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Benjamin Weaver, the quick-witted pugilist turned private investigator, returns in David Liss’s sequel to the Edgar Award–winning novel, A Conspiracy of Paper.
Moments after his conviction for a murder he did not commit, at a trial presided over by a judge determined to find him guilty, Benjamin Weaver is accosted by a stranger who cunningly slips a lockpick and a file into his hands. In an instant he understands two things: Someone had gone to a great deal of trouble to see him condemned to hang—and another equally mysterious agent is determined to see him free.
So begins A Spectacle of Corruption, which heralds the return of Benjamin Weaver, the hero of A Conspiracy of Paper. After a daring escape from eighteenth-century London’s most notorious prison, Weaver must face another challenge: how to prove himself innocent of a crime when the corrupt courts have already shown they want only to see him hang. To discover the truth and clear his name, he will have to understand the motivations behind a secret scheme to extort a priest, uncover double-dealings in the unrest among London’s dockworkers, and expose the conspiracy that links the plot against him to the looming national election—an election with the potential to spark a revolution and topple the monarchy.
Unable to show his face in public, Weaver pursues his inquiry in the guise of a wealthy merchant who seeks to involve himself in the political scene. But he soon finds that the world of polite society and politics is filled with schemers and plotters, men who pursue riches and power—and those who seek to return the son of the deposed king to the throne. Desperately navigating a labyrinth of politicians, crime lords, assassins, and spies, Weaver learns that, in an election year, little is what it seems and the truth comes at a staggeringly high cost.
Once again, acclaimed author David Liss combines historical erudition with mystery, complex characterization, and a captivating sense of humor. A Spectacle of Corruption offers insight into our own world of political scheming, and it firmly establishes David Liss as one of the best writers of intellectual suspense at work today.
- Sales Rank: #755045 in Books
- Brand: Random House
- Published on: 2004-03-16
- Released on: 2004-03-16
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.50" h x 1.22" w x 6.66" l,
- Binding: Hardcover
- 400 pages
- Great product!
Amazon.com Review
"I sentence you, Mr. Weaver, to be hanged for the most horrible crime of murder." Hearing that judicial decree, Benjamin Weaver--former pugilist, current "thief-taker," and future master of disguise--begins one of the sorriest days of his life. And things will only get worse, as David Liss reveals in A Spectacle of Corruption, his exuberant novel of 18th-century political chicanery. Tossed into London’s notorious Newgate Prison, Weaver employs his considerable energy and guile (plus tools slipped to him by a mysterious admirer at his trial) to escape--naked--into the city's filthy streets. But then, he risks recapture by trying to figure out who framed him for slaying labor agitator Walter Yate, and why.
How all of this trouble derived from Weaver's pursuit of the culprit behind a priest’s recent spate of hate mail propels the balance of this yarn--the sequel to Liss's Edgar Award-winning debut novel, A Conspiracy of Paper. It also pushes the Jewish "ruffian-for-hire" into the jeopardous midst of a British power struggle that pits supporters of King George I against the Jacobites, who favor the return of his dethroned Catholic rival, James II. Assisted by his puckish surgeon friend Elias Gordon, Weaver assumes the role of a prosperous plantation owner from Jamaica and penetrates the upper echelons of 1722 London society, hoping to gather information he can use against Dennis Dogmill, a "vicious and unpredictable" tobacco man who may actually have ordained Yate's killing. As Weaver ranges through London's fetid pubs and fancy theaters, and attracts the amorous attention of Dogmill's surprisingly shrewd sister, he also finds himself in the uncomfortable position of backing Griffin Melbury, a Tory candidate for the House of Commons--and the man who stole away his beloved Miriam Lienzo.
