In the year 1300, a brave Franciscan friar stood up to the Inquisition, ending its tortures, clearing its prisons and chasing the Inquisitors from southern France. Soon rumors of treason and heresy flew, gaining the attention of a ruthless French king and culminating in the trial of the friar, Brother Bernard Délicieux, presided by a Grand Inquisitor and future pope. An unprecedented tale of courage and corruption.
Saga (UK)
“The background to the persecution of the heretical Cathar sect in the early 14th century is so exuberantly coloured that O’Shea’s narrative crackles with the pace of a gripping historical novel.”
Sean McGlynn, BBC History Magazine
“This is a great story, full of fascinating and odious characters corrupted by power, and O’Shea tells it well with a real sense of excitement that makes it a pleasure to read.”
