Rating: 
Summary: Were there roller coasters in the 18th century?
Review: "A Spectacle of Corruption" gets off to a rocket-fast roller-coaster start: the reader is dropped into a trial in which the 18th-century British narrator and private investigator Benjamin Weaver has been falsely accused of murder. Within pages, he is convicted to hang, handed a lockpick by a beguiling female bystander, and escapes, naked and freezing, from England's toughest prison.
Ingeniously, Weaver contrives to "hide in plain sight" disguised as a wealthy landowner from the Caribbean, while he works out who framed him.
Then things, sadly, bog down a bit, as the answer to his inquiry has to do with 18th-century British political rivalries, which takes many dozens and dozens of pages to explain. Do you find modern party politics fascinating? No? Then probably you will not like the 18th-century version much better.
This slows down the narrative to a snail's pace in parts, and may not interest the more thrill-seeking of Mr. Liss' readership. (I actually rather liked it but then I am a history buff.) In general, though, although Mr. Liss never fully recaptures the vigor of the first few scenes, he delivers interesting characters and an out-of-the-ordinary plot with an authentic colonial-era atmosphere and details.
Rating:
Summary: Very entertaining novel
Review: About 3 or 4 times a year I am able to find a novel that has me captivated and actually looking forward to retiring for the evening, when I may lay in my bed and sup Pellegrino whislt returning to the novel that has captured my attention.....Okay, enough of that nonsense.... this book is really very good. I was a bit lazy while reading A Conspiracy of Paper so I don't remember all the details, but I'm able to pick back up 4 years later quite nicely. Benjamin Weaver is a good protagonist, and Liss spins a great and intelligent tale. Liss as an author reminds me of Ken Follett. And I mean that as a sincere compliment. The "Pillars of the Earth" Ken Follett. The best of Ken Follett. As far as Liss' three major novels go, I'd rank them thusly... 1. Coffee Trader - my favorite book of his
2. A Spectacle of Corruption - Ben Weaver is better this time round
3. A Conspiracy of Paper - Partly my fault but I just couldn't get into it as much as others. Bottom line, this book is well worth your time, you'll really enjoy it!
Rating:
Summary: Impossible to put down
Review: although Liss's "The Coffee Trader" was a terrific read, it is refreshing to catch up on the events of Ben Weaver, master thieftaker and pugilist. Liss consisitently delivers an exciting tale, weaving his deft research skills with suspenseful storytellin to create a superior adventure in this novel. He proves to be unprecedented in this art of presenting innovative historical fiction. My only complaint is that the first novel seems to be the tightest of them all, as this one feels the slightest bit rough in the beginning getting started. However, once it begins you cannot put it down, and it is a terrific read. I highly recommend.
Rating:
Summary: What a spectacle!
Review: Benjamin Weaver, the Jewish boxer who first appeared in A Conspiracy of Paper, appears again here.
A Spectacle of Corruption takes place in 1722: an election year. Although not all citizens have the franchize (vote), everyone is in an uproar. In the middle of the tug between Tories and Whigs, Benjamin Weaver is arrested for the death of a man he did not murder. Escaping from Newgate Prison, Weaver goes into hiding as a footman and then as a society gentleman just back from the West Indies. His goal is to find out who wants to see him hang, and who is so eager to see him live. He is still recovering from the loss of his lady-love Miriam, who converted to Christianty to marry a high-profile man in government.
Weaver is a little bit more cynical in this book, and more susceptible to the opinions of society. Miriam has become not so much an object of Weaver's love as something that must be possessed. However, this book is an excellent follow-up to A Conspiracy of Paper, filled with tension and excitement. It is a must-read for any historical fiction buff.
