A Divine Fury is the fourth book in DV Bishop’s award winning historical crime series set in 16th century Florence. As with all the volumes in this series, it could possibly be read as a stand alone. But this is a series best tackled in order as the characters are developing from book to book and there are usually some call backs to previous volumes.
A Divine Fury opens one year after the events of Ritual of Fire. Cesare Aldo has been allowed to return to Florence but is stuck on night patrol. When Aldo finds a body he sees the investigation as a chance to get himself reinstated as an investigator. Aldo is soon rejoined with old colleague Carlo Strochhi and the two are given only a short time to find the killer. But before they have made inroads a second body is found. At the same time Aldo is commissioned by Cosimo Medici to ingratiate himself with a Venetian spy, who is herself having issues with her masters who believe a man would do a better job.
The mystery element of A Divine Fury is not particularly complex but it is also not really the point. Of more interest is Bishop’s evocation of the setting and his focus on the way in which Aldo and Strocchi go about their investigation. In particular, the constraints put on them due to the influence and power of the church, particularly as it starts to emerge that one of their suspects is a priest. Aldo and Strochhi themselves are great central characters with interesting histories and complex personal lives who continue to grow and develop.
A Divine Fury is another great entry in a consistently high quality historical crime series. Bishop brings 16th Century Florence to life and uses his crime and espionage plots to explore social, political and religious aspects of the time. By the end of the book Aldo, particularly is in a new place, opening interesting opportunities if the series continues.
A Divine Fury by DV Bishop
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