THE BOOK FAIR
READ AND FULFILL YOUR LIFE
David Liss
A
CONSPIRACY
of PAPER
Author: David Liss
Published: 2000
Genre: Historical Novel
Cover: Paperback
Pages: 437
Review:
Masterful, historical and well researched, a tale of the world’s first stock market crash known as the South Sea Bubble sets the scene for suspense, intrigue, murder, love, politics, and corruption in early 18th Century London, England. Benjamin Weaver, retired pugilist, and private investigator opens the story writing his memoirs.
Weaver, the likeable, personable protagonist in several of the author’s novels competes with the infamous, historic rascal, Jonathan Wild. Weaver’s acceptance to investigate a proposed murder for a wealthy client of his deceased father, leads him to investigate the demise of his own father. To accomplish the tasks, Weaver must learn and master the newly founded stock market, often an arena of danger.
In his spare time, Weaver reconnects with his family and meets the young widow of his deceased cousin, with whom he is quickly smitten.
Informative, entertaining, colorful, with cobblestoned streets, dark passageways, damp prisons, long rustling gowns, horse-drawn coaches and rigid social expectations, the novel offers vivid depictions of 18th century England. Weaver, a Jew, faces the virulent anti-Semitism prevalent throughout Europe, and cites examples of liberties denied to Jews as well as penalties thrust upon them.
A
SPECTACLE
of CORRUPTION
Author: David Liss
Published: 2004
Genre: Historical Novel
Cover: Paperback
Pages: 381
Review:
Benjamin Weaver returns in this fast-paced, intelligent, mystery thriller targeting the political scene of the 1722 General Election in England. Weaver, on trial for the murder of dock worker, offers testimony in his defense. With only a few days to prepare for his trial, and no solicitor allowed, Weaver is summarily pronounced guilty by the jury, lectured by the judge of the nefarious Jewish race and sentenced to the historic Newgate Prison to be jailed before he is to be hung. As he is led away, a beautiful blonde woman clutches him, wailing over his sentence and slips him a surprise.
In the clutches of the damp, stank prison, Benjamin ruminates over his fate and wonders if it was not politics that landed him in Newgate. Benjamin uses the lock pick to escape and flees to the home of Elias Gordon, his best friend. As Benjamin and Elias discuss the possibilities of clearing his name, they devise a plan for disguise. To add to the intrigue, Benjamin receives a coded message from Jonathan Wild, his old nemesis and who surprised Benjamin, by defending him at his trial. Benjamin navigates the politics of political intrigue as he fights for his freedom, while attempting to discover the real murderer, and above all, win the love of his cousin’s widow, Miriam. Excellent! Recommended!
Note:
Opposing parties vied for power. The “Tories”, the party of old money, land-owners, and the Church of England believed in a strong monarchy.
The “Whigs” supported the stock market, new landless money, non-conformist Protestantism, and Parliamentary power to replace the traditional Royals.
“Jacobites” fought to restore James II to the throne, the Catholic king deposed in 1688 by William and Mary, James II’s daughter.
The “Pretenders” were the deposed king and his heirs.
“ Franchise” refers to those allowed to vote; only landowners could vote, and had to earn a specific sum to do so depending on the county or borough.
The COFFEE TRADER
Author: David Liss
Published: 2003
Genre: Historical Novel
Cover: Paperback
Pages: 384
Review:
In “The Coffee Trader”, Miguel Lienzo, takes center stage. Miguel, a Jewish immigrant from Portugal, finds refuge in Amsterdam, Holland in the late 1650’s. Along with other Jews and Dutchmen, Miquel risks his money and his reputation adventuring in the stock market.
As the story opens, a Christian Dutch woman and friend of Miguel’s, offers him a bitter, strange tasting drink. At the local pub, the Golden Calf, she tells Miguel she believes they can make a fortune in its trade. The dark, bitter drink, Miguel learns, is coffee. Miguel quickly decides to venture in the coffee trade but knows he must do so carefully.
Due to the recent loss of his money in bad trades, Miguel lives in the damp cellar of his younger brother, Daniel’s, home. Daniel married Hannah, a sweet, but illiterate Portuguese woman, who was once promised to Miguel.
Miguel, still stumbling to regain his own losses, borrows even more for the coffee venture and wheels and deals never sure who he can trust and who he cannot. Daniel and Miguel are natural rivals, the younger brother jealous of the elder. Hannah, unhappy in her marriage to Daniel, cannot forget she was once to marry Miguel, before he unexpectedly married another.
Miguel knows his brother is angry at him but he does not realize to what extent. Miguel efforts to recover his losses and build a life while he thrusts off attacks from enemies, and friends alike.
Well written, historically researched with finely drawn characters, in an interesting, fast-paced storyline.
THE ETHICAL
ASSASSIN
Author: David Liss
Published: 2006
Genre: Novel
Cover: Paperback
Pages: 325
Review: 2016
David Liss’s well spun novel, “The Ethical Assassin”, takes place in the 1980’s. Through an intricate plot with well drawn characters in both serious and comedic situations, Liss brings to the forefront serious, ethical questions on the treatment of animals.
Lemuel Altick, determined to escape his home, his step-father, his poor self image, and his mundane life in Florida, decides to apply to colleges out of state. Encouraged by his step-father’s promise to pay the tuition, Lem applies and is accepted to Colombia. His step-father however, reneges stating in-state college is just as good, and less expensive. Refusing to let his dream slip away, Lem decides to sell encyclopedias, door to door, to earn his college tuition.