Liss has a keen eye for entertaining details of Georgian life, from that period’s exotic diction ("The men in your gang are nothing but cutpurses and mollies and buggerantos") to its most reprehensible pastimes, including "goose pulling"--about which the less said, the better. And though some readers may bog down in the explained distinctions between Whigs and Tories, the author finds considerable humor in that political rivalry and the parties' get-out-the-vote efforts. Once you accept the rather dubious notion that fugitive Weaver could hide in plain sight, A Spectacle of Corruption can be appreciated as the lusty thriller Liss clearly intended it to be. --J. Kingston Pierce
From Publishers Weekly
This sequel to Liss's Edgar Awardwinning A Conspiracy of Paper (2000) brings back ex-pugilist Benjamin Weaver and his 18th-century London environs in all their squalid glory. Benjamin has become a "thieftaker," a sort of bounty hunter/private eye, and is investigating the simple case of a threatening letter when he is caught up in a riot, accused of murder and sentenced to hang. After a gutsy escape, he sets about unraveling the mystery of who framed him and why. Donning the disguise of a wealthy coffee planter from Jamaica, Benjamin infiltrates the upper classes, where he encounters a plot centering on a hotly contested House of Commons election. There is much explanation (perhaps too much) of the history and philosophies of the Whig, Tory and Jacobite parties, but this is nicely balanced with Benjamin's forays into London's underbelly, where he has his way with the ladies and dodges dangerous louts looking to kill him. The real fun is the re-creation of the streets of London ("He fell into the alley's filth-the kennel of emptied chamber pots, bits of dead dogs gnawed on by hungry rats, apple cores and oyster shells") and the colorful denizens thereof. Many hours are spent in innumerable coffeehouses, with Benjamin and company imbibing coffee, chocolate, ale, wine and that great destroyer of the poor, rotgut gin, and employing such useful swear words as "shitten stick," "arse pot" and "bum firking." Mystery and mainstream readers with a taste for gritty historical fiction will relish Liss's glorious dialogue, lively rogues, fascinating setting and indomitable hero.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Late-seventeenth- and early-eighteenth-century England--from Cromwell through the Jacobites--has become the richest of soil for writers of literary thrillers, the equivalent of New Orleans for contemporary hard-boiled authors. Liss makes the most of it in this sequel to the acclaimed Conspiracy of Paper (2000). Benjamin Weaver, an outsider three times over--a Jew, a former pugilist, and a "thief-taker" (one who helps victims of robbery recover their goods)--is in the soup again, framed for murder and without a clue as to who or why. He intends to answer both those questions, but first he must break out of Newgate Prison. He does so, in a marvelous set piece, and then finds himself in an even messier pickle: politics. The first English general election is in progress, with Tories and Whigs out-dirty-tricking one another while the Jacobites lurk on the outskirts, hoping to foment a revolution. To determine why he was framed, Benjamin must ingratiate himself with a leading Tory, who happens to be the husband of Benjamin's former lover, Miriam, now posing as a Gentile. Liss' elegantly constructed, multidimensional plot combines all the intrigue of the Jacobite era with a Dickensian feel for London' s lower depths and for the "spectacle of corruption" that is the city's politics. Perhaps the greatest pleasure here is the perfect melding of sharply rendered historical detail with a charismatic, fast-talking hero (an eighteenth-century version of Robert B. Parker's Spenser). This is a series to be savored. Bill Ott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Most helpful customer reviews
38 of 40 people found the following review helpful.
David Liss and Benjamin Weaver make a great team
By Bookreporter
Along the way to completing his doctoral dissertation on 18th century British literature and culture, David Liss took a detour down a different path. He authored A CONSPIRACY OF PAPER, and for his effort was awarded the 2000 Edgar Award for Best First Novel. While the halls of academia lost a potentially fine college professor, mystery aficionados gained a writer who combines his skill as a historian with excellent writing talents to produce compelling and fascinating novels.
A SPECTACLE OF CORRUPTION is the sequel to the first Liss novel. Once again, readers are transported to London during an era when England and the British aristocracy ruled the world. Benjamin Weaver, the classic mystery novel protagonist, makes a return appearance in the book and once again must solve a crime that has personal significance.
