Synopses & Reviews
In Madrid, in 1868, Don Jaime, fencing master and anachronistic man of honor, is working on his Treatise on the Art of Fencing. One day he is approached by a mysterious woman who seeks to learn the secret of "the unstoppable thrust," a supreme moment at the very heart of the art of fencing. All too soon he finds himself in the vortex of a plot that includes seduction, secret political documents, and more than one murder. Rich in historical detail of a decaying world that agonizes-as does fencing itself-over the ideals of honor and chivalry, The Fencing Master is superb literature and a true page-turner.
Review
"Instead of the clever puzzle that lies at the heart of many a lesser crime novel, he substitutes a subtle meditation on the deeper mysteries of fate and choice. Yet Pérez-Reverte is also a writer who knows how to keep the pages turning....A splendid performance."—The New York Times Book Review
"A richly woven tale of intrigue...The reader will parry and lunge along with Don Jaime, feel a real part of the duel."—San Francisco Chronicle
"A delightful period whodunit."—USA Today
"The Fencing Master is Pérez-Reverte's best book to date....For a smart, literate novel with suspense and a great puzzle, this is hard to beat." —The Toronto Globe & Mail
"Meticulously researched, his works are polished, erudite and cosmopolitan....A triumph."—The Dallas Morning News
About the Author
Arturo P+rez-Reverte is an internationally acclaimed author and his books have been translated into nineteen languages in thirty countries and sold more than three million copies worldwide. He was born in 1951 in Spain, where he still lives.