since winter.
-
-
Fascinating books
- By London Gin on 15-04-22
-
Hearts of Stone
- By: Simon Scarrow
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Sunday Times best-selling author of The Gladiator and Brothers in Blood returns with another unpauseable, thrilling, and action-packed adventure. The fierce courage of the men and women of the Greek Resistance is brought to vivid life in Sunday Times best seller Simon Scarrow's powerful new novel of World War II. It's 1938. A perfect summer on the Greek island of Lefkas for three young people untroubled by the simmering politics of Europe.
-
-
Another gripping, historic tale.
- By Ian C Dando on 01-11-16
-
Daughters of Night
- By: Laura Shepherd-Robinson
- Narrated by: Lucy Scott
- Length: 15 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
London, 1782. Desperate for her politician husband to return home from France, Caroline 'Caro' Corsham is already in a state of anxiety when she finds a well-dressed woman mortally wounded in the bowers of the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. The Bow Street constables are swift to act, until they discover that the deceased woman was a highly paid prostitute, at which point they cease to care entirely. But Caro has motives of her own for wanting to see justice done and so sets out to solve the crime herself.
-
-
Excellent novel and performance
- By Laurence Jones on 05-03-21
-
The Leviathan
- By: Rosie Andrews
- Narrated by: Rupert Farley
- Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Norfolk, 1643. With civil war tearing England apart, reluctant soldier Thomas Treadwater is summoned home by his sister, who accuses a new servant of improper conduct with their widowed father. By the time Thomas returns home, his father is insensible, felled by a stroke, and their new servant is in prison, facing charges of witchcraft.
-
-
Immersive and beautifully crafted!
- By Cathy on 04-02-22
-
A Taste for Killing
- By: Sarah Hawkswood
- Narrated by: Matt Addis
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
January, 1145. Godfrey Bowyer, the best but least likeable bow maker in Worcester, dies an agonising death by poisoning. Although similarly struck down after the same meal, his wife, Blanche, survives. The number of people who could have administered the poison should mean a very short investigation for the sheriff’s men, Hugh Bradecote, Serjeant Catchpoll and Underserjeant Walkelin, but perhaps someone was pulling the strings, and that widens the net considerably.
-
-
More please. Loved it.
- By Mrs C Cowood on 15-05-22
-
The King's Justice
- A Stanton and Barling Mystery, Book 1
- By: E. M. Powell
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
England, 1176. Aelred Barling, esteemed clerk to the justices of King Henry II, is dispatched from the royal court with his young assistant, Hugo Stanton, to investigate a brutal murder in a village outside York. The case appears straightforward. A suspect is under lock and key in the local prison, and the angry villagers are demanding swift justice. But when more bodies are discovered, certainty turns to doubt - and amid the chaos it becomes clear that nobody is above suspicion.
-
-
Great murder mystery
- By KAH on 04-10-18
-
The Ashes of London
- By: Andrew Taylor
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
London, September 1666. The Great Fire rages through the city, consuming everything in its path. Even the impregnable cathedral of St. Paul's is engulfed in flames and reduced to ruins. Among the crowds watching its destruction is James Marwood, son of a disgraced printer and reluctant government informer. In the aftermath of the fire, a semi-mummified body is discovered in the ashes of St. Paul's, in a tomb that should have been empty. The man's body has been mutilated, and his thumbs have been tied behind his back.
-
-
Mystery and murder in 'the dunnest smoke of hell'
- By Rachel Redford on 27-04-16
-
The Wolves of Savernake
- Domesday, Book 1
- By: Edward Marston
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ralph Delchard, a soldier who fought at the Battle of Hastings, and Gervase Bret, a talented lawyer, have been commissioned by William the Conqueror to look into irregularities brought to light during the compilation of the Domesday Book. A man’s body is found mutilated in Savernake Forest and the residents of Bedwyn sleep uneasy at night, fearing a monster stalking the town. When Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret arrive, they discover that the locals are harbouring dark secrets and that the real killer may be a little closer to home....
-
-
Easy listening at its best.
- By K on 23-11-21
-
A Litter of Bones: A Scottish Crime Thriller
- DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, Book 1
- By: JD Kirk
- Narrated by: Angus King
- Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Was the biggest case of his career the worst mistake he ever made? Ten years ago, DCI Jack Logan stopped the serial child-killer dubbed "Mister Whisper", earning himself a commendation, a drinking problem, and a broken marriage in the process...When another child disappears a hundred miles north in the Highlands, Jack is sent to lead the investigation and bring the boy home. But as similarities between the two cases grow, could it be that Jack caught the wrong man all those years ago?
-
-
Brilliant unless you're a lover of cats!
