For those who admire a wonderfully well structured plot, this is a must. It takes the reader a little time to see the reason Faraday is obliged to leave a cipher to posterity, but the historical pre-amble is well worth the wait. Even better is the way the cipher turns out to be a poison chalice, intended for good but doing the final recipients (in this case a well characterised bunch of adventurers) a series of bad turns. The story is so well researched and so consistent that you are hard pressed to tell fact from fiction. All in all, this is a very compelling plot and a very satisfying experience. Once you have dived in to the historical background you won't want to stop reading!
The historical preamble in this book is well worth the wait. We learn of Faraday's life and times and how it comes to be that obligated by his mentor's legacy he avoids scandal by leaving a cipher to posterity. In short, his duty to Wollaston turns out to be a poison chalice so he secrets Wollaston's prize away giving its location in a cryptic cipher. The cipher is intended for good but when in modern times it is at last decoded, it does the final recipients (in this case a well characterised bunch of adventurers) a series of bad turns. The story is so well researched and so consistent that you are hard pressed to tell fact from fiction. All in all, this is a very compelling plot and a very satisfying experience. Once you have dived in to the historical background you won't want to stop reading!
For those who enjoy a superbly crafted story, historically based but contemporary in its development, The Faraday Cipher is a must! The opening chapters cover Michael Faraday''s encounter with his mentor Wollaston who for the best intentions hands him a poison chalice. On Wollaston''s death, the religious and highly principled Faraday is obliged to divert any suspicion of underhand dealing with Wollaston''s legacy and secrets the prize away. To ensure posterity benefits from the prize he contrives a cipher which becomes lost in the Royal Society''s documents, Decades later an archivist finds Faraday''s papers and begins to capitalise on his discovery. It does him little good and when in modern times a briefcase turns up at a car boot sale things get really interesting.
CB Barrie has written one of his typical suspense-thrillers, which draws you into the story as it develops. Highly accurate historically, this well crafted story unfolds without any doubts as to its authenticity. The historical sections are brilliant as is the way the cipher moves through the times we have no doubts about how easily the events could be true.
Estard
CB Barrie has written one of his typical suspense-thrillers, which draws you into the story as it develops. Highly accurate historically, this well crafted story unfolds without any doubts as to its authenticity. The historical sections are brilliant as is the way the cipher moves through the times we have no doubts about how easily the events could be true.
Estard
