Benjamin Weaver Books In Order

Publication Order of Benjamin Weaver Books

Benjamin Weaver is the main character in a set of novels written by American best-selling author David Liss. The series is told in the form of a first person memoir written by the old Benjamin Weaver, born as Lienzo, the son of Portuguese Sephardic Jewish parents. After achieving success in bare-knuckle boxing, Weaver found a new calling as a thief taker- equivalent to a modern private investigator.

A Conspiracy of Paper

A Conspiracy of Paper is the first novel in Benjamin Weaver series by David Liss. This is a book that will vividly capture your interest and keep you entertained with the history of London in 1719. The setting is well developed such that you will simulate the ravages of ailments in the prisoners at the Newgate Prison. Underneath the main story, some lessons can be learned today with the news of political unrests in Libya, Egypt, and Syria. This is the period when England was in fear of the French for their support of the overthrown King James.

Meet Benjamin Weaver, a Jewish detective who is contacted by a fancy-pants man named Balfour. Balfour informs him that he suspects his father’s suicide and claims that person responsible for his father’s death was the same man who killed Weaver’s dad. This shocks Weaver who was not that close to his father and thought that his father’s death was purely accidental. Another possibility about the murders was that Weaver’s dad was a stock trader and there might have been some stock forgery that led to the crimes.

Weaver is a Jew, and during this period, the society blamed the Jews for any lost money. At one instance a character claimed that “……..anyone who had lost his/her money in the stocks could follow the loss to a hand of a Jew.”

Weaver begins investigating the death of his father and descends into the cunning world of English stock jobbers, gliding between the gaming houses, the coffee houses, bordellos and drawing rooms. The more he uncovers, the darker the truth becomes until when he discovers that he is exactly following his father’s footsteps which could ultimately send him to his own grave as well. Weaver struggles to find the complexities of the stock-jobber system while at the same time he is confronted by the possibility of the murder of his father, a beautiful young widow, an estranged family, and an interfering crime boss.

The main character, Ben Weavers, is a character you will adore, he is tough, and masculine and manages to show some brains and sensitivity without turning into a loser or a coward.

On the other hand, the supporting characters are engaging as well, well crafted and detailed enough to spice up the main story. The author manages to add some vivid descriptions of the characters and also much humor. Furthermore, you will also love the 17th-century stock jobbers, finance and the lawless streets of London. The plots well paced, some sufficient twists and turns will grip you from the first to the last page. The author, David Liss manages to present detailed information and a full range of characters without boring the readers, dragging around or becoming confusingly complicated.

A Spectacle of Corruption

Some few moments after the sentence of a murder that he did not commit, at a trial lead by a jury determined to send him to prison; Benjamin is confronted by a person who cunningly slips a file and a lockpick into his hands. Almost immediately, he understands two things: someone is determined to see him hanged and another one determined to see him set free. So begins A Spectacle of Corruption that starts the return of Ben Weaver, the savior of A Conspiracy Paper. After a narrow escape from an 18th century London’s most violent prison, Weaver is now faced with another great challenge: he must prove himself innocent of a crime that he did not commit and when the court officials are only determined to see him hanged. To find out the truth and also clear his name, he must first understand the motivations behind a secret plot to extort a priest. Furthermore, he must also uncover the double dealings in turmoil among the London’s dockworkers and also expose a conspiracy that connects the plot against him to the impending national election- an election capable of starting a revolution and also crippling the monarchy.

Unable to appear in public, Weaver pursues his investigation by disguising himself as a wealthy merchant who intends to involve himself in the political scene. However, he soon discovers that the world of polite politics and society is full of plotters and schemes, men who pursue powers and riches and those who want the son of the overthrown king back to the throne. Navigating through a labyrinth of crime lords, politicians, spies, assassins, Weaver discovers that in an election year, very little is what it seems and the truth comes at a high cost.

Once again, the author, David Liss combines historical intelligence with complex characterization, mystery, and an interesting sense of humor. This novel offers a glimpse into our world of politics, and political scheming and firmly establishes Liss as one of the best authors of intellectual suspense in the modern world.

Like in the previous book, A Spectacle of Corruption presents Weaver as a handsome, charming and a man capable of action. The former pugilist earns a living working as a debt collector, thief taker and sometimes serving as a bodyguard. The backdrop of this narrative is set in London in 1722 during the eve of the 1st parliamentary election since King George assumed the power. The greed and corruption of the day are well woven into the Weaver’s story. Much of the old politics featured in this book mirror the modern day politics and you will be astonished to find out even after hundreds of years, many things in politics remain unchanged, and lust for power and greed are still such powerful motivators.

The series is told from first person narrative, assumes an 18th-century speech and moves along with a thrilling haste as it takes the readers on a series of hair raising adventures.