8 /10 1 Votes8
Country United States Media type Print (hardcover) ISBN 0-375-50855-4 Originally published 2004 | 4/5 Goodreads Language English Pages 381 pp Dewey Decimal 813.6-dc21 OCLC 52410528 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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David Liss books A Conspiracy of Paper, The Devil's Company, The Ethical Assassin, The Coffee Trader, The Whiskey Rebels | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A Spectacle of Corruption is a historical-mystery novel by David Liss, set in 18th century London. It is the middle of three novels containing the memoir of the fictional Benjamin Weaver, a Jewish former bare-knuckle boxer and current "thief-taker" (private investigator).
Synopsis
This tale picks up a few months after the conclusion of David Liss' first novel, A Conspiracy of Paper. It's late in the year 1721 and Benjamin Weaver is hired by a clergyman to investigate a death threat against him. His quest doesn't go according to plan, however, and Weaver soon finds himself falsely accused of murder, sentenced to hang and confined in the infamous Newgate Prison. He must somehow escape this fate, clear his name, and find those responsible. Weaver's personal and occupational struggles play out against the backdrop of the upcoming general election.
Several of the other fictional characters are carry-overs from A Conspiracy of Paper. As in the first installment of his "memoir", Weaver is aided by his uncle Miguel and his best friend, the surgeon Elias Gordon. His cousin's widow Miriam, now married to a Tory candidate for Parliament, once again tugs on Weaver's heart strings.