- By Mrs D J Fraser on 13-08-19
-
The Angel's Mark
- By: S. W. Perry
- Narrated by: Kris Dyer
- Length: 14 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
LONDON, 1590. Queen Elizabeth I's control over her kingdom is wavering. Amidst a tumultuous backdrop of Spanish plotters, Catholic heretics and foreign wars threatening the country's fragile stability, the body of a small boy is found in the City of London, with strange marks that no one can explain. When idealistic physician Nicholas Shelby finds another body displaying the same marks only days later, he becomes convinced that a killer is at work, preying on the weak and destitute of London.
-
-
Excellent book
- By Kate on 28-10-18
-
The Red Hill
- Thomas Berrington, Volume 1
- By: David Penny
- Narrated by: Ian Russell
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1482 the Englishman Thomas Berrington is living in the last remnants of Moorish Spain. A physician, he is an unwilling friend to the most powerful man in the kingdom. When bodies start to turn up, each showing the marks of a savage attack, Thomas is asked to investigate.
-
-
Promising debut
- By Amazon Customer on 30-01-18
-
The Pimlico Murder
- By: Mike Hollow
- Narrated by: Simon Mattacks
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Armistice Day 1940. The Blitz Detective John Jago finds himself despatched to Pimlico to investigate a suspicious death. A young man, Terry Watson, has been found in an Anderson shelter, battered about the head, and with two white poppies in his pocket. As the investigation delves into Watson's background, Jago and his assistant DC Craddock find themselves knee-deep in Pimlico's shady underworld and connections with Oswald Mosley's BUF party. It will take all their skills to uncover the truth behind the pacifist's brutal death.
-
-
Another fantastic listen
- By FrancesH on 06-01-22
-
The Unquiet Bones
- By: Mel Starr
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hugh of Singleton, fourth son of a minor knight, has been educated as a clerk, usually a prelude to taking holy orders. However, feeling no certain calling despite a lively faith, he turns to the profession of surgeon, training in Paris and then hanging out his sign in Oxford. A local lord asks him to track the killer of a young woman whose bones have been found in the castle cesspit. She is identified as the impetuous missing daughter of a local blacksmith, and her young man, whom she had provoked very publicly, is in due course arrested and sentenced at the Oxford assizes.
-
-
Shardlake's Younger Brother, the surgeon
- By Mr. Stephen Gould on 20-09-20
-
Death in Delft
- A 17th Century Historical Murder Mystery (Master Mercurius Mystery Series, Book 1)
- By: Graham Brack
- Narrated by: Alex Wyndham
- Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Three young girls have been abducted from their homes. The body of one has been found in a shallow grave. The other two are still missing. The murder has shocked everyone in the peaceful city of Delft, and the mayor is desperate to catch the perpetrator before panic can spread any further. With the bitterly cold January weather intensifying, it is doubtful that the other two girls are still alive. But whoever took them is still at large.
-
-
A joy
- By Rachel Bell on 18-03-21
-
The Holy Thief
- By: William Ryan, W.C. Ryan
- Narrated by: Seán Barrett
- Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Moscow, 1936. In a deconsecrated church, a young woman is found dead, her mutilated body displayed on the altar for all to see. Captain Alexei Dimitrevich Korolev is asked to investigate. But when he discovers that the victim is an American citizen, the NKVD - the most feared organisation in Russia - becomes involved. Soon, Korolev’s every step is under close scrutiny and one false move will mean exile to the frozen camps of the far north. Committed to uncovering the truth, Korolov enters the realm of the Thieves, who run Moscow’s underworld.
-
The Lion of Wales
- The Complete Series, Books 1-5
- By: Sarah Woodbury
- Narrated by: Tom Mumford
- Length: 17 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Love. Magic. Faith. By the autumn of 537 AD, all who are loyal to King Arthur have retreated to a small parcel of land in North Wales. They are surrounded on all sides, heavily outnumbered, and facing near certain defeat. But Myrddin and Nell, two of the king's companions, have a secret that neither has ever been able to face: Each has seen that on a cold and snowy day in December, Saxon soldiers sent by Modred will ambush and kill King Arthur. And together, they must decide what they are willing to do, and to sacrifice, to avert that fate.
-
The Redemption of Alexander Seaton
- By: S. G. MacLean
- Narrated by: Crawford Logan
- Length: 13 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Banff in the 1620s. A man staggering down the street. He appears drunk, but he's been poisoned. The victim, and apothecary's apprentice, is discovered dead in Alexander Seaton's house, a fallen minister whose life lies in tatters after his affair with the Laird's daughter is discovered and he is cast out of the kirk in disgrace. When his friend is accused of the apprentice's murder, Alexander sets out to solve the crime and clear his friend's name.
-
-
Great book, well read
- By Rachel on 16-05-09
-
The Charmer
- Assassins Guild, Book 1
- By: C. J. Archer
- Narrated by: Duke Defoix, Duchess Defoix
- Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Orlando Holt has never assassinated a woman before. The lovely, feisty Lady Lynden will be his first. She's supposed to be a vicious murderess, but when Orlando begins to have doubts, he sets out to discover the identity of the person who hired him. What he learns will turn his world upside down and propel him headlong into love with a woman who's immune to his charms.
-
-
effective for convincing ambient and period.
- By MARGARET on 17-01-22
Summary
Shortlisted for the 2021 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize
City of Vengeance is an explosive debut novel in an historical thriller series by D. V. Bishop, set in Renaissance Florence.
Florence. Winter, 1536. A prominent Jewish moneylender is murdered in his home, a death with wide implications in a city powered by immense wealth.
Cesare Aldo, a former soldier and now an officer of the Renaissance city’s most feared criminal court, is given four days to solve the murder: catch the killer before the feast of Epiphany - or suffer the consequences.
During his investigations, Aldo uncovers a plot to overthrow the volatile ruler of Florence, Alessandro de’ Medici. If the duke falls, it will endanger the whole city. But a rival officer of the court is determined to expose details about Aldo’s private life that could lead to his ruin. Can Aldo stop the conspiracy before anyone else dies, or will his own secrets destroy him first?
Continue the historical series with The Darkest Sin.
Critic reviews
"A first-class historical thriller...Bishop’s spirited and richly detailed story is a tour-de-force." (David Baldacci)
"Richly atmospheric...transports you to another time and place." (Ambrose Parry, author of The Way of All Flesh)
"An impressive and immersive debut set in a beautifully realized 16th-century Florence." (Antonia Hodgson)
More from the same
Author
Narrator
What listeners say about City of Vengeance
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- V. O'Regan
- 11-02-21
Great start to new series
It’s always great to discover a new series at its start and this one set in sixteenth century Florence is a well written historical mystery that incorporates real events with fictional ones
Aldo is a fascinating character
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- The Curator
- 07-02-21
Thoroughly enjoyable
Renaissance shenanigans in Florence. I really enjoyed this book which weaves stories of different kinds of love, death and loyalty around city politics and some very squelchy murder. So good to see different kinds of LGBTQI+ lives represented and not just as a plot device. Hopefully there are more to come
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ms. S. J. McReynolds
- 01-07-21
Florentine LGBQT!
Immersive plot but main protagonist something of a lone ranger. Didn't like the sprinkling of the occasional Italian word in English narrative and dialogue - inauthentic. However the sights and smells of De Medici Florence are vivid.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tamorinia
- 26-03-21
Immersive and engaging. Love this book!
I loved this book! I was a bit hesitant at first as I am not normally a crime novel fan but I do love a bit of historical fiction and the time period and location were so well established that I found it incredibly immersive. There has clearly been a great deal of research gone into this novel and it shows. There is great attention to detail when it comes to architecture, atmosphere and semiotics. Also the use of Italian throughout helps to set the scene nicely. It’s also been used very cleverly as someone, like myself, who doesn’t speak Italian can still see what is said and understand what is going on purely from the context given. I have now added a wonderful plethora of filthy, Italian, onomatopoeic words to my repertoire! The character development is well established and at no point feels rushed which is a pet hate I have with some novels. Strocchi is definitely my favourite! I particularly love D.V.Bishop’s choice to explore the role of gender and sexual inequality in the time period. It adds subtext and another dynamic to all of the character interactions.
The narrator was very engaging and dealt with the Italian pronunciation incredibly well.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this novel and can’t wait for next instalment!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- ALAN MOORE
- 09-03-21
Great debut for historical detective
I was quickly caught up in the story and it never let go. The characters were believable - both the likeable ones and the really repulsive ones. The historical setting and details were obviously very well researched, but never got in the way of the cracking plot. The narrator was great, with excellent Italian pronunciation for names and phrases. I can't wait for the next book in the series!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Danski H
- 04-01-22
Exceptional
What a debut! I’m so glad this is a series. I cannot wait to revisit Aldo and Florence. Fantastic writing, wonderful plot twists, great characters… I couldn’t get enough. Loved everything about this book. Great narration, too!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 05-03-21
Let down by the narration
I liked the plot of this book. I would recommend it as a holiday read , but a read rather than a listen.
I think more time should have been spent on the narration. Its a very dramatic plot and there was little sense of tension or pace and so I wasn’t really drawn in.
Crucially the female characters were poorly done. Particularly those from the lower social classes. They just sounded like Brian’s mum in Life of Brian. This just killed it for me.