false<![CDATA[A Spectacle of Corruption]]>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172294463m/161806.jpg16180611"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 <I>A Spectacle of Corruption</I>, 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.<p> 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, <I>A Conspiracy of Paper</I>. 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.<p> 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, <I>A Spectacle of Corruption</I> can be appreciated as the lusty thriller Liss clearly intended it to be. <I>--J. Kingston Pierce</I>23621742004A Spectacle of Corruptiontotal:341|5:2|4:11|3:9|2:2|1:0|34113255214651falsefalseTue Mar 24 11:33:04 -0700 2009Mon Mar 23 06:54:51 -0700 2009Tue Mar 24 11:33:04 -0700 2009
exciting, interesting, clever, relevant and laugh out loud funny! In fact I almost choked a few times I laughed so hard.
This is the second installment of the fictional memoir from the life and times of Benjamin Weaver. I recommend reading his accoun...more...]]>
41falsefalseWed Jul 30 17:03:31 -0700 2008Fri Aug 08 21:45:45 -0700 2008 Liss explores the lev...more...]]>
40falsefalseFri May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009Mon Jun 01 10:19:04 -0700 2009Mon Jun 01 11:15:23 -0700 2009
This follow up to A Conspiracy of Paper is sure to please. It is told to the reader as an autobiography that flavors the times in a way that gives insight into the times. I love that in this series.
Benjamin Weaver has gotten himself into a tight spot by being accused of a murder he did n...more...]]>
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50falsefalseSat Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008Sun Nov 23 09:24:22 -0800 2008Sun Nov 23 09:24:52 -0800 2008
Neste livro o já conhecido Benjamim Weaver vê-se obrigado a ser ainda mais ardiloso nas suas investigações, já que desta vez é ele próprio quem está condenado à forca por assassinio.
Depois de escapar da prisão e esconder-se atrás de uma nova identidade vais pa...more...]]>
30falsefalseTue Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009Thu Aug 27 05:31:15 -0700 2009Tue Sep 01 04:26:00 -0700 2009
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30falsefalseSat Jun 07 04:59:01 -0700 2008Sun Dec 09 10:19:02 -0800 2007Sat Jun 07 04:59:01 -0700 2008 This book took me forever to read, but that was not the fault of the book. I actually enjoyed it a bit more than "Conspiracy of Paper" for most of the no...more...]]>
40falsefalseTue May 29 00:00:00 -0700 2007Wed Mar 18 19:04:10 -0700 2009Wed Mar 18 19:05:28 -0700 20091
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40falsefalseSun Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009Sun Feb 22 07:44:03 -0800 2009Sun Feb 22 07:53:30 -0800 2009
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50falsefalseTue Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008Thu Mar 13 19:34:29 -0700 2008Mon May 05 12:22:49 -0700 2008 I love how the author sets up the story - a much older Benjamin is retelling a single adventure from his younger days. The story goes f...more...]]>
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00falsefalseFri Feb 13 14:46:55 -0800 2009Wed Feb 11 17:25:22 -0800 2009Fri Feb 13 14:46:55 -0800 2009
A Conspiracy of Paper and The Coffee Trader. This book has a political plot, is less unique, and thus somewhat more of a potboiler.]]>
40falsefalseMon Jul 27 08:06:48 -0700 2009Mon Jul 27 08:08:00 -0700 200900falsefalseTue Feb 03 13:12:35 -0800 2009Tue Feb 03 13:13:58 -0800 200930falsefalseMon Oct 19 00:00:00 -0700 2009Mon Oct 19 18:30:17 -0700 2009Mon Oct 19 18:30:58 -0700 200940falsefalseSat Jun 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009Thu Jul 19 19:01:00 -0700 2007Sat Jun 20 18:28:07 -0700 2009
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