The Devil's Company

Benjamin Weaver #3

by David Liss

The year is 1722. Ruffian for hire, ex-boxer, and master of disguise, Weaver finds himself caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse, pitted against Jerome Cobb, a wealthy and mysterious schemer who needs Weaver’s strength and guile for his own treacherous plans.

Weaver is blackmailed into stealing documents from England’s most heavily guarded estate, the headquarters of the ruthless British East India Company, but the theft of corporate secrets is only the first move in a daring conspiracy within the eighteenth century’s most powerful corporation. To save his friends and family from Cobb’s reach, Weaver must infiltrate the Company, navigate its warring factions, and uncover a secret plot of corporate rivals, foreign spies, and government operatives. With millions of pounds and the security of the nation at stake, Weaver will find himself in a labyrinth of hidden agendas, daring enemies, and unexpected allies.

With the explosive action and scrupulous period research that are David Liss’s trademarks, The Devil’s Company, depicting the birth of the modern corporation, is the most impressive achievement yet from an author who continues to set ever higher standards for historical suspense.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Historical, Historical Mystery, 18th Century, Mystery Thriller

371 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2007

About the author

I am the author of thirteen novels, most recently The Peculiarities, a historical fantasy out in September 2021. I've also written numerous novellas and short stories. My previous books include A Conspiracy of Paper which was named a New York Times Notable Book and won the 2001 Barry, MacAvity and Edgar awards for Best First novel. The Coffee Trader was also named a New York Times Notable Book and was selected by the New York Public Library as one of the year’s 25 Books to Remember. Several of these books are currently being developed for television or film. I have also worked on numerous comics projects, including Black Panther and Mystery Men for Marvel, The Spider and Green Hornet for Dynamite, and Angelica Tomorrow.

Reviews

[Richard Derus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Real Rating: 3.5* of five

The Publisher Says: The year is 1722. Ruffian for hire, ex-boxer, and master of disguise, Weaver finds himself caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse, pitted against Jerome Cobb, a wealthy and mysterious schemer who needs Weaver’s strength and guile for his own treacherous plans.

Weaver is blackmailed into stealing documents from England’s most heavily guarded estate, the headquarters of the ruthless British East India Company, but the theft of corporate secrets is only the first move in a daring conspiracy within the eighteenth century’s most powerful corporation. To save his friends and family from Cobb’s reach, Weaver must infiltrate the Company, navigate its warring factions, and uncover a secret plot of corporate rivals, foreign spies, and government operatives. With millions of pounds and the security of the nation at stake, Weaver will find himself in a labyrinth of hidden agendas, daring enemies, and unexpected allies.

With the explosive action and scrupulous period research that are David Liss’s trademarks, The Devil’s Company, depicting the birth of the modern corporation, is the most impressive achievement yet from an author who continues to set ever higher standards for historical suspense.

I RECEIVED AN ARC FROM THE PUBLISHER. THANK YOU.

My Review: Seriously ugly jacket.

Book is, well, book is...really well plotted, filled with characters whose ideas and motivations I get and even support, and told in a very engaging way.

Liss's trademark business angle is very much in evidence in this book. It's set partially within the confines of the East India Company, and quite a lot of the action takes place around the various business concerns of the characters; all handled in such a way as to make it clear that this story arises from those concerns, driving each actor to his or her next action. It's enviable, the way Liss can see the story in the business and not just the business in the story.

I like this book. I like the hero. I like the way early capitalist London is presented to our senses, and how the author brings us along in our readerly sense of how the sleuth is going to develop across the series.

So why a mingy three-and-a-half?

Because: 1) Several people die, one of whom I know to be a real blow to the future of the series, and in each case the event with its aftermath is curiously flat. The sleuth's response is well-enough drawn, but it's not...the stakes aren't *there* for the (or this) reader. And the quite, quite startling aftermath of one quite important death is announced and left for later, while some very exciting other plot stuff happens.

See? I shouldn't be able to type that sentence without the Nasty Fairy whackin' me a good one, sayin' "too far, boy!" But his whackin' wand is not raised.

2) A surprise reveal late in the chase portion of the story falls sort of flat as well, and a character whose character we are given no reason to admire is revealed to be so amoral as to have—gasp, say it isn't so—slept with men and women both, and for profit! Wouldn't even cause an eyeblink if this were not a) the only time this concept has ever been brought up in the series, and b) a trait presented as somehow amplifying the character's extant perceived vileness.

Full marks for fairness: Benjamin, the sleuth and a self-described vigorously straight man (yawn) does some surprising soul-searching about his sodomitical revulsion. The whorehouse madam makes a pretty good case for the sodomites she serves being pretty much just like the rest of the world. And in the end, a straight man who doesn't write pure scary-o-types when discussing the more fluid borders of sexuality is more to be praised than not. It just doesn't sit right in this case.

3) The Love Interest. Oh god. We now reach the portion of our series where the sleuth must Fall In Love, and with a worthy adversary. Just once, one lousy time, I'd like to see a likable hero like Benjamin Weaver make it through an entire series without a Love Interest. I know it's what the market likes, but yeesh. I content myself with observing that she's a interesting character in her own right.

I like the sleuth, I like the series, and I will buy the next one. You should too.

Recommended for Anglomanes, for business buffs, and for puzzle people; historical fanciers will hyperventilate at some of Liss's more atmospheric passages; and international intrigue fans...stay tuned....

[Peter Clothier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Benjamin Weaver, the Jewish prize-figher turned "thief taker," who is the hero of David Liss's The Devil's Company, the third in the series of crime novels set in 18th century London. (The other two are The Whiskey Rebels and A Conspiracy of Paper.) Liss writes as Weaver, in the first person, in a pitch-perfect and convincing blend of contemporaneous slang and syntax with readable modern English. The author has a remarkable ability to evoke the stinking, muddy streets of a pre-sanitary city, along with the drawing rooms and bedrooms of both elegant mansions and slum dwellings, and the dreary business offices peopled by slavish clerks and scheming bosses. It's a world teeming with the human race, with all its foibles and prejudices as well as its occasional nobility and generosity of spirit.

Weaver is a marvelous character. Honest to a fault, he's perfectly willing to cut corners and take risks in what he perceives to be the pursuit of justice. Loyal to his friends, he's the most implacable of enemies. He sides with the poor and the downtrodden--and there are many of those, in the metropolis--against the unscrupulous rich and the privileged upper classes. At once tender and tough, he will go to any lengths to right the wrongs that he unearths. His partners-in-crime-solving--and also, often enough, in crime--are a colorful bunch of characters, as, indeed, are the villains he exposes.

But Liss is after more than the historical context. The East India Company--the "devil's" company--is a stand-in for the rapacious corporations that threaten to dominate today's world. The interplay between commerce and politics is at the center of the book's complex and engrossing intrigues. In his metaphors for today's society, Liss takes the view of a liberal of the realist persuasion. "Companies," he writes on the one hand, in the words of one of his characters, "concern themselves only with how much money they can make. Governments at least look after the well-being of all--the poor, the unfortunate, and even the laborers, whose work must be cultivated, not exploited." But later, another character adds this relativist wisdom: "Politics cannot always be about what is moral and right and good for all men and all time. It must be about what is expedient now, and what is the lesser evil."

There's much other meat on the bone of plot in this novel, including much social observation about class and prejudice which is unfortunately as true today as the author makes it sound in the eighteenth century. Above all, there's the spirit of adventure, the not-knowing what we're going to find around the next dark corner, the craftily handled suspense. And the humor, sometimes subtle, sometimes slapstick, sometimes laugh-out-loud. Action? Sure, if you fancy a phaeton chase through the streets of London, as fast-paced and reckless as a roman chariot race--or the conventional chase scene in any contemporary movie. Oh, and fisticuffs, for sure... The book is a barrel of intelligent, good-humored fun.

[AdiTurbo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope this is not the end of this series, since by now I'm finding it truly difficult to let Benjamin Weaver get out of my life. He and his friend Elias are fantastic characters, who have given me hours of enjoyment, as well as helped me understand the politics and economics of their time. I've followed their adventures with held breath, rooting for the unlucky former fighter and loving Elias for his full loyalty to his friend, ignoring the massive differences in status and position between them. I found the writing fluent and easy to read, even as it felt authentic to the period. Clearly the author is highly knowledgeable and an expert on 18th century England, but that isn't enough to make a novel work. What makes these novels so wonderful is the author's great sense of pace and plot, his ability to weave historical events in a believable way into his plotlines, and his masterful character building. This series is one of the best of the historical fiction genre, and is highly recommended.

[Ele Munjeli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in London in the year 1722, the scenery might be the point of the novel; yet, David Liss manages to create memorable and individual characters that actually carry the day. Our hero, a retired boxer of Portugese-Jewish ancestry, is also a master of disguise and a wry wit. His sidekick is a lounge lizard Lothario of a surgeon, always ready for another glass of wine. The dialogs in the story were perhaps a strong point: the exchanges were natural, but sharp and informative. There is a strong sense of how information is uncovered when it's worked in such a way, the result keeps us on track, and there was less a sense (as there is in some whodunnits) that the author is hiding relevant clues. The tangled plot involved espionage, technology, and the East India Company. My favorite scene involved the crashing of a gay club. The historical research was a highlight of the whole story, and the author's refusal to portray clichés of historical fiction, and instead emphasize the complexity of history.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know if there's a better historical mystery-thriller writer out there than David Liss. Following his impressive, "The Whiskey Rebels," Liss goes back to his continuing 18th century London character, Benjamin Weaver, a Jewish pugilist turned private detective.

This time, bad guys in the form of mysterious monied gentlemen, have Weaver over a barrel. If Weaver doesn't do their bidding, debts will be called in against his uncle, his best friend and a respected neighbor, and in those days, that meant a trip to the Fleet Street debtors' prison.

I won't give away what Weaver is asked to do, but needless to say, his success at his first assignment only involves him more deeply with his enemies. In the process, he meets a beautiful young woman who is more than she seems, government interests come into play, and by the end of the book, it's hard to tell who is on whose side.

Along the way, we learn about the textile trade of the East India Company, the plight of domestic silk weavers, the strange marriage rules in the vicinity of Fleet Street, and what gay men did to form a safe social place for themselves in early 1700's London. There is even a version of drag racing -- young men barreling through the streets in phaetons without regard for others lives and limbs.

Thank you, David Liss, for another educational, exciting romp through history.

[Russ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Smartly layered period mystery.

Highly informative about the East India Company at the midpoint of its existence. As a quasi-governmental agency or even a fourth branch of government, it stands to reason that Company headquarters in London, Craven House, had its own factions, internal turf wars, and even spies. I found it quite enjoyable to follow ex-prizefighter Weaver through this rat nest of political, diplomatic, corporate, and social intrigue.

Little did I realize the extent to which the Company and wealthy British merchants relied on Indian textiles and cloth, more so than the famous tea and spices. The manufacture of Indian calicoes turns out to be of central significance to the storyline, how it threatened the domestic wool and silk-weaving industries, and how it was all affected by the looming threat to India and Britain of American cotton.

The historical texture of this book also adds to my understanding of Indian history; I doubt that one can learn about India comprehensively without educating oneself on the British East India Company.

But instead of a dry history book, we get the enjoyment of learning this all through the context of a somewhat dark but engaging conspiracy thriller! It contains extortion and corporate espionage which I appreciate because these are underexamined elements in fiction. I got a bit confused by all the trickery & double-crossing by the end, but it remained a fairly fun novel.

[Rebecca Huston · Rating 5 out of 5]

If your taste runs to historical mystery/thriller novels, have I got a doozy for you today. Another novel in the ongoing series about Benjamin Weaver, a Jewish man in 18th century England, who happens to be a theif-taker among other things, this one explores international trade, and a deal that has gone very very badly. Weaver has to penetrate the secretive workings of the East India Company -- a company that doesn't like anyone poking into their affairs, and on the personal side of his life, still pining for his lost love. I'm not giving a lot away on this one, it's too good.

For the longer review, please go here:
http://www.bubblews.com/news/9312611-...

[Natacha Martins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Os livros do David Liss foram dos primeiros, da então nova editora Saída Emergência, a captar a minha atenção. A Saída de Emergência na altura veio trazer uma lufada de ar fresco ao mundo editorial, com as capas diferentes de todas as que até aí existiam, autores desconhecidos (muitos deles portugueses) e mais direccionada para a literatura Fantástica e o Romance Histórico, onde se encaixavam os do David Liss - "A Conspiração de Papel", "O Mercador Português" e "O Grande Conspirador". A verdade é que acabei por ficar com um carinho especial pelos livros do David Liss e pela sua personagem fetiche, Benjamim Weaver, um ex-pugilista judeu, descendente de portugueses a viver na Londres do século XVIII. :)
Já lá vão uns anos desde que li o último dele, e ao pegar neste "A Companhia do Diabo", foi como reencontrar um velho conhecido e gostar do que encontramos porque ele envelheceu bem.
Isto tudo para dizer que, para mim David Liss, é um daqueles autores a quem reconheço falhas, mas do qual gosto muito. É um daqueles autores, sobre os quais a minha opinião será sempre mais baseada em emoções e menos racional. Porque que é que gosto? Olhem, porque sim! :)
Com isto não quero menosprezar os livros, ou dizer que são maus, longe disso. Quero antes dizer que não são obras-primas mas também não são apenas entretenimento. Para além de nos deixarem bem-dispostos, aprendemos algumas coisas e estão relativamente bem escritos (avaliando apenas as obras traduzidas). Acho que são, acima de tudo despretensiosos.

