''A Spectacle of Corruption'' is a historical-mystery novel by

David Liss David Liss (born March 16, 1966) is an American writer of novels, essays and short fiction; more recently working also in comic books. He was born in New Jersey and grew up in South Florida. Liss received his BA degree from Syracuse University ...

, set in 18th century

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. It is the middle of three novels containing the memoir of the fictional Benjamin Weaver, a Jewish former

bare-knuckle boxer Bare-knuckle boxing (also known as bare-knuckle or bare-knuckle fighting) is a full-contact combat sport based on punching without any form of padding on the hands. The sport as it is known today originated in 17th-century England and, although s ...

and current "thief-taker" (

private investigator A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI; also known as a private detective, an inquiry agent or informally a wikt:private eye, private eye) is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. ...

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 Newgate Prison was a prison at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey, just inside the City of London, England, originally at the site of Newgate, a gate in the Roman London Wall. Built in the 12th century and demolished in 1904, the pr ...

. He must somehow escape this fate, clear his name, and find those responsible. The safest course, once having escaped from prison, would be to escape England altogether - but Weaver would not hear of it. He is determined to pursue his investigations in a London where he is a hunted man, with the very substantial reward of 150 Pounds offered to anyone who would help send him back to the gallows. Weaver's personal and occupational struggles play out against the backdrop of the upcoming general election, in which the contending Whig and Tory parties seem equally corrupt. 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.

Historical References

At the front of the book, Liss provides a "Time Line of Significant Events Leading Up to the 1722 General Election". He states that "This first general election since

George George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Gior ...

became king takes place and is widely viewed as a referendum on his kingship." The previously apolitical Weaver must take a crash course in London politics, as he attempts to understand the actions and motivations of various Whigs,

Tories A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The T ...

Jacobites A Jacobite is a follower of someone named Jacob or James, from the Latin ''Jācōbus''. Jacobite or Jacobitism may refer to: Religion * Arminianism, the theology of Jacobus Arminius * Jacobites, followers of Saint Jacob Baradaeus (died 578). Ch ...

and even the

Chevalier Chevalier may refer to: Honours Belgium * a rank in the Belgian Order of the Crown * a rank in the Belgian Order of Leopold * a rank in the Belgian Order of Leopold II * a title in the Belgian nobility France * a rank in the French Legion d'h ...

himself. Among the less distinguished figures, the infamous

Jonathan Wild Jonathan Wild, also spelled Wilde (1682 or 1683 – 24 May 1725), was an English thief-taker and a major figure in London's criminal underworld, notable for operating on both sides of the law, posing as a public-spirited vigilante entitled th ...

again appears as Weaver's principal business rival. Weaver's adventures take him all over London to many historical landmarks, streets and districts. Liss also works into the story some curious and distinctive features of London life in the 1720s, such as the

Window tax Window tax was a property tax based on the number of windows in a house. It was a significant social, cultural, and architectural force in England, Scotland, France and Ireland during the 18th and 19th centuries. To avoid the tax, some houses fr ...

, the

Septennial Act The Septennial Act 1715 ( 1 Geo. 1. St. 2. c. 38), sometimes called the Septennial Act 1716, was an act of the Parliament of Great Britain. It was passed in May 1716. It increased the maximum length of a parliament (and hence the maximum perio ...

and current styles in perukes.

External links

* Author's websit

(accessed Aug, 2010) * Publisher's David Liss pag
(accessed Aug, 2010)
* A Spectacle of Corruption': Both the Kings' Men''. New York Times book review, April 25, 200

(accessed Aug, 2010) {{DEFAULTSORT:Spectacle Of Corruption, A 2004 American novels American historical novels Novels about boxing Novels by David Liss Fiction set in 1721 Novels set in the 1720s Novels set in London Cultural depictions of George I of Great Britain Cultural depictions of James Francis Edward Stuart