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The Darkest Sin

Winner of the CWA Historical Dagger Award

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About this listen

*Winner of the CWA Historical Dagger 2023*

'A great insight into Renaissance Florence. What I love about these books is the seamless weaving of factual history with a great story' – Abir Mukherjee

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 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. The dead man had many enemies, but who would dare kill an official of the city’s most feared criminal court?

As Aldo and Strocchi close in on the truth, identifying the killers will prove more treacherous than either of them could ever have imagined . . .

The Darkest Sin is an atmospheric locked-room thriller by D. V. Bishop, set in Renaissance Florence and is the sequel to City of Vengeance.

 Crime Thrillers Historical Historical Fiction Mystery Renaissance Thriller & Suspense Fiction

Critic reviews

He is fast becoming a serious rival to C. J. Sansom and S. J. Parris with his page-turning novels. Highly recommended
Pretty much everything I want in an historical thriller - an absolutely terrific read, in a series that’s clearly going from strength to strength (Philip Gwynne Jones)
A real pleasure. A lavender-scented, sun-drenched convent hidden among the backstreets of Florence is the absorbing setting for Cesare Aldo’s latest investigation. The conflicting ambitions and ideals of its cast of interesting women make this an engrossing mystery (Leonora Nattrass, author of Black Drop)
D. V. Bishop transports you to an utterly convincing sixteenth-century Florence, where the best and worst of human nature constantly circle each other in this tense mystery (S. G. MacLean)
My first encounter with the investigator Cesare Aldo was immersive and rewarding. The author’s knowledge of sixteenth-century Florence - both ecclesiastic and civil - drew me effortlessly into his tale of bloodshed and murder. Thoroughly recommended (A. D. Swanston)

Bishop builds the suspense well, masterfully connecting the disparate strands of the story . . . Given the quality of the first two novels about Cesare Aldo, this series could become essential reading for fans of the historical novel
Impressive
History, mystery and the eternal mystique of Renaissance Florence in perfect harmony!
Praise for City of Vengeance: An impressive and immersive debut set in a beautifully realized sixteenth-century Florence. Investigator Cesare Aldo is a fascinating and charismatic protagonist. Highly recommended (Antonia Hodgson)
Praise for City of Vengeance: Richly atmospheric . . . transports you to another time and place (Ambrose Parry, author of The Way of All Flesh,)
Praise for City of Vengeance: A first-class historical thriller with echoes of The Name of the Rose. Bishop’s spirited and richly detailed story, layered with issues of humanity that still bedevil society today, is a tour de force (David Baldacci)
A beautifully realized Renaissance Florence, the return of the whip-smart protagonist Cesare Aldo, and a brutal murder behind convent walls – delicious! (Alison Belsham)

A bloody crime in a convent full of nuns is a splendid concept in itself but add the sights and smells of medieval Florence, a series of flawed and often sinister male characters and a some cracking twists in the narrative and you have a gripping tale

(Joanna Hickson)

Intriguing and compelling, The Darkest Sin is a vivid and mesmerizing portrayal of 16th century Florence. I loved it

(Sue Lawrence)
So fluid and fluent, the pages almost turn themselves . . . Aldo is a great creation: resourceful, driven and forced to hide who he really is, but nevertheless is compelled to find justice for those who deserve it (James Oswald, bestselling author of the Inspector McLean series, on City of Vengeance)
All stars
Most relevant
Good story, well written and I
thoroughly enjoyed reading both
books. Old Florence came alive!

Fascinating books

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Whilst this story line was a really good follow up to City of Vengeance, and again a great performance, the story itself was a bit padded out in places, although it picked up it's pace to become a good ending. Not sure yet though whether I'll read the next one, might leave it for a while, but that's pretty normal for me anyway!

Good story, very well read.

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So great to catch up with these characters again. Absolutely loved it. Highly recommended. Do make sure you’ve read City of vengeance first though!

Fantastic story

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Absolutely loved this book great story line .Intreage , murder ,corruption. Life in a convent , and the life women had to endure in the 1600 . You are completely immersed in the times the sights sounds and smells . Can’t wait for the next book in the series loved it

Absolutely loved this book

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Another wonderful instalment in this series, you really need to have read the 1st book to understand the tension running through the story.
An interesting complex protagonist and a story set in a intriguing period of history.
Loved the clear narration with lyrical accent to the Italian names.
Very easy to listen to and would highly recommend.

Wonderful setting and characters

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