Relativamente ao "A Companhia do Diabo", é um livro que se lê muito bem e onde reencontrei um Benjamin Weaver aparentemente mais maduro, a trabalhar como detective privado e com fama de ser muito bom naquilo que faz. Tão bom que chama a atenção de Jerome Cobb, um homem misterioso que ninguém parece conhecer. Cobb arrasta Weaver para uma missão perigosa, envolvendo a Companhia das Índias Orientais, o comércio de tecidos e algumas das figuras mais importantes da sociedade londrina, ameaçando-o, caso não colabore, prejudicar o tio e dois amigos.
Pouco habituado a seguir regras e a ser obrigado a fazer o que quer que seja, Benjamin irá, como é natural, lutar com todos os meios ao seu alcance para reverter a situação em que se encontra a seu favor. Algumas coisas correm-lhe de feição, outras nem tanto.

O livro lê-se muito bem, embora às vezes se possa tornar um pouco maçudo. Não sei se maçudo é o termo correcto, às vezes parece que Weaver verbaliza demasiado o que lhe passa pela cabeça, a escrita pode parecer, por vezes, menos polida, menos madura ou trabalhada. No entanto, nada que estrague o ritmo da história e que impeça o envolvimento e o interesse em descobrir e desvendar o mistério. A descrição da época e o ambiente criado, estão bem conseguidos, bem como as personagens. Acho-lhes piada e gosto da forma como a história se vai desenrolando.
O tema também nos prende ao livro e é interessante perceber como é que as grandes companhias, financeiras ou comerciais, neste caso, nasceram. O comportamento e a influência que tinham na altura e que permanece, nos dias de hoje, praticamente inalterado. A forma abusiva com que tratavam os concorrentes e os meios que utilizavam para sabotar todo e qualquer acontecimento que pudesse vir a ser uma ameaça ao lugar que ocupavam e ao poder que adquiriram e não pretendiam perder. Valia tudo, no século XVIII e continua a valer tudo no século XXI. Os meios utilizados até podem não ser os mesmos, mas os fins continuam a justificá-los.

Resumindo e baralhando, recomendo por diversas razões:
1ª É um livro do David Liss e, já o disse, acho-lhe piada;
2ª A história é boa e está bem escrita;
3ª O tema é interessante;
4ª Não sei se é por Benjamin ser descendente de judeus portugueses, mas sente-se alguma lusofonia no livro o que é curioso porque David Liss, até onde sei, não tem qualquer ligação com Portugal.

Poderia continuar a enumerar as razões pelas quais recomendo os livros de David Liss, mas acho que não iria acrescentar nada ao que já foi dito, portanto, leiam!:)

Boas leituras!

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

The setting is fantastic, the story not.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy the historical aspects of this novel. I liked the premise of the story but it took me forever to get through the book

[D.w. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having got this book to review, I had to acquire the previous two books as this is the third and become acquainted with our hero... There is a trend with our hero to not have his life in his own hands. Here more than any other time we see blackmail at the root of his problems. We also see the writer use a device, now all too obvious of not beginning his story at the beginning. In each instance we have a chapter or more where we have to delve back in time by some days or weeks to find where the story begins.

We learn of life always through the first person, and perhaps that we have now a series, we will always be limited to this view. Certainly in a mystery, the first person guides us in what facts we know. The character whose eyes we share does not know any more or less than we. We also see London, a rather decrepit London through our heroes eyes. We seem to have come across a London that has gone from tolerable 100 years before when Shakespeare and Elizabeth lived to a nightmarish place. Perhaps a reason we don't have many encounters of early Georgian mysteries.

What troubles is that this book is not as strong as the previous two. There economics ruled to such an extant that the complexities while made understandable where sinuous enough that they were hard to unravel. Here, Weaver our hero, once again thrown about by more powerful forces, is clear never to be his own man and by the end of the tale we can see where the author wants to take us. Move over James Bond, your Georgian predecessor is upon the scene.

Yes as the tale continues, we see that the author would like us to find a home for his secret agent man... Oh no. Not another one. How many good series get ruined by making everyone work for the Crown? Let us have an honest series, our thieftaker is strong enough to do his work without being mixed up with the affairs of a nation.

Now can Liss deliver and find another economic concept as compelling as we had in his first two novels? Or even better, the Coffee Trader which I believe bests this also. Where Liss elevated above others is that he has the ability to grasp an economic plot device and marry it to the times and then weave the plight of the Jew in to the mix. Here, aside from a very few scenes, the need for our hero to even have been a Jew is sadly lacking. He could have been an Irish man.

Their is a last quibble also, as what is surely to be his next benefactor/nemesis, the crown, ends up knowing a fact that the three others who know (all from the second book) would not wish to reveal. So read it because you like Liss and the series, but don't look to read this on its own. For that, it is only better than average, not great.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't usually read books like this. I studied English in college, and consider myself a connoisseur of literature - and certainly above reading contemporary suspense novels.

Mr. Liss's book reminded me that not all books have to be literary masterpieces in order to be worth reading. Benjamin Weaver is an entertaining character - think 18th century Jack Bauer (perhaps I am revealing that my tastes are not as highbrow as I pretend... ). He is able to get himself into and out of any number of sticky situations.

While the story is littered with a number of anachronistic and preachy scenes about religious and sexual tolerance, and how we are simply a product of our time and culture, overall the book was well-researched, and provided some insights into the beginnings of modern capitalism.

The plot of the book strikes the difficult balance of maintaining the "suspension of disbelief" necessary for a book with as many twists as this one. Near the beginning of the novel I was fairly convinced that I had seen through Mr. Liss's plot, and that I knew what was coming. I was pleasantly surprised that I was dead wrong, and I continued to be pleasantly wrong in many of my conjectures through most of the book.

I don't think that I will actively seek out Mr. Liss's works in the future, but I found this a nice change from my typical fare, and would certainly recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed Mr. Liss's books in the past.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classifying Liss' books as historical fiction is a bit misleading: Liss' mysteries are ripped from the headlines of the 17th and 18th century, but those headlines would be disturbingly familiar to anyone who picked up a newspaper today.

His latest revolves around a company too big to fail, the Honorable East India Company, and brings back thieftaker and former pugilist Benjamin Weaver to untangle a mystery involving blackmail, murder, spying and international business intrigue.

This tale is fast-paced, well-written and well-plotted with entertaining diversions that explain terms we use casually today (Ever wondered why a cheap bar or restaurant is called a dive? Look no further!). But what makes a great mystery series are great characters and here Liss introduces the entrancing Celia Glade, who is to Weaver much what Irene Adler was to Sherlock Holmes.

Unfortunately, at points, Liss feels compelled to draw connections between the moral issues of the past and present using dialogue that feels more like a bludgeon than a feather. It is jarring, and for me made the book less enjoyable than his previous work; more faith in the reader was needed. But skim those parts, focus on Weaver and Glade, and you'll have a very, very enjoyable read.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read all of David Liss's published books. They are among the most enjoyable books I’ve read in my 54 years on the planet. Just finished The Devil's Company and enjoyed this story as much as his other books. From the whirlwind of the early chapters to the final, satisfying conclusion as the hero, Benjamin Weaver, thwarts the plans and machinations of the evildoers(I will say no more), The Devil's Company is a book that I will savor the memory of reading. I can say that about only a few other books – and most of those were written by David Liss! The Devil’s Company is a brilliantly written period fiction piece with fascinating characters, a complex, thrilling plot, and a style and pace that drew me in from the very first sentence. Highly recommended – a must read!

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so happy to have had the chance to preview the Devil's Company! David Liss seems to get better with each new book. In the Devil's Company, Benjamin Weaver returns for more puzzling adventures. While Weaver is forced to act as another's puppet, he must watch his friends and family struggle at the hands of the puppeteer. Along the way, he works to unravel the web that has snared them all. All of this takes place amid 18th-century corporate/government tug of war. This is most definitely a page turner you will not regret picking up!

[Mommalibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book sets an incredibly complex set of characters and plots in squalid 18th century London. All the twists are not resolved until the very last page. There are several 'issues' but they are totally integrated into the story; no idle philosophizing. Is better to favor native production or enjoy cheap imports. Is there real danger to the British government as the multinational, East India Company grows more ever more powerful? Who can be trusted? How could these people drink so much?

[Chip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always enjoy Liss's novels, and this one was no exception, making excellent use of the settings and issues of historical times, sometimes in contrast with and sometimes as analogues to, our own. The governmental regulation vs. corporate free market subtheme, for example, was, I thought, well done. However, I thought this book a little lacking in emotional depth at times, particularly in the case of certain character deaths (as at least one other reviewer noted). Still, quite worth the read.

[Waverly Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This historical mystery twisted and turned in the most delightful way. Unlike most historical mysteries no one dies at the start, which makes this more of a private eye novel. Benjamin Weaver is forced into acting by threats to his friends and his father dies early on, from natural causes but compounded by the difficulties imposed on him by the villains. There is another murder but it happens early on to a character we don't know well until the end so the murder really isn't the inciting incident. As always with Liss novels, the relevance for today is inescapable. In the previous book, the Spectacle of Corruption, he was dealing with the corruption of elections through the use of money and propaganda. In A Conspiracy of Paper, he was looking at the early development of the stock market including insider trading. And in this book he is looking at the means-justifies-the-ends mentality of a large corporation (the East India Company) which puts profit before ethics, with some side swipes at fashion trends and trade restrictions. But despite the larger political issues, Liss never loses track of the human side of the story: Benjamin Weaver, the former pugilist turned thief taker, who is trying to figure out who he is working for, whose side he should be on, and how he can use the information he is gathering both to buy his freedom (and that of his friends) and untangle the web of deception in which he finds himself. He talks to silk weavers, clerks, men climbing the corporate ladder, whores, widows, a beautiful female spy, and his friend, Elias, the doctor.
What do I take away as a writer: That writing a historical novel in which the political or spiritual issues echo with present day concerns could be a satisfying way to explore those issues and have some influence over them. In a private eye novel, you don't have to have a murder. Maybe I should be writing private eye novels. Now that I think about it, that's what I like to read. Also I learned that having the main character be confused about what's happening and slowly and inexorably gathering information, each piece of which tends to contradict what he believes is going on, can create incredible suspense.
Also I admire how easily Liss creates a scene, for instance this description of a small dining room:
..this room had the pleasures of comfort, though its Turkey rug was of all dark blues and browns, its furnishings a near black in color, and the walls a green so gloomy it might well have been the color of a cloudy moonless night. There were , however, high windows that sent in lances of light, giving the impression that the room was crisscrossed with the filament of a spider's lair, and there, at breakfast, were the spiders.
Or this small detail of domestic life:
The lady received me in the parlor of her landlady's house. Her serving girl provided wine and then sat primly in the corner, concentrating most amiably upon her sewing.
interesting historical facts:
the Rules of the Fleet, prevented arrests for debt, (no one could be arrested for debt on Sunday either), and marraiges of the underaged withoutpermission of parents of the traditional reading of banns could take place. Dubious priests (or, as Liss says, men who are capable of performing a tolerable impersonation of a priest) conducted these marriages. Weaver rescues a young woman who has been kidnapped (lured into the street outside her home by a call for help from a woman), plied with alcohol and brought before such a priest.
I am so sad to learn there are no more novels in the Weaver series (at least, not yet) but did download the prequel.

[Mal Warwick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy reading books the most when I’m learning something from them. History or historical fiction that unravels the mysteries of the past. Science fiction that introduces mind-bending new ideas or clever twists on older ones. And mystery and suspense fiction that helps me understand how people live their lives in unfamiliar places or circumstances. Historical mysteries and thrillers sometimes offer a combination of these advantages, as do the first two books in David Liss’ four-book Benjamin Weaver series. They spotlight the tumultuous years early in the 18th century when England was in the throes of political and economic turmoil. Little more than half a century had passed since revolutionaries had cut off the head of their king. But the third Benjamin Weaver novel, The Devil’s Company, sadly goes off the track. It’s a story of early industrial espionage, but it doesn’t quite work.

Early industrial espionage in the era of the cotton trade

The story is based on two themes that preoccupied British officials throughout the 18th and 19th centuries: the debate over free trade and the conflict between the British East India Company and Parliament. In The Devil’s Company, “thieftaker” (private detective) Benjamin Weaver tangles with the formidable men who manage the century-old monopoly. In telling the tale, Liss brings to light the company’s excesses, its fractious relationship with His Majesty’s Government, and the competition the company faced from France and the Netherlands. Sadly, though, the author frames this picture in a convoluted story that’s impossible to take seriously.

Unlikely incidents and implausible coincidences

As you’ll be aware if you’ve read the earlier entries in this series, Benjamin Weaver is a celebrated former prizefighter and thief-turned-thieftaker. He is Jewish, though unobservant, a member of the Portuguese-Jewish community in London. He was raised by his uncle Moses, a prosperous trader in wines from the Iberian peninsula. Having pursued his vocation as an investigator for several years, he has gained a reputation in London for integrity as well as effectiveness. And it appears to be that reputation that has led a mysterious man named Cobb to force him into service in a nefarious plot to undermine the British East India Company. There ensues a mind-bogglingly confusing series of unlikely incidents and implausible coincidences involving a string of equally mysterious new characters. Though the novel might have been an interesting portrayal of early industrial espionage, it gets lost in the action.

