John Stone has built a hugely successful ship building company. His customers include several governments throughout Europe. He is married to the exquisite Elizabeth, a socialite in demand for every social event. The world is shocked when Stone plummets to his death from a window at his mansion.
Stone's will leaves money to an unknown child. Elizabeth hires Matthew Braddock, a newspaper man, to find information about this child. Elizabeth has decided to honor her husband's wishes and find the child if possible. In searching for the child, Braddock finds that there is much more to Elizabeth than she allows people to see.
Iain Pears has crafted a wonderfully complex and captivating novel. The story is divided into three sections, each moving back a ways in time and told from the view of a different character. Each of the three sections are left somewhat unresolved, but that adds to the mystery of Stone's death.
The characters are intricate and deep. The story takes you on a journey fraught with political espionage and financial intrigue. There is a fantastic mix of action, historical settings, and love story. Just when you are sure that you will not have the answers you have been searching for, Pears ties all of the loose ends into a surprising finality.
This is a thought provoking work of historical fiction. Do not let the size of 800 pages scare you away. The settings and characters will grip your attention from the beginning and not let go. This could be my favorite book of the year.
No comments:
Post a Comment