Weaver is a classic outsider. He is a Jew in a Christian community, an ex-boxer who supports himself by tracking down debtors and felons for aristocratic clients. In contemporary society he would be Sam Spade, Mike Hammer or any number of characters found in Elmore Leonard novels. In Weaver's first appearance in A CONSPIRACY OF PAPER he was called upon to investigate his father's death. In A SPECTACLE OF CORRUPTION the problem is even more personal: Weaver must investigate a murder for which he has been wrongfully charged and convicted.
In the year 1722, England was embroiled in a parliamentary election viewed as a referendum on the rule of King George. As the novel opens, Weaver finds himself on trial for the murder of Walter Yate. Confident in his innocence, Weaver is stunned to hear the Old Bailey jury return a verdict of guilty and in accordance with that verdict sentenced to be executed by hanging in six weeks. As he is led back to the Newgate prison, Weaver is accosted by a courtroom spectator who slips a lock pick and file into his hands. Using those tools, and with the aid of a friendly fellow inmate, Weaver is able to escape from prison.
However, escape is not freedom. He must confront two mysteries. Someone has gone to substantial lengths to see an innocent man wrongfully convicted of murder while an equally mysterious agent has gone to great lengths to set him free. Weaver's life hangs in the balance as he races to solve this conundrum.
Weaver must somehow infiltrate London society to ascertain the identity of both his accusers and defenders. He assumes the role of a tobacco grower recently returned to England from the colonies. With the looming election and the possibility that the British monarchy may be toppled, Weaver must navigate an English society heavily embroiled in both politics and crime. It is a difficult task, but Weaver is up to the challenge.
There is a freshness and uniqueness in reading and solving an 18th century mystery. Detectives must rely on guile rather than gadgets to solve the crime. There are no crime labs or computers to provide simple answers to complex problems. Liss must have Benjamin Weaver solve the murder of Walter Yate by simple and basic methods: thought, hard work and logic. Along the way, the reader is provided with a portrait of 18th century England that is educational and informative. In addition, a great detective shows once again that top notch sleuthing knows no historical limitations.
David Liss and Benjamin Weaver make a great team. We know they will be back --- and we can hardly wait.
--- Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful.
"We Know no Spectacle so Ridiculous as the British Public
By Lonya
in one of its periodical fits of morality." Lord Macaulay.
For England the year 1722 was not one in which the public engaged in a fit of morality. No, 1722 was a year filled with plots to overthrow the Hanoverian King George in order to restore the Stuarts to the throne. It was a year in which the panic caused by the collapse of the South Sea Bubble came to a head. It was, finally, a year in which a general election was held in which the Tories, thought to be sympathetic to the Stuarts, did battle with the Whigs, sympathetic to King George. Many thought a Tory victory would lead to a restoration of the Stuarts. Much was at stake. 1722 was a year of spectacles but it was a year in which an exceedingly dirty and violent election campaign turned the year into a spectacle not of morality but of corruption.
David Liss tosses Benjamin Weaver, the protagonist of his well-received Conspiracy of Paper, into the middle of this political maelstrom. Weaver is a retired boxing champion and well known throughout London. However, he is Jewish, and as such his boxing fame cannot provide him with an entry point in English life generally. He is not permitted the right to vote and he would not be welcomed into most clubs or at most social functions. He works as a thieftaker (he finds stolen property and returns it to its owner for a fee) and a private investigator of sorts.
Weaver is hired to find out who has been sending threatening letters to an Anglican priest who has been speaking out on behalf of oppressed dock workers. Almost immediately upon commencing his investigation Weavers is arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of a dockworker. It is a murder Weaver did not commit. It is clear from the start of the trial that the fix is in but as he is carried off to Newgate prison to await execution a mysterious woman slips Weaver the tools from which he manages to escape. A wanted man, Weaver assumes a new identity while trying desperately to unravel the events that triggered his being framed for murder.
