Alchemy Book Reviews

Alchemy by Maureen Duffy Book Summary

A compelling mystery blending the witch trials of the past with a contemporary case of academic intrigue from this brilliant, well-loved novelist.

Jade Green is a solicitor with her own practice, Lost Causes, that she runs from her London flat. She struggles to keep her business afloat, and supplements her income by delivering for the local Chinese takeaway.

Her life changes with a single phonecall. Dr Gilbert has been dismissed from his post teaching the history of science at the University of Wessex. Allegations have been made that he was corrupting the students with Satanism; the professor himself suspects the university to be controlled by a fundamentalist Christian sect.

As Jade delves into this bizarre case, she finds herself drawn into a seventeenth-century manuscript, the original of which has been stolen from the Professor's briefcase at the university. It is ‘The Memorial of Amyntas Boston’, a young woman – raised as a boy – who is awaiting trial for dabbling in the black arts and in alchemy. Taken into service by Mary Sidney, she had fallen in love with her mistress and ultimately found herself betrayed by her.

The two stories intertwine as Jade feels her life – her hidden identities and her secret love – mysteriously resonate with Amyntas's. In this sweeping novel, Maureen Duffy combines the pleasures of detection with the mysteries of fraud, alchemy, early science and witchcraft. By turns passionate and drily witty, this is an immensely compelling tale.

Reviews

'Deftly handles the movement between two worlds, four centuries apart. Her range of cultural reference is dazzling.' Literary Review

'Riveting … blending passion, wit, and witchcraft to sparkling effect.' Daily Mail

'A fascinating coda to the history of the twentieth century politically engaged novel … a novel that bristles with ideas.' Sunday Times

'A novel of high emotion and devious stratagems … I read avidly to the (literally) incendiary close.' Spectator

Praise for Maureen Duffy:

‘Maureen Duffy is one of the few British writers of fiction of real class’ Financial Times

‘An experienced, prolific novelist; nothing she writes can fail.’ Daily Telegraph

‘Maureen Duffy is one of Britain’s foremost writers.’ Guardian

About the author

A prolific poet and playwright, Maureen Duffy published her first novel, That’s How It Was, in 1962. She is the author of the Londoners Trilogy and has written biographies of Purcell and Aphra Behn.

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