Agenda

Travel back in time - It is February 1587. In England, Mary, Queen of Scots, is beheaded on the orders of the Privy Council.

In Spain, Philip II plans his ‘Enterprise of England’: an invasion to remove Queen Elizabeth and reinstate the Catholic faith. As rumours of all-out war circulate, Genoa’s bankers and merchants wait - and watch. What they do not know is that a ‘cold war’ is already under way, and their city – Europe’s leading financial centre - is a key battleground.

Nico Castello, a man from humble parentage who has clawed his way to wealth and position in Genoa, is under pressure to choose sides. The Republic’s leaders, the Church, his fellow bankers and even his bride Lisa Della Volta, expect him to ally himself with the Spanish cause. But when his brother is threatened with blackmail and a customer of his bank is murdered, Nico decides that those responsible, however powerful, must be held to account. His principles could cost him his marriage, every penny he has, even his life.

Intriguing and engaging. A plot full of suspense and mystery. A keen sense of time and place. Sympathetic characters. – on-line review

Bears comparison with Robert Harris & C J Sansom as a writer of serious historical fiction – Good reads reviews

David Breakell - was born and grew up in Sussex, England. After his schooldays, he read law at Oxford. After graduating, David travelled and pursued a misspent youth for several years. Finally, reality dawned and he qualified as a solicitor, only to be surprised to find that practising law was much more fun than studying it. “The Alchemist of Genoa” is his first full-length novel.

The event is an interview with readings and there will be a Q&A. Refreshments will be served and there will be a signing. The event is free, places are limited and we ask that you buy a 3€ voucher, redeemable at the event