Too bad. The first two books were excellent.

About the author

David Liss (1966-) is the author of the four books in the Benjamin Weaver series. He “left his post-graduate studies of 18th Century British literature and unfinished dissertation to write full-time,” according to his entry in Wikipedia. He has been doing so since 2010. To date, Liss has written a dozen novels, mostly historical mysteries and thrillers, as well as short fiction and comic books.

[Johanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate that feeling at the end of a book or movie where nothing has made sense.* Is it just me? Am I stupid or something? So, I confess I was completely confused by the ending - confused about who had done what and why, and I found it all very frustrating.

This time the story takes place against the backdrop of the East India Company and its control over the workers, the politicians, and even the people of England - after all, the customers can only buy what is offered. The Company works to make money, and the more money it makes, the richer England becomes. Therefore the politicians want to keep the East India Company happy and flourishing.

Into this comes a convoluted story of spies and polygamy and death and debt - a lot of debt. By the end a lot of people had tricked the hero, Benjamin Weaver, in a lot of different ways, and he felt wrung out. I ended this feeling wrung out as well but determined to read the fourth in the series.

[Update to review a week later: I keep thinking about the polygamy aspect. If the husband had died, there would have been a funeral. Well, did all the wives come to the same funeral and somehow not see each other, or were there multiple funerals so each wife got her own? The complications of polygamy and deceit were glossed over - disappointing.]

This gets as many as three stars because of the research behind the stories, the life that the author brings to the tale through his meticulous details.

*Full disclosure: I’m really tired. Maybe it really *is* just me and I just wasn’t thinking straight enough to make sense of a somewhat straightforward ending.

UPDATE: I just read some reviews and a lot of other people felt the same way I did. Whew. It wasn’t just me being stupid.

[Redsteve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent addition to the Benjamin Weaver series. Like the preceding volumes, this one is packed with intrigue, deception, and violence set in a vividly-written early 18th Century London. While still dealing with all levels of British society, this novel focuses on the East India Company and British fabric industries rather than politics, but still includes crime, espionage and civil unrest. While Liss does a great job of avoiding anachronisms, the reader gets the impression that some of the story is also an indictment of modern corporate practices. There is, as they say, nothing new under the sun. This story also introduces new characters who are even greater outsiders in London than Jewish pugilist-turned thief taker Weaver. 4 1/4 stars.

[Tom S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent. I think this is my 4th David Liss book in the last 3 weeks. I love historical fiction, and Liss is very good.

This story revolves around a Jewish merchant in Amsterdam circa 1700. Liss explains how the commodity markets worked in the old world, and the obstacles of the Jews in Amsterdam faced conducting business.

Very entertaining and educational.

[Amy Weickert · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy this as much as others by David Liss. It rambled and was overly complicated at times.

[Anachronist · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I liked:

The plot was as action-packed and full of twists and turns, as I like. I didn’t have one minute of boredom while reading this one.

Vivid period detail is rendered so it can actually make you interested in history, even if you didn’t like the subject or the era before. This time Mr. Liss provides some interesting glimpses into the Rules of the Fleet – a law-free area around Fleet Prisons where debtors could live free from arrest and clandestine marriages took place without banns or license. After reading about it if you ever visit that area in London you will never treat it as just another part of the city again.

The narrative voice of our main hero never ceased to amuse me - Weaver has a biting, sarcastic wit, and he had me laughing at many places in the novel. Apart from that, once again the author did choose the right amount of archaisms to make the book era-believable but not to discourage contemporary readers.

What I didn’t like:

I know it is difficult to keep a series of novels based on the same formula on a high level it was started; small wonder the third part I found somehow lacking.

First of all, in this book we meet a Celia Glade who is supposed to be the next love interest of Benjamin. I did want more romance but now I suppose our main character fell in love again too early – to be honest I found Miss Celia one of the weakest female characters in Liss’s trilogy so far. Not only she doesn’t feature often enough to be close to a fully-fledged heroine you can relate to but she remains surprisingly two-dimensional to the very end, despite the fact that she is supposed to be a splendid actress and a mistress of disguise herself. I don’t say she is not amendable because undoubtedly she is (providing that the author plans a fourth book). I just wish we were given more proof of it.

