Fire and Earth

David West
Works of: Fiction

Priests are being burnt in their churches. Pope Paul hires two old enemies to track down the killer. Their journey leads them to Galileo and his students, but finding the killer leads them to another. They can’t deal with this one, but perhaps Anthony’s teenage children can.

“The victims were struck on the head, tied up, then placed on a pile of brandy-soaked straw and set ablaze. Curiously, the straw was enclosed within a foot-high wall of earth, suggesting the brutal slayings are intriguingly symbolic. Hugh and Anthony, both in need of cash, agree to investigate. Thus begins a clever historical novel that mixes a touch of danger with papal politics and the newly emerging heretical theory that Earth revolves around the sun. West’s fictionalized account of the period treats readers to delightful face-to-face conversations with such luminaries as Galileo and his fellow champion of the Copernican theory of the universe, Venetian scientist and politician Paolo Sarpi. The drama plays out against the backdrop of historical religious and political rivalries roiling Europe at the time. But it is the author’s lively, frequently sardonic dialogue (despite Hugh’s quirks in linguistic construction, which are initially challenging) and meticulous attention to the details of fashion, lifestyle, and culinary indulgences that bring the past alive—and paint a scathing indictment of a cruel, devious, and power-hungry papacy. The final chapters, starring Anthony’s twins, signal a likely third installment.” – Kirkus Reviews