An Instance of the Fingerpost: Explore the murky world of 17th-century Oxford in this iconic historical...

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Iain Pears

An Instance of the Fingerpost

Explore the murky world of 17th-century Oxford in this iconic historical thriller

Iain Pears

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Paperback

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English

Vintage
02 October 1998

Fiction & Literature; Crime & Mystery; Thriller & suspense; Adventure; Historical fiction

Lust, betrayal, secrets, murder... Brilliantly written, utterly convincing, gripping from the first page to the last, An Instance of the Fingerpost is a magnificent tour de force.

'A fictional tour de force which combines erudition with mystery' PD James

Set in Oxford in the 1660s - a time and place of great intellectual, religious, scientific and political ferment - this remarkable novel centres around a young woman, Sarah Blundy, who stands accused of the murder of Robert Grove, a fellow of New College. Four witnesses describe the events surrounding his death- Marco da Cola, a Venetian Catholic intent on claiming credit for the invention of blood transfusion; Jack Prescott, the son of a supposed traitor to the Royalist cause, determined to vindicate his father; John Wallis, chief cryptographer to both Cromwell and Charles II, a mathematician, theologian and master spy; and Anthony Wood, the famous Oxford antiquary.

Each one tells their version of what happened but only one reveals the extraordinary truth. Brilliantly written, utterly convincing, gripping from the first page to the last, An Instance of the Fingerpost is a magnificent tour de force.

'A novel that combines the simple pleasures of Agatha Christie with the intellectual subtlety of Umberto Eco, don't let it pass by unread.' The Times

By: Iain Pears
Imprint: Vintage
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Edition: New edition
Dimensions: Height: 197mm, Width: 129mm, Spine: 40mm
Weight: 510g
ISBN: 9780099751816
ISBN 10: 009975181X
Pages: 704
Publication Date: 02 October 1998
Recommended Age: From 0 years
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Iain Pears was born in Coventry in 1955. Educated at Wadham College, Oxford, he has worked as a journalist, an art historian and a television consultant. He is the author of several highly praised detective novels, a book of art history, countless articles on artistic, financial and historical subjects, and The Dream of Scipio and Stone's Fall.

Reviews for An Instance of the Fingerpost: Explore the murky world of 17th-century Oxford in this iconic historical thriller

This multilayered literary thriller is nothing short of superb. Four key characters relate the circumstances surrounding the mysterious death of a fellow of New College in 17th-century Oxford: the first, a dilettante Venetian gentleman, finds himself under suspicion in the close-knit academic community. What seems in his account to be a straightforward murder case turns out to be a national religious and political conspiracy. An entertaining and learned novel; comparisons with The Name of the Rose are justified. (Kirkus UK)