Rating:
Summary: Great period detail, but muzzle that detective
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: An riveting historical mystery
Review: David Liss, author of the Edgar award winning, A CONSPIRACY OF PAPER, has once again penned a compelling yet authentic mystery that takes place in 18th century London. Benjamin Weaver is a private investigator who finds himself convicted of murder and sentenced to be hung after a man is discovered dead at the site of a bar fight. Weaver was investigating a threatening letter sent to a priest when he was apparently at the wrong place and time. He is, of course, innocent yet is sent to the gallows by a corrupt judge. As he is heading to the prison, a mysterious woman passes a lockpick to him and Weaver manages to escape. Given that he is sentenced to hang, he must discover who framed him and why in order to clear his name. His search for answers leads him into the convoluted web of British parliamentary politics in which the election is termed 'the spectacle of corruption'. He must use every ounce of his cunning to discover the truth and save his own life.
With the SPECTACLE OF CORRUPTION, David Liss has managed to create a complex yet compelling historical mystery. Characters are realistic creations but the problem is there are so many minor ones that, at times, it may be hard to keep track of who is who. However, the main characters are original and memorable. The plot with a bit too much complexity tends to meander and there's a certain lack of focus. Weaver appears to travel around and around in circles trying to get answers. This is not a fast read in any sense of the word. However it is all encompassing and so well written that the casual reader would find the time well worth spent.
Rating: 
Summary: Tumultuous times in Merry Olde England
Review: David Liss, once again, in a marvelous literary effort meticulously recreates the past in his very effective historical fiction "A Spectacle of Corruption".
The tale takes place in 1722 England, a time of unprecedented political and social turmoil. The Catholic King James II has abdicated the throne in favor of German born King George in 1714.
Factions called Jacobites exist that support James' son James Stuart as the rightful heir to the throne. Due to a severe depression caused by a stock narket crash, a general election is being held as a referendum on the rule of King George. The 2 major parties, the church supporting Tories representing wealthy property owners and the Whigs representing the landless nouveau riche are using any corrupt means possible to garner votes.
The story revolves around Benjamin Weaver a Jewish ex-pugilist who now functions as a thieftaker or detective. Weaver is framed on trumped up charges of murdering a labor organizer Walter Yate. Yate represented the quayside porters of the Westminster borough, a hotly contested seat in Parliament. Dennis Dogmill, a wealthy tobacco importer and Whig election supervisor, with the help of a sympathetic judge has Weaver convicted and sentenced to hang. Weaver eventually escapes from Newgate prison and with the aid of friends assumes a disguise of a wealthy Jamaican plantation owner to try to clear his name.
With the election as a backdrop Weaver becomes involved with both Whig anf Tory campaigns and witnessses the widespread corruption involved. The plot eventually leads to the shocking actual reason for the betrayal of Weaver.
Liss with the aid of exhaustive historical research does an illuminating job in his description of daily life in this time period.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as his Conspiracy of Paper
Review: Don't get me wrong -- this is a very good book -- better than 95 percent of what's published as popular fiction. But it's not up to the standards set by "A Conspiracy of Paper", the first book in this series. Spectacle is an exciting book, but there are various loose-ends that are never tied up, and the some of the characters' behaviors seem contrived. Well worth a read, but if you had to choose one Liss book for your stay on a desert island, I recommend Conspiracy, not Spectable.
Rating:
Summary: A fun read
Review: I first discovered David Liss about 3 years ago with A Conspiracy of Paper. I was ecstatic when I heard that the character of Ben Weaver was coming back. I took this book on vacation, and almost did not get to enjoy my vacation because of it. I kept wanting to come back for more. Highly recommend this fast paced book.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific Historical Detective Story
Review: I love this book! It combines two literary loves of mine - detective/mystery novels and historical fiction, with a heavy dose of what life must have been like in England of 1722. The detective is the 18th century equivalent of Sam Spade, private eye.
I got an insight into a very confusing time in English history and a glimpse of what it must have felt like on a daily basis to live there and then.
For anyone in the modern period, 1722 was strange enough to be like science fiction but familiar enough to show what humanity could be like without all the social and governmental safeguards we have now.
I often read one of the many historical myteries set in Roman times such as the SPQR series. While the views of daily life are wonderful in those novels, the mystery part is usually a little obvious. But Liss succeeds in both genres. Fascinating mystery and gereat feeling for the 1700's.
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