From the Bookshelf of Bookmarks Subscribers …

"Think of a subject so dull that no one would possibly think to make a thriller out of it. Now double the length of said thriller. Then add the author Iain Pears—and you've got a weird magic trick on your hands," noted the Times in amazement. Although he introduces complex ideas about global finance and industry, Pears humanizes them through his wholly compelling charactersóengaging, shady, and unreliableóand detailed settings, from anarchist meetings to Parisian salons. Riveting, smart, and tho

"Think of a subject so dull that no one would possibly think to make a thriller out of it. Now double the length of said thriller. Then add the author Iain Pears—and you've got a weird magic trick on your hands," noted the Times in amazement. Although he introduces complex ideas about global finance and industry, Pears humanizes them through his wholly compelling charactersóengaging, shady, and unreliableóand detailed settings, from anarchist meetings to Parisian salons. Riveting, smart, and thoroughly enjoyable, this historical thriller may initially baffle readers, but the mysteries presented in each section do coalesce. A few critics complained of cliches, esoteric concepts, and the book's length, but the Seattle Times summed up sentiment: "The heft may be daunting, but this erudite tour de force is more than worth the time invested."

This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine.