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More copies of this ISBN:This title in other formats:Ex-Librisby Ross King
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:A cryptic summons to a remote country house launches Isaac Inchbold, a London bookseller and antiquarian, on an odyssey through seventeenth-century Europe. Charged with the task of restoring a magnificent library destroyed by the war, Inchbold moves between Prague and the Tower Bridge in London, his fortunes-and his life-hanging on his ability to recover a missing manuscript. Yet the lost volume is not what it seems, and his search is part of a treacherous game of underworld spies and smugglers, ciphers, and forgeries. Inchbold's adventure is compelling from beginning to end as Ross King vividly recreates the turmoil of Europe in the seventeenth century-the sacks of great cities; Raleigh's final voyage; the quest for occult knowledge; and a watery escape from three mysterious horsemen. Review:"Ex-Libris requires some effort on the part of readers, but it will be amply rewarded by King's provocative plot, brilliant craftsmanship, and ability to make the people, places, and events of the past sparkle with life. This is a superbly written must-read worthy of five stars." Booklist Review:"A satisfyingly lush and lavish adventure in the world of rare books that will remind readers of The Name of the Rose." Detroit Free Press Review:"An ingenious intellectual puzzle." Newsday Review:"[A] sweeping intellectual thriller....Bibliophiles will find the details of the 17th-century book trade to be fascinating, and history buffs will enjoy the panoramic view of Western history, from the sacking of Constantinople to the search for El Dorado to the savage exhumation and desecration of Cromwell's remains that sets the stage for the events of the story." Denver Post Review:"Fans of literary thrillers by the likes of Eco, Hoeg and Perez-Reverte will delight in this suspenseful, confident and intelligent novel." Publishers Weekly Review:"A tightly woven literary thriller that mixes history, politics, literature and
action in a way unrivaled in modern mystery fiction...At its heart, the book is
a beautifully paced, multilayered adventure reminiscent of Jonthan Harker's saga in Bram Stoker's Dracula." The Columbus Dispatch Review:"Ex-Libris is entertainingly crammed with the appurtenances of Gothic romance?castles, secret codes, shadowy crypts, spies, mysterious coach rides, a distressed noblewoman, black-clad assassins." Miami Herald Review:"This is a rollicking good yarn." Mystery Review Review:"This book would [also] appeal to those who enjoy the English language and a turn of phrase, and appreciate literary style as an artform itself." The Daily News Review:"An ingenious intellectual puzzle." Newsday Review:"Ex-Libris offers a highly original, and exceptionally entertaining, variation from standard mystery fare. The writing is erudite, yet not stilted in the least. If you loved Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose, this book will have your reading light burning until the wee hours." BookPage Review:"It's every bookworm's forbidden fantasy...an outrageously convoluted descent into the world of codebreaking, disguises, poisons, potions, cemeteries, ancient wisdom, and forbidden magic, all drawn through King's extraordinary knowledge of the 17th century....Despite the dizzying level of historical and scientific detail...King never loses the scent of high adventure or even the whiff of macabre camp....Bookworms who yearn for thrills beyond the shelves will eat this up." Christian Science Monitor Review:"An unusually literate historical mystery....Ex-Libris wears
its considerable learning lightly, and its climactic succession of surprises does not disappoint. Readers who willingly lost themselves in Iain Pears's An Instance of the Fingerpost should know that King has written its entirely worthy successor." Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Review:"King has created a literary historical thriller in the vein of The Name of the Rose. It delivers fascinating but arcane facts about ciphers, Mercator maps, astronomy, and invisible ink in an engaging tale." Library Journal Review: "A suitably labyrinthine plot…Above all, it is King’s sheer gift
for storytelling that makes Ex-Libris such an enjoyable read." The
Oxford Times Review:"Highly original, and very clever indeed." Manchester Evening News Review:"An exquisite historical thriller and a story which twists and turns like
the beautifully evoked back streets of 17th century
London." Yorkshire Evening Post Synopsis:King's literary thriller combines the layered, multifaceted narrative style of Iain Pears' "Instance of the Fingerpost" with Dorothy Dunnett's broad-canvas grasp of English history. The story, set in 1660s London sparkles with intrigue and adventure, literature, history, politics, and philosophy.
About the AuthorRoss King was born in Canada in 1962 and presently lives near Oxford, England. He is also the author of two internationally acclaimed books, the novel Domino and Brunelleschi's Dome. What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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