A Conspiracy of Paper: A Novel [Paperback]

It is an era of turmoil in England; King James has been deposed and is supported by France. This is the ideal setting for criminals to operate, since confusion reigns in the country. Ben Weaver is a Jew who left his father's home and changed his name a few years ago and had a brief moment of fame as a pugilist. Now he sustains himself by working as hired help in various enterprises, most of them dealing with helping people that have fallen victims of illegal acts. Weaver, whose real name is Lienzo (those who read "The Coffee Trader" will recognize the name), tells the story that starts with a murder of sorts in which he was involved. He was trying to recover the pocketbook of Sir Owen and when faced with a murderer his only option was to strike back and kill him.

Most of the thefts in the city are orchestrated or supervised by a character named Wild, who has all kinds of ruffians working for him and who offers services similar to the ones Weaver offers. Needless to say, Wild has a much easier time recovering the goods, since he basically charges people to give them back what he stole from them. Also, Weaver is contacted by Michael Balfour, who claims that Weaver's father, who died recently in an accident, was murdered, as was Balfour's own father. Balfour hires Weaver to find out the truth and Ben ends up having to contact his uncle Miguel Lienzo and slowly going back to his Jewish roots.

The plot has considerable depth and a myriad of suspicious characters are involved in Weaver's investigations. Also, the way Liss describes the characters and settings makes it easy to visualize them clearly. His treatment of the theme of Judaism and what it meant to be member of this religion in Europe, especially England, shortly after the Inquisition is enlightening and shocking at the same time. This is a novel I thoroughly enjoyed and I am looking forward to reading the next work by this great author.

David Liss' robust and manly Jewish ex-pugilist, Ben Weaver, lives in the midst of rough times in 1719's London, a life he has chosen, apart from his heritage of Iberian/Portugese Jews settled into their own part of London then. Weaver, his pseudonym, earns his keep by seeking out and bringing to justice the criminals who trespass on the wealthy, while regaining the treasures of the wealthy for a price. His "trade" parallels that of a most corrupt pre-police enforcer, Jonathan Wild. And Weaver finds himself rival, on a small scale, to Wild's organization. This set-up alone threatens Weaver's very life, but he seems to thrive on adversity, and utilizes his unlikely friendship with a Welsh surgeon to survive the underground powers. It is when he becomes further immersed into his past, indeed the life and family he has rejected as a young man, that Weaver's greatest adventure begins, as he faces the conflicts of a man's roots, namely his Jewish foundations, while seeking to solve a mystery about stock trading in those early market days.

Liss' understanding of financial dealings makes this very hefty and informative tale a tool of education as well as entertainment. He defty employs a fast moving, high action plot to seduce the reader into what might seem dry and boring, the financial trading scene, imbuing it all with an aura of intrigue. Surely anyone who has studied the trade disasters of modern day stock exchanges can identify with the excitement and confusion of the 1719 trade market. A lesson in economics awaits the reader, as well as a grand adventure.

Highly recommend!