I was also a bit disappointed that Mr. Liss neglected to explore the inner workings of the British East India Company in greater detail; I would love to read about it even if it meant a slightly bulkier book. I did enjoy his rants about the evils of big corporations and capitalism, though – a very contemporary topic and always close to my heart. Here, I end this section in a positive way - it means the book wasn't totally bad. :-)

Final verdict:

If you enjoy historical fiction with a strong background of conspiracy, economics, technological development and a tad of romance, and with much of the action taking place in 18th century London, this trilogy is for you. I admit I found the third part the weakest but, overall, I don’t regret buying and reading it. After two such brilliant installments you simply must read the third even if deep down you know it might be a tad worse.

[LG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mystery novels are about the chase. Someone pursues the unknown, often putting himself in danger. Sometimes the pursuit is out of curiosity, but usually there are moments where the hero expresses a reasonable motivation to find out what's going on. In order to work, the reader has to care what the unknown is and believe that the danger is real. The author must provide enough information to keep the reader intrigued, but also not appear to give the end away.

In the Devil's Company, Benjamin Weaver attempts to learn how Absalom Pepper died. A mysterious man, Mr. Cobb, has forced Benjamin to take on this mystery by buying up the debts of his friends. With his friends' freedom hanging over him, Benjamin cannot walk away from this case. It didn't feel like the mystery nor the danger is all that richly explored until the last 50 pages.

While at times we learn about Absalom Pepper, we learn very little about the mysterious Mr. Cobb. Therefore, Mr. Cobb feels like a random plot device to up the stakes and remind the reader of the ticking clock. That said, the writing is good. And at times, I was eager to find out what was going to happen next, ticking clocks do work. However, there was never that recognition of layer, icing, layer -- oh we are building a cake of the mystery genre. (Right now, I can't think of another way to explain my thoughts; so genre as cake type will have to do.) Some icing - moments that brought you into the bad guys motivations and reversals - earlier and throughout the story would have helped it come together for me. Still a decent read.

[Michael Johnston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoughtful, sophisticated historical thriller that gives the reader both a complex mystery to solve and a glimpse of 18th century London. Benjamin Weaver is our story's hero and an unusual hero he is.

A Portuguese-Jewish immigrant, former bare-knuckle boxer and now thief-taker (essentially a private investigator), Weaver is one of the more complex characters I've ever encountered in mystery writing. Facing anti-Semitism, foreign spies, and blackmailers who threaten to ruin his family and friends, Weaver must solve a mystery involving a death at the East India Company.

Virtually everyone in his path is a double agent or in some way trying to deceive him and if he doesn't solve the mystery soon enough, his life could be in danger and his family ruined.

It is a fun read and one that draws you back in time to an era when things were both simpler and more complex.

This is the third of a so far three part series featuring Weaver as the main character, but as it has been nearly 10 years since the publication of The Devil's Company, it may be the last we see of Weaver. You don't need to start with the first book in the series to enjoy the work, but it does help understand the back story of a number of characters.

[Joel Margolese · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good, but not great book from David Liss. For me, his high point was the Whisky Rebellion. In this book, set in England in 1727 (I believe) Benjamin Weaver returns and get embroiled in an intriguing mystery. The plot is very good, the characters enjoyable and the most of the settings are quite vivid and plausible. (I have no idea if he's got his history right or if his descriptions of how people lived & dressed are correct, but they feel like they are right, so I enjoy that part of the historical novel.) I did think that some of the characters and their ideas were a little anachronistic, specifically ahead of their times. But I can forgive that because it's next to impossible to make a character both 100% believable to us as modern readers and also 100% true to their times. That's even presuming that the author could know how day to day conversations went in the days before recordings.

Readable, but not required reading.

[David Usharauli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book in the series. The story is the most interesting and it is written in a most engaging manner.

Actually, the plot itself in the end is kind of weak but the reader would not know it until very end of the book.

In this novel Ben Weaver is forced to perform some illegal activities to save his friends. The story is about East India Company and a mystery man with some secrets named Pepper.

It is an international thriller with British, French and Indian interests intercrossed. It shows rise of private corporations that serve as the extension of country's political ambitions.

posted by David

http://bookidealist.blogspot.com/2017...

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the book I picked up as my "blind date" book during Valentine's season at the library. My main motivation for picking this book was that it was labeled historical fiction and mystery. It did not disappoint, and overall, I'm glad I read it. It was somewhat of a slow and dense read. There were a lot of different characters and secrets throughout the book to keep track of. It also seemed a bit long, as there were multiple points throughout the book that would have worked as a conclusion, and other parts that seemed unnecessary. However, there were several twists and turns that kept me entertained, and I truly never knew what was coming up next. It was well-written, and I'm interested to see what else this author has written!