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An Instance of the Fingerpost

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An Instance of the Fingerpost

By: Iain Pears
Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong, Roger May, Christopher Oxford, David McAlister
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Set in Oxford in the 1660s – a time and place of great intellectual, scientific, religious 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 1l a mathematician, theologican and inveterate plotter; and Anthony Wood, the famous Oxford antiquary. Each one tells their version of what happened but only one reveals the extraordinary truth.

©1997 Iain Pears (P)2011 Isis Publishing Ltd Crime Fiction Historical Fiction Mystery Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction Crime
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A clever and well written mystery centered on a series of connected events as seen through the very differing persepctives of a handful of eye witnesses. Each of the witnesses turn out to be rather unattractive, self serving liars who whinge constantly and twist the tale to their own ends, at great length. Before long I tired of the narrators and their stories and as a result of the book itself. The solving of the mystery, when it finally arrived, was something of a damp squib at the end of a very long and slow burning fuse.

Clever but untimately unsatisfying

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I read this book over 10 years ago and loved it and decided that it was worth a listen. I wasn't dissappointed. If you like historical fiction and crime thrillers then this is a must-"read". The events are narrated from 4 different characters' points of view, which allows you piece together the big picture by the end. Definitely recommend it and will definitely enjoy a second listen myself.

Really engaging

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Enjoyed the story. Good narration and liked the sneaky twists and turns . . .

Nice twists in the story.

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Greed, fake news, political corruption, misogyny, religion and the evil of men in power... sounds familiar?

A complex yet ultimately rewarding book,

history repeats itself

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A series of chilling events re-told through the eyes of four different characters. Recollections vary and there are many hidden secrets as the tale unfolds.

Complex and Gripping

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