Rating: 
Summary: THE TRUTH IN PLAIN SIGHT
Review: An Instance of the Fingerpost is an almost thoroughly engrossing mystery set in Restoration England and revolving around the murder of Dr. Robert Grove, fellow of the New College at Oxford. What sets this novel apart from other period portraits is Pears' use of four different, yet very convincing narratives, each designed to reveal the "truth" of the murder of Dr. Grove. The novel begins with the narrative of Marco da Cola, a gentleman scholar from Venice. While da Cola argues that he only wishes to set down a true record of the events that took place in 1663, his record actually poses more questions that it answers. It is the next three narrators who attempt to answer and refute da Cola's narrative with one of their own. As we read, we come to realize that while each of Pears' four narrators is sure that he and he alone possesses all the facts necessary to name Grove's murderer, all but one has reached his conclusions through faulty logic born of a false premise. And, while all of Pears' narrators practice many decptions, we soon realize that no deception recurs more frequently than does self-deception. It is Marco da Cola's investigation, with Dr. Lower, that ultimately results in the conviction and hanging of the serving girl, Sarah Blundy, who was recently dismissed by Grove after having been alleged to have been his mistress. At the conclusion of da Cola's tale, we feel there can be no doubt about Sarah--or her culpability. Jack Prescott, however, sees things quite differently. While he denounces Sarah as both a wench and a witch, he also denounces da Cola as an extravagant and gaudy dandy. And, although it is Prescott himself, who gives da Cola the piece of evidence that seals Sarah's fate, Prescott staunchly defends her innocence. Wallis, the third narrator sees things and people in yet another light and Anthony Wood, the last of the four narrators, who has been Sarah's secret lover, not only provides the "instance of the fingerpost," but also reveals an astonishing secret, one that will finally bring together the hidden motives of the previous narrators and make clear all the clues that have been hidden in plain sight. Pears does a marvelous job of weaving fact with fantasy and his eye for period detail never falters. And, while da Cola's narrative begins slowly, the pace does pick up somewhere around page 100. Although the book is ultimately worth the wait, no reader should have to wade throuh 100 pages of lacklustre material just to get to the "good part." Although Pears does a wonderful job of weaving the intricacies of the narrative and layering one mystery on top of another, the story as a whole lacks tension. Even though I wanted to know the "truth of the matter," I kept falling asleep while reading due to this lack of story tension. Prescott's narrative, for example, focuses more on the politics of the times than on the story of Grove's murder and the hanging of Sarah Blundy. I think comparisons of this book with Unberto Eco's The Name of the Rose are unfair. Other than the fact that both books deal with the search for ultimate truth as a theme, everything else is different, such as characterization, pacing and structure. And The Name of the Rose is much more atmospheric that is An Instance of the Fingerpost. But An Instance of the Fingerpost, while laboriously slow at times, ultimately succeeds, and the reader is left with a profound sense of both satisfaction and awe.
Rating: 
Summary: Needed editing
Review: The writing is good. The historical background is excellent, both in the details and the broad issues. The characters are fairly well developed. The structure of the novel is interesting and adds dimension.Now, the bad news. There is no tension. None. The other qualities are good enough that the book may have worked had it been a third its size. But when you're reading the same series of events for the fourth time in a row (in great detail), merely changing the point of view does not generate enough tension to painlessly keep up the level interest necessary to fully follow the various subplots. Another minor problem is one of which many writers of historical fiction are guilty. The good guys are those who are most sympathetic to modern sensabilities, and the bad guys uniformly embrace the prejudices of the day. Pears writes in the first person, and in describing the prevailing attitudes of the day he is not convincingly sympathetic. One final problem. A significant portion of the denouement is pretty predictable to anyone who has watched too much TV. In the book's defense I think comparisons to the Name of the Rose are unfair. Eco writes Literature; Pears writes mysteries. And regardless of my other criticism, it is a mystery certainly more intelligent than most.
Rating: 
Summary: VERY BORING
Review: I thought this book was pretty boring. So much so that I returned it. Try Paliser's Quincunx or The Unburied or anything by Arturo Perez-Reverte.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book
Review: This book is an excellent mixture of history and mystery. It is narrated in four sections by four different people, and each one has a little piece of the puzzle. The ending will definitely surprise you.
Rating:
Summary: Not even close to Name of the Rose
Review: I've long searched for another Name of the Rose, and thought I'd finally found it with IFP. WHAT a disappointment. A rambling mess that I could not finish. Not only did I not care about the victims and why they died,the characters are uninteresting and disconnected with times. Pears just isn't much of a storyteller, the reader continually waits for something to happen. He would have been better off cutting the book in half. I found little to recommend, and I'm taken aback by its positive reviews. I finished "Name" with a great feel for the times, the personalities of the people, how, and what, they thought about the world around them, and profound sense of history. Propelled along by a terrific mystery and compellng protagonists and you have a great book. Pears does not deliver any of this.
Rating:
Summary: Too long, uninteresting
Review: This is the first book that I began reading but never finished. I bought this book because I usually love historical mysteries, and I had read another book by this author that I had liked. This book however, had very little mystery in it. It was also so long and drawn out that it couldn't even hold my interest when I was trapped on a plane for 4 hours. Because I couldn't even bring myself to finish it after a few hundred pages, I have to give it one star. I am honestly very surprised by all of the praise it has received.
Rating:
Summary: An Instance of the Fingerpost
Review: I found this a fantastic read. Initially I bought it based on the cover design, (I'm a graphic Designer), but found it an engrossing story. The language is sometimes a little difficult, but you get that with a book set in the 1600's. I've recommended it to all my friends. Worth a read!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent read
Review: This book was without doubt the most amazing, well written, well constructed, gripping, historically accurate / sensitive novel I have ever read. I was so impressed with it I have a hard time putting the title "book" on it - I consider it more of a masterpiece. My only complaint was that it was not long enough - it could have gone on for a few more narrators!
Rating:
Summary: Oxford murder most brilliant
Review: The book consists of four men telling their memories of Oxford in 1663 around the time a professor at the University was murdered. This stylistic device is cleverly used to reveal the truth about this murder as well as a few unrelated events of passing political and religious interest. This book will be enjoyed mostly by those who have at least a passing knowlege of english history in the 17th century. Anybody who actully went to the University will enjoy the description of a place we will in many instances still find recognisable. Some of the people wavn't changed much either. I found myself going to work with suitcases under my eyes as I spent my nights wanting to find out what really happened
Rating: 
Summary: Couldnt finish too long
Review: I just could not get into this book, I never finished it, it was tooooo long and did not get me interetested soon enough. :( Mark G
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