This sequel to Liss's Edgar Awardwinning A Conspiracy of Paper (2000) brings back ex-pugilist Benjamin Weaver and his 18th-century London environs in all their squalid glory. Benjamin has become a "thieftaker," a sort of bounty hunter/private eye, and is investigating the simple case of a threatening letter when he is caught up in a riot, accused of murder and sentenced to hang. After a gutsy escape, he sets about unraveling the mystery of who framed him and why. Donning the disguise of a wealthy coffee planter from Jamaica, Benjamin infiltrates the upper classes, where he encounters a plot centering on a hotly contested House of Commons election.
From the author of Ancient and Medieval Siege Weapons (Lyons Press), Konstantin Nossov, comes this eye-opening new study of one of the most popular pastimes of ancient Rome. This detailed, highly readable guide introduces readers to every aspect of the gladiator phenomenon: from the types of equipment the different classes of gladiator used-to the high place these sportsman came to occupy with the popular culture of the time.
