The Devil's Company

Benjamin Weaver, Jew, thieftaker, and former pugilist, enjoys a certain notoriety and standing in 1722 London. As a Jew he is used to derision and discrimination and has only in recent years come to bask in a sense of family and community. As a champion boxer he is a bit of a celebrity; feared and admired - a natural for the freewheeling, dubious profession of thieftaker, the 18th century private eye. His reputation and previous successes earn him hefty fees and allow him his pick of jobs. He has therefore turned down a risky and unrewarding commission to burgle the heavily guarded headquarters of the East India Company. Unwilling to take "no" for an answer, his would-be clients have resorted to force, paralyzing the finances of his elderly uncle and two of his friends, holding ruin over their heads should Weaver not cooperate. And now, not only do they demand the ridiculous burglary, they order him to investigate a murder without mentioning the victim's name or asking any questions. Cornered and furious, Weaver naturally attempts to learn what his clients are up to, only to find his every move observed, his conversations overheard, and his friends deeper in peril. Forced to risk the life and liberty of others as well as his own, Weaver is driven to even greater feats of ingenuity and daring. What Liss (and Weaver) previously did for the South Sea Bubble of 1720 (A Conspiracy of Paper) and the political struggle between the Georgians and the Jacobites (A Spectacle of Corruption), he does now for the burgeoning, scheming, powerful East India Company, not yet an empire builder but with ambitions in that direction. And, as always, Weaver takes us on a two-fisted tour of London's alleys, taverns, whore houses and thieves' dens as well as the feathered nests of the wealthy and the backrooms of the movers and shakers. Workingmen are a day's pay from poverty and women a man's heartbeat from the streets. The atmosphere is often fetid, the food and drink foul, but Liss' London is vibrant with life. There's a woman, too, her smarts and skills a match for Weaver's, and fans will hope to see more of her. Liss' latest is on a par with the best of his work, the Edgar winning A Spectacle of Corruption.

American author David Liss has had continued success and critical praise for his work ever since he won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel with A CONSPIRACY OF PAPER. In his fifth and latest novel, THE DEVIL'S COMPANY, he brings back his most popular character --- Benjamin Weaver --- who stars for the third time in one of his books. Benjamin Weaver is a colorful and multi-layered character. An ex-boxing champion and now self-proclaimed Ruffian and master of disguise, Weaver has a knack for getting into precarious situations and coming out on top. THE DEVIL'S COMPANY poses, perhaps, the most daunting and confounding situation we have seen him in yet. The year is 1722 and the place is London, England. Upon meeting a wealthy and mysterious gentleman named Jerome Cobb and his cohort, Mr. Hammond, Weaver learns that he is being set up and blackmailed into an assignment, with the financial security and well-being of his uncle and various friends at stake. Initially, Cobb must break into the heavily guarded headquarters of the ruthless British East India Company and steal documents that are kept there. Of course Weaver is successful in this venture --- but he knows that this act alone will not be the last nefarious deed he is asked to do for Cobb, who now wants Weaver to set himself up as an employee of the Company and infiltrate them from the inside to obtain information and trade secrets. Somehow, Cobb is able to pull enough strings to ensure that Weaver is hired and put in the appropriate capacity of trust whereby he will be able to uncover what he seeks. Weaver goes through with this dangerous assignment because he is guaranteed that, once the mission is completed, his family and friends will be released from the obligations to which they are held by Cobb. He quickly learns that the British East India Company is no ordinary workplace, and they do not simply deal in the innocent trade of cloth and tea. The Company is caught in a secret plot of its own against corporate rivals, foreign spies and government operatives. With every association Weaver makes, he uncovers another truth --- or what he believes to be so. Thus begins the spiral that his physical ability alone will not allow him to overcome. Who are the mysterious Cobb and Hammond? Are there actually French spies infiltrating the British East India Company in an effort to bring them down? Are Weaver's friends and close associates really in debt to Mr. Cobb, or are there other hidden agendas at work far beyond Weaver's comprehension? Liss handles all of these puzzles and then some as readers will be drawn deeper and deeper into the deadly labyrinth in which Weaver finds himself. Similar to some of the more engaging work of earlier British authors, such as Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins, Liss has created a shadowy and perilous London where no one is to be trusted and unexpected allies may turn up in the oddest places. THE DEVIL'S COMPANY is written in an entrancing style that will have

To fans of novelist David Liss, and to anyone who loves thrillers set in dramatic historic times, The Devil's Company is a wonderful encore. Benjamin Weaver, the Jewish pugilist-turned-detective, returns to action against a new and mighty adversary - England's most powerful organization, the East India Company. In the tradition of Liss's Conspiracy of Paper (winner of Edgar) and Spectacle of Corruption, Weaver becomes entangled with dangerous people whose agenda and wickedness are reminiscent of modern-time global business titans. Friendship, love, betrayal, and outright violence keep the story moving--both in velocity and emotionally. Especially in these days, as we all witness the consequences of ruthless business practices, economic recklessness, and corporate greed, it is fascinating to watch Weaver expose the gritty underpinnings of Victorian-age global trade and its loathsome-yet-delicious characters. The Devil's Company is a great read! Avi Azriéli, Paradise valley, AZ.

Benjamin Weaver is up to his old tricks--as are his advisaries. Mr. Liss has constructed an exciting mystery, thriller and historical novel. THE DEVIL'S COMPANY is a carefully researched history of business combined with a compelling story. I enjoyed being led down carefully thought out mazes and then running into facts completely different from my obvious conclusions. TDC is one of those rare reading experiences that upon completion, you realize that you have been both educated and entertained. I look forward to the next escapade of Mr. Weaver. I hope he has the longevity to reach the 21st century.

One day while on vacation, I stepped into a local bookstore looking for a bit of literary adventure. I decided I wanted to read some fiction, instead of the usual history I tend to gravitate to. I randomly pulled off the shelf a book called the "Coffee Trader" by David Liss, not knowing a thing about the book or the author. The literary fates smiled upon me that day. I was amazed that a book set in 16th century Amsterdam could be so full on intrigue, suspense and absolutely thrilling to read. After that, I tracked down his other works of historical fiction, "The Conspiracy of Paper" and "The Spectacle of Corruption," and was introduced to one of the most fascinating heroes in literary fiction, Benjamin Weaver. "The Devil's Company" the third in the Benjamin Weaver series, is a fantastic book! It follows the exploits of Benjamin Weaver, a private investigator, in London in the fall of 1722. Mr. Weaver is employed to avenge the honor of his client, through a set up in a game of chance. This is but the beginning of a tale so full of malice, intrigue and malevolent cleverness that one worries if Mr. Weaver's "derring do" will be enough to prevail. Also, I never thought the British East India Company could be such a vipers' nest of scheming. What transpires there has relevance today and illustrates that corporate perfidy is not a recent development. Mr. Weaver is compelled to go to work for "the Company" by a mysterious cabal. The stakes are incredibly high as Mr. Weaver has to sort through ever shifting facts and alliances, and his Herculean task ensnares the reader to such an extent that one is cautioned to set aside some serious reading time, lest one stay up half the night. Mr. Liss has written a superlative book. He captures the feel and sound of 18th century London. His attention to detail and compelling story telling brings to mind Patrick O'Brian in his "Aubrey/Maturin" series, Jean-Christophe Ruffin in "The Abyssinian," or Stephen Harridans' "The Gates of the Alamo." If you enjoy a good mystery, attention to detail, a thriller, or just revel in a well written entertaining book, then "The Devil's Company" is the book