Shadow of Madness is a Sunday Times historical novel of the month for July
D. V. Bishop’s novels about Cesare Aldo, an investigator for the criminal court in Medici-ruled Florence, combine convincing period detail about the Renaissance city with ingenious plotting and memorable characters. In the sixth of the series, Aldo and his friend and lover, the Jewish doctor Saul Orvieto, arrive at the Ospedale de’ Pazzi, an asylum for the incurably insane in the hills above Florence. Aldo, now directly in the employ of Cosimo de’ Medici, is searching for clues about his own past, but has to turn his attention to more pressing matters after a blizzard traps the visitors in the Ospedale and he witnesses a bloody murder in its courtyard. As further killings follow and dark secrets emerge, Aldo realises that someone has returned to the asylum to avenge wrongs suffered many years earlier.
SHADOW OF MADNESS, the new Cesare Aldo historical thriller, available now
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SHADOW OF MADNESS, the new Cesare Aldo historical thriller, available now •
Listen to The Aldocast, a new podcast exploring the Cesare Aldo historical thrillers
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Listen to The Aldocast, a new podcast exploring the Cesare Aldo historical thrillers •
Meet D. V. BISHOP at these 2026 events:
Tue. 21st July • 6pm @ Serenity Booksellers, Romiley • In conversation with D. V. Bishop • Book tickets here
Wed. 22nd July • Crime Central, 6pm @ Manchester Central Library • D. V. Bishop, Emma Christie, Trevor Wood and Chris MacDonald • Book tickets here
Thu. 23rd July • 4pm, Noir at the Bar Harrogate • D. V. Bishop will be one of the authors reading from their work @ Blues Bar, 4 Montpellier Parade, HG1 2TJ.
Sat. 25th July • 2.45pm, Dead Giveaways tent (Pan Macmillan) • D. V. Bishop, Lin Anderson and Julia Chapmen talk about launching a new series • 2026 Theakston’s Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival, The Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate • Free event, book tickets here
Sat. 8th August • Bute Noir 2026 • 11.30am: Pride and Prejudice, D. V. Bishop, Allan Gaw and Louise Welsh in conversation with Bob McDevitt @ Glenburn Hotel, Rothesay, Isle of Bute • More info and book tickets here
Fri. 18th September • Bloody Scotland 2026 • 6.45pm: History in the Making, D. V. Bishop, A. E. Goldin and Cressida Downing in conversation with Marco Rinaldi @ Made in Stirling, 44 King St, Stirling FK8 1AY • More info and book tickets here
More events to be announced soon!
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