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An Instance of the Fingerpost

An Instance of the Fingerpost

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

Summary

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

Oxford in the 1660s. Sarah Blundy 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 and utterly convincing, An Instance of the Fingerpost is gripping from the first page to the last.

'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

Reviews

  • One of the very best historical novels ever written
    Tom Holland

About the author

Iain Pears

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 five novels, An Instance of the Fingerpost, The Dream of Scipio, The Portrait, Stone's Fall and Arcadia.
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