Dueños del mundo

In Madrid in 1576, the newly established capital of Philip II's empire, death and duels were commonplace. But when the bailiff Diego de Paz, a veteran of the Spanish Tercios, takes charge of the discovery of a cruelly tortured body, he knows he is dealing with an unusual crime. The victim is an apothecary with a reputation as an alchemist, and as his investigation progresses, he will uncover a dangerous plot that reaches the highest echelons of power. At court, figures like the secretary Antonio Pérez and the Princess of Éboli move about when a new murder shakes the conversations in the town squares and markets. The murdered man is Juan de Escobedo, a trusted advisor to the king's half-brother, Don Juan of Austria, who is fighting in Flanders to maintain royal power. The death without issue of King Sebastian in the disastrous Battle of Alcazarquivir opens the door for Philip II to aspire to the throne of Portugal, but it will not be easy. A new war will put the Duke of Alba in charge of the land army and the Marquis of Santa Cruz in command of the squadron that will fight at sea.