MY VERDICT? The Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears is a gripping historical novel set in 17th-century England. Written from four different perspectives, it combines political intrigue, mystery and plenty of interesting historical facts about the origins of modern medicine. Although I found it quite an intense read in parts, I loved the twists and historical detail and the ending blew me away.
The Blurb:
The novel is centred on a suspicious death, that of Robert Grove, fellow of New College. We hear about it from four witnesses, a Venetian Catholic intent on claiming credit for the invention of blood transfusion; 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 of the first three witnesses is unreliable – they seem convincing, but the conclusions are contradictory – and only Wood, in the final volume, reveals the truth.
R. P. Bolton Author 