Stone’s Fall by Iain Pears (2009)When journalist Matthew Braddock attends the funeral of Madame Robillard, a woman he had met many years ago, he runs into a lawyer who has been instructed to deliver a package of documents to him. For Braddock, the funeral and the documents bring back memories of the events of the time when he knew Madame Robillard, then known as Elizabeth, Lady Ravenscliff.
In 1909 London, Braddock was employed by Lady Ravenscliff, the widow of the wealthy industrialist John Stone, who had just fallen to his death from his office window. On the surface, Braddock is meant to be writing a biography of John Stone. Discreetly, he is to search for the “never previously acknowledged” child of Stone’s mentioned in his will. However, what appears as a straightforward (though difficult) task is not what it seems to be. Braddock keeps uncovering important facts which had not been disclosed to him– the financial state of Stone’s empire is not nearly as solid as the shareholders have been led to believe, and there is evidence of shady dealings within it that were outside of Stone’s control. Also, Stone’s death looks like it may not have necessarily been an accident. Braddock slowly comes to find that he is being manipulated, as each layer he uncovers reveals more lies and secrets. In the end, all is revealed to him – seemingly. It will take two documents detailing two more eras - Paris 20 years earlier and Venice 20 years before that - before every part of the puzzle makes sense.
Like he did with his previous book An Instance of the Fingerpost, Pears has written an intricate historical novel for people who love literary fiction and also those who appreciate a really good mystery.
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