England, 1583 A country awash with paranoia and conspiracy — but a safe haven for a radical monk on the run Giordano Bruno, with his theories of astronomy and extraterrestrial life, has fled the Inquisition for the court of Elizabeth I Here, he attracts the attention of Francis Walsingham, chief spymaster and sworn enemy of Catholic plotters Bruno is sent undercover to Oxford, where the university is believed to be a hotbed of French dissent Bruno quickly finds himself drawn into college intrigues, and distracted by a beautiful young woman Before long, he is investigating a hideous series of murders, each linked by a letter offering clues The letters suggest that each victim was guilty of heresy But is Bruno being aided or misled - or is he himself the next target? Stalking a cunning and determined killer through the shadowy cloisters of Oxford, Bruno realizes that even the wise cannot always tell truth from heresy But some are prepared to kill for it