This book was SO MUCH FUN. Our hero, Benjamin Weaver, battles the East India Company and about sixteen different agendas within it. The details got incredibly convoluted but were never too hard to follow, and the action kept me riveted. Weaver is sympathetic while being realistically flawed, and buckles are swashed, while at the same time I learned a fair amount about trade and eighteenth-century London. I will definitely be seeking out Liss' other books.

The Devil’s Company is the third in David Liss’ Benjamin Weaver series. Weaver is a thief-take and former boxer of some repute in 18th century London. In this installment, which was my first, we find Weaver at a loss when he discovers himself in a great deal of debt to one of his customers. Not only did this customer, one Mr. Cobb, purposefully create this scenario to keep Weaver in his debt, he bought up the debts of Weaver’s beloved uncle, good friend, and acquaintance. While Weaver did nothing to create this situation, he feels morally responsible for the detrimental financial impact this situation has caused. He is forced, then, to accept an assignment he had previously turned down – to break into the highly guarded offices of the East India Company and steal documentation for an upcoming meeting. Unfortunately, this isn’t the last of what Mr. Cobb requires and he keeps Weaver in the dark on his ultimate purposes. In order to free himself and his friends and loved ones from Mr. Cobb’s grip, Weaver has to fight to keep Mr. Cobb happy while working behind the scenes to discover what he really wants and seek his revenge.

This novel was a breath of fresh air for me for this period of London’s history. Other novels set in this same time and place, most recently The Brothers Boswell, have been dry and quite slow. Liss’ story is not only fast paced and continually interesting, but the dialog, most specifically the banter between Weaver and his good friend, Elias, made this novel so enjoyable. The style of speech and the relative formality of personal interactions felt authentic to the time period, but I had no difficulty putting myself in the same room or following along with the characters as they walked down the road. While I can’t say that I would have wanted to live during that time, I feel as though I visited there.

The Devil’s Company is more than just a mystery with a scrappy hero. It delves into the connections between big business and governmental power. While the East India Company is a huge giant carrying a big stick doing what it can to keep its market share and put down any type of government interference, this novel discussed the relationship between a governments need for power and security and the wealth and stability of big multi-national companies. It is interesting to think that you can bring down a world power by attacking its wealthiest private companies. If those companies in turn treat the people as disposable waste, where should you hold your loyalty?

Having never read any of David Liss’ previous work, I wasn’t sure what to expect. He is a talented writer who has created memorable and, most importantly, realistic characters. I previously bought a copy of his novel The Coffee Trader as it takes place in Amsterdam. I am eager to read it now because of the author. I also want to read A Conspiracy of Paper and A Spectacle of Corruption, the first two novels in this series Benjamin Weaver is such a great character I want to read his complete back story. With The Devil's Company, I have found a new historical novelist that I love to explore. What a gem is that? ( )

A decent read. I think this one crosses a little to much into drawing a parallel with modern politics. Still, the characters are engaging and the action fast paced. I would recommend. ( )

When you sit down with one of David Liss's books you don't just settle in to read....you immerse yourself into another time and place. At least, that is how I feel every time I pick one up. This time he returns to 18th century London with his hero Benjamin Weaver. Weaver is being blackmailed into providing services for some mysterious folk and the story just gets more complicated as you read. Liss loads this book with the sounds, scents, politics, people and slang language of the time period to provide a genuine feel for this century.
It is a plot with lots of red herrings and twists and turns and also more accessible than his previous book, The Whiskey Rebels. A good read. ( )