Iain Pears was born in 1955. He is the author of seven detective novels, a book of art history and countless articles on artistic, financial and historical subjects, and three novels, An Instance of the Fingerpost, The Dream of Scipio and The Portrait.
The novel is above all a romp, albeit an exceptionally intelligent and entertaining one -- David Robson * Sunday Telegraph * A juicy mystery with lashings of period detail * Daily Telegraph * Engrossing and intelligent, it's the best sort of page-turner -- Amber Pearson * Daily Mail * The assurance and invention with which the novel is written are alike remarkable. Utterly absorbing and a rare delight -- Alan Massie * Scotsman * I cannot remember enjoying a book as much as Stone's Fall -- Malcolm Gladwell * Observer *