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The Emperor of Seville
"The story grips like the Inquisition's thumbscrews." - Peter Tonkin
Summer 1586.
When the Genoese banker Sandro Grandoni is murdered at a trade fair in the Castilian town of Medina del Campo, the Valladolid Chancery appoints the magistrate Bernardo de Mendoza to conduct the investigation.
The murder takes place at a delicate political moment. King Philip II is preparing to invade England, and the Crown is negotiating a new loan with the House of Grandoni to help finance the invasion. While the king and his ministers await the arrival of the imperial treasure fleet in Seville, one of Grandoni’s partners is murdered on the banks of the Guadalquivir.
Anxious to eliminate any obstacles to the ‘enterprise of England’, Philip sends Mendoza to Seville to see if the murders are connected.
Accompanied by his restless ward Gabriel, and a charismatic poet named Miguel de Cervantes, Mendoza travels to the violent, vice-ridden imperial city that sixteenth century Spaniards called ‘the Great Babylon.’
Mendoza soon finds himself entangled a bewildering web of intrigue and corruption, that extends from the Indies to the Seville streets. In an unfamiliar city where no one can be trusted, Mendoza is forced to seek the assistance of his turbulent cousin, Luis de Ventura.
Mendoza’s task is further complicated, when his lover Elena unexpectedly arrives in the city with an Italian theatre group.
Throughout the sweltering Andalusian summer, Mendoza follows the trail of deaths, as the search for justice becomes a struggle for survival, in which no one’s life is guaranteed.
Matthew Carr is the author of nonfiction books, including Blood and Faith, Savage Frontier, and Darwin's Savages, as well as three The Devils of Cardona, The Emperor of Seville, and Black Sun Rising. He has written for The New York Times, The Guardian and many other publications. He lives in Sheffield.
Praise for The Devils of Cardona: "A page-turner in the proper sense... Mr. Carr has written a gripping and enjoyable novel." - The Wall Street Journal
Praise for Blood and The Purging of Muslim Spain 1492-1614: "Well-balanced and comprehensive...a splendid work of synthesis. ...it is impossible to read this book without sensing its resonance in our own time."
- The New York Times
Praise for Darwin's Science, Race, and the Conquest of "To read [this] 'grim history' of Patagonia is to realise how much of our understanding of this evocative region has been based on a succession of monstrous ... misconceptions."
- The Spectator
Summer 1586.
When the Genoese banker Sandro Grandoni is murdered at a trade fair in the Castilian town of Medina del Campo, the Valladolid Chancery appoints the magistrate Bernardo de Mendoza to conduct the investigation.
The murder takes place at a delicate political moment. King Philip II is preparing to invade England, and the Crown is negotiating a new loan with the House of Grandoni to help finance the invasion. While the king and his ministers await the arrival of the imperial treasure fleet in Seville, one of Grandoni’s partners is murdered on the banks of the Guadalquivir.
Anxious to eliminate any obstacles to the ‘enterprise of England’, Philip sends Mendoza to Seville to see if the murders are connected.
Accompanied by his restless ward Gabriel, and a charismatic poet named Miguel de Cervantes, Mendoza travels to the violent, vice-ridden imperial city that sixteenth century Spaniards called ‘the Great Babylon.’
Mendoza soon finds himself entangled a bewildering web of intrigue and corruption, that extends from the Indies to the Seville streets. In an unfamiliar city where no one can be trusted, Mendoza is forced to seek the assistance of his turbulent cousin, Luis de Ventura.
Mendoza’s task is further complicated, when his lover Elena unexpectedly arrives in the city with an Italian theatre group.
Throughout the sweltering Andalusian summer, Mendoza follows the trail of deaths, as the search for justice becomes a struggle for survival, in which no one’s life is guaranteed.
Matthew Carr is the author of nonfiction books, including Blood and Faith, Savage Frontier, and Darwin's Savages, as well as three The Devils of Cardona, The Emperor of Seville, and Black Sun Rising. He has written for The New York Times, The Guardian and many other publications. He lives in Sheffield.
Praise for The Devils of Cardona: "A page-turner in the proper sense... Mr. Carr has written a gripping and enjoyable novel." - The Wall Street Journal
Praise for Blood and The Purging of Muslim Spain 1492-1614: "Well-balanced and comprehensive...a splendid work of synthesis. ...it is impossible to read this book without sensing its resonance in our own time."
- The New York Times
Praise for Darwin's Science, Race, and the Conquest of "To read [this] 'grim history' of Patagonia is to realise how much of our understanding of this evocative region has been based on a succession of monstrous ... misconceptions."
- The Spectator
376 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 11, 2025
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February 1, 2026
Excellent!! Totally gripping and rich in historical detail. My favourite of the Mendoza books yet, the plotting was intricate and kept me guessing until the end. Nice to be reunited with our favourite characters and to meet some new ones along the way. Looking forward to seeing what happens in book 3.
Displaying 1 of 1 review