A Tale of Paris and Paris: Echoes of Troy, in the Chronicles of Cortona by Edmond Thornfield, follows Lorenzo di Ranieri, a militia sergeant in Cortona, when inquisitors from Perugia arrive to pursue charges of heresy. Lorenzo forms a backstairs circle with Matteo at the Ranieri stable and relies on Costanza Briani to care for Priano, a novice smuggled out after punishment inside San Francesco. While 
the tribunal builds its case through Friar Domenico, Lorenzo imposes stricter custody rules. He tracks denunciations, supported by Vittorio dei Varani, obstructing the investigators through intimidation. Lorenzo convenes his commanders, including Angelo, Stefano, Claudio, and Rocco, but becomes the subject of an official inquiry himself. Blackmail threatens to expose Lorenzo’s bond with Vittorio. As the arrests spread, Cortona tightens into a test of secrecy.
Edmond Thornfield’s A Tale of Paris & Paris is set in Cortona during an inquisitorial campaign, and Lorenzo di Ranieri leads the plot as a man whose strength and compassion come straight from the heart, providing shelter, protection, and standing up to stop further harm. The relationship he develops with Vittorio dei Varani is especially dangerous during the Inquisition of the Faith. They share the night in private, and then deliberately distance themselves during Mass, where restraint must replace touch. Thornfield presents the setting and politics together well as the religious authority reshapes ordinary lives. This is clear when Lorenzo’s stable becomes a place of care, concealment, and coordination under civic watch. The writing is elegant, and this book will suit adult readers drawn to historical fiction grounded in the Renaissance, where moral decision-making and intimate relationships were shaped by public pressure.
Publisher : Ethorn Publishing
Publication date : September 3, 2025
Language : English
Print length : 408 pages
ISBN-13 : 978-6501580296