It seems that Weaver's investigation on behalf of the priest has placed him in the crosshairs of both the Whigs and the Tories in the middle of the 1722 election campaign. Nothing is as it seems. Weaver cannot vote and does not therefore have an interest in politics. This makes it even harder for him to analyze his situation. His old adversary and fellow thieftaker Jonathan Wild plays a major role yet Weaver cannot understand why Wild might actually reach out to help him in his endeavors. The love of his life, Miriam, also plays a major role. She has, since Conspiracy of Paper, married a British aristocrat and converted to Christianity. Her husband is running for parliament. He may be a friend and ally but Weaver cannot be sure.
Spectacle of Corruption made for a very enjoyable read. It is difficult for anyone writing historical or political fiction to provide enough background material so that any reader can enjoy the full flavor of the book. Liss does an excellent job of setting the table without turning the novel into a text book. There may be parts where the complexities of the political system take a while to explain. However, those explanations help the reader actually understand what Weaver is up against. More importantly, Liss keeps the story line going and does a good job keeping the excitement level up, even when the pace slows down a bit. I think Liss has done a decent job fleshing out the personalities of his principal characters. There seems to be more depth to the characters than existed in Conspiracy of Paper. This bodes well for an eventual third volume.
All in all a book worth reading.
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful.
Great period detail, but muzzle that detective
By Amazon Customer
David Liss writes about the 18th century, but his subjects casts a curiously strong light on modern institutions. In his previous two novels, early finance capitalism is all too recognizable to modern readers for its pervasive corruption. "A Spectacle of Corruption" turns its eye on another cherished modern institution, "free" elections. British voters of the early 18th century would have been confounded at the idea that elections should be free, when so much money was there to be made, and insulted if no one bothered to buy their votes. The idea that elections should be free and fair is by no means a natural one, a fact we ignore at our peril. David Liss shows that elections in England were a well handled tool of the British rulers, not a great leap in human liberty. The subject is quite topical as we watch the modern spectacle of election fraud.
"A Spectacle of Corruption" returns to the story of Benjamin Weaver (from "A Conspiracy of Paper"), a Jewish pugilist turned "thief taker" - an occupation much like detective, except that its practitioners are expected to fabricate evidence as often as not. He accepts a commission to identify the author of letters threatening a priest for his duplicitous defense of British dock workers. The waters turn very deep when Weaver finds himself framed for the murder of a dock worker and quickly condemned to a death sentence. Someone badly wants him dead, but it appears that someone just as badly wants him alive when a mysterious woman gives him the means to escape. His journey to exonerate himself takes him from the world of the British working class, where incipient trade unions degenerate into gangs run by thugs, to the parties of the ruling class, where election fraud is an openly practiced art.
Liss is a better writer with every book, and his knowledge of the era makes for fascinating reading, but I find him less capable with each book of creating a likable main character. This may be by design, but it's a dangerous tactic for a writer. Weaver was a sympathetic figure in "The Conspiracy of Paper" - outside the Jewish community looking in, trying to maintain a standard of honor in a sordid trade. Within the first 120 pages of "A Spectacle of Corruption," he has cut off an unarmed man's ear and thrust another's head into a chamberpot, nearly drowning him. He does these acts with a peculiarly detached, even sociopathic attitude, at odds with his previous depth of feeling. "I considered his words for a moment and then reached out with a speed than even I found remarkable. With one hand I grabbed his right ear, and with the other I used my knife to sever a substantial part of it. I held the bloody thing in my fingers and showed it to him before tossing it onto his writing desk, where it landed on a pile of correspondence with a heavy slap. Too astonished to cry out or even to move, Rowley only stared at the little pieces of flesh...'Where do you keep your banknotes?' I asked again."
The author tries to redeem Weaver later with strong concern for abused geese and women, but he certainly didn't win me back. You could make a good argument, based on "The Coffee Trader," that Liss wants to show his characters increasingly alienated and disaffected, but pushing ordinary people into the realm of sadism without remorse is not the way to go. With all his writing skills, he doesn't seem able to darken his characters without making them emotionally flat. He'd be wiser imputing torment to his characters than deadened feeling. At some point, wonderful period detail notwithstanding, I will stop reading if sociopaths become the subject.
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