On one such sale, Lem meets Melford Kean, who Lem learns, has a passion for and devotion to animals. Lem also begins to realize the company he works for may not be all that it seems. As Melford pulls Lem into a world of intrigue and excitement, the two navigate their way, through a maze of circumstances that bind them together, while dealing with schemers, killers and crooked law enforcement that keep them constantly on the edge.
Edgy, life-like characters in a non-stop action plot coupled with the protagonist’s, often, laugh-out-loud responses to his dilemmas make this book a joy to read. Melford’s plea to help animals brings a much needed awareness to the terrible plight and fate of farm animals, and also of those animals who, although supposedly are sent to shelters, will encounter a different fate.
Excellent writing combined with believable, likeable characters along with a string of despicable, fringe of society characters, all advance a convoluted plot, in a beautiful, clever combination of wit and serious subject matter. Five stars! Highly recommended.
THE
WHISKEY
REBELS
Author: David Liss
Published: 2008
Genre: Novel
Cover: Paperback
Pages: 519
Review:
David Liss based his fifth fiction novel, “The Whiskey Rebels”, on the Whiskey Rebellion of 1974. The novel precedes the rebellion by two years and takes place in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, NYC and Western Pennsylvania. The story includes historic personages such as George Washington, Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton as well as fictitious characters, all well developed and commanding. The story unfolds from the viewpoints of Ethan Saunders, a patriot of the Revolution unjustly betrayed and accused of treason who pines for his lost love, and Joan Claybrook, a young, attractive woman, use to getting her way.
The novel, laden with history, includes the dynamics of Hamilton’s banking system, the devastation of land fraud, and the beginnings of the popular alcoholic beverage. Replete with beautiful, descriptive passages, and underlying love stories, the novel proves easy reading with a fast moving, intricately woven plot.
THE
DEVIL'S
COMPANY
Author: David Liss
Published: 2009
Genre: Novel
Cover: Paperback
Pages: 369
Review:
Benjamin Weaver returns to do battle against the largest textile company in England, the East India Company. Employed by unscrupulous men, Weaver must do their bidding to protect the lives of his friends and family. As the British Parliament levies laws curtailing big business, the trading company maneuvers to outwit the governmental restrictions of 1721.
Weaver, caught in the middle by those in the Craven House, the office for East India, who hold his friends and family hostage, is forced to commit an impossible task. Benjamin must decipher who is friend and who is foe, including the likes of a beautiful young woman, and though all is not as it seems, he must determine who he can trust and who he cannot as many lives depend upon his judgment.
New technology, worker’s rights, murder, theft, deception, corporate greed, and the battle for reign of the continents all figure into the mix. Intelligent, cleverly plotted, with well described characters and vivid pictorial scenes of 1700’s London.
The
TWELFTH
ENCHANTMENT
Author: David Liss
Published: 2011
Genre: Novel
Cover: Paperback
Pages: 399
Review:
David Liss deviates in style from his previous historical novels in the fantastical fiction work, “The Twelfth Enchantment”. The novel takes place during the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in England, a time when women owned little say in their lives.
Twenty year old, Lucy Derrick resides with her uncle, Richard Lowell, an unemotional, cold man, and his servant, Mrs. Quince, who is cruel and physically abusive to Lucy. Lucy came to live with her uncle after the deaths of her sister, Emily, and her father. To rid himself of Lucy, Lowell intends to marry his niece to an older businessman, whom Lucy detests.
Lucy meets a poet and enters a world of magic. She encounters Luddites, those who oppose the slave labor, and Rosicrucians, mystics who use metaphysics to govern the universe as she contends with fairies and revenants.
As Mrs. Quince pushes Lowell’s agenda of marriage upon Lucy with threats, Lucy rediscovers an old friend, whom she had believed lost to her. After an unexpected turn of events, Lucy, to save her infant niece caught in the world of changelings, must focus on learning the text, the Mutus Libre.
Lucy learns the difference between infatuation and love, between dedication and sacrifice and the cost of standing against evil.
Engaging and suspenseful, “The Twelfth Enchantment”, well written and well plotted with amazingly defined, colorful characters, proves entertaining and enlightening. “The Twelfth Enchantment” refers to the twelve enchantments in the Mutus Libre, a book of mystical illustrations, written in seventeenth century France.
THE DAY OF
ATONEMENT
Author: David Liss
Published: 2014
Genre: Novel
Cover: Paperback
Pages: 365
The title refers to the Jewish Holy Day of Atonement. Liss centers the novel on the protagonist’s struggle with the Jewish concept of atonement after committing revenge to seek justice.
The fast paced, historical novel introduces Sebastiao Raposa, a thirteen year old, Portuguese boy rescued from the Inquisition, and raised by Benjamin Weaver, in London. Ten years after escaping to London in 1755, Sebastian Foxx, now a twenty –three year old man, returns to Portugal to avenge his parents’ murder by the Inquisition.
Foxx intends to locate and kill the priest who imprisoned and tortured his parents. Soon after Foxx arrives in Lisbon, he commits to plots he did not originally plan. However, Foxx comes to believe certain alliances will help him succeed, and, will make restitution for ill deeds intended. As important to Sebastian to take revenge for his parents, is to find his lost love, a girl he left behind all those years before.
To keep out of the clutches of the Church, Sebastian Foxx must hide the fact that he is a Jew, must stay one-step ahead of the priest who continually counters his plans, and must convince New Christians, those forced to convert to Christianity, to help him succeed in his goals. However, considering the laws of Atonement, Sebastian Foxx struggles with the idea of killing the priest, even though the priest murdered his parents and countless others of his nation.
Foxx is haunted by the concept in Judaism that forgiveness by Atonement, must come from the person wronged before forgiveness comes from God, a different belief than offered by the Church.
The engrossing, intelligent plot moves swiftly and the characters, believable and well defined.