Set in Renaissance Florence, The Darkest Sin is an atmospheric historical thriller by D. V. Bishop and is the sequel to City of Vengeance.

'He is fast becoming a serious rival to C. J. Sansom and S. J. Parris' - Historical Novel Society

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.

When a man's body is found deep inside the convent, stabbed more than two dozen times, the case becomes even more complicated. 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 River 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 . . .

Winner of the Crime Writers' Association Historical Dagger Award 2023

A atmospheric locked-room historical thriller set against the backdrop of the Medici dynasty in 1530s Renaissance Florence and the sequel to City of Vengeance.

About the Author
D. V. Bishop is the pseudonym of award-winning writer David Bishop. His love for the city of Florence and the Renaissance period meant there could be only one setting for his historical thrillers. The first Cesare Aldo novel, City of Vengeance, won the Pitch Perfect competition at the Bloody Scotland crime writing festival and the NZ Booklovers Award for Best Adult Fiction Book. Book two in the series, The Darkest Sin, won the prestigious Crime Writers' Association Historical Dagger. He teaches creative writing at Edinburgh Napier University.

Reviews
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, bestselling author of the Wyndham & Banerjee series
He is fast becoming a serious rival to C. J. Sansom and S. J. Parris with his page-turning novels. Highly recommended * Historical Novel Society *
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, author of the Nathan Sutherland series
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 16th 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 16th century Florence - both ecclesiastic and civil - drew me effortlessly into his tale of bloodshed and murder. Thoroughly recommended -- A. D. Swanston
History, mystery and the eternal mystique of Renaissance Florence in perfect harmony! * Lancashire Evening Post *
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, author of The 6:20 Man, on 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, author of the Thomas Hawkins series, on City of Vengeance



Book Information
ISBN 9781529038842
Author D. V. Bishop
Format Paperback
Page Count 448
Imprint Pan Books
Publisher Pan Macmillan
Weight(grams) 314g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 130mm * 29mm