The Fencing Master Paperback - 2004

Summary

First line

Much later, when Jaime Astarloa wanted to piece together the scattered fragments of the tragedy and tried to remember how it all began, the first image that came to his mind was of the marquis and of the gallery in the palace overlooking the Retiro Gardens, with the first heat of summer streaming in through the windows, accompanied by such brilliant sunlight that they had to squint against the dazzle on the polished guards of their foils.

From the rear cover

"A delightful period whodunit."--USA Today
I n Madrid in 1 8 6 8, fencing master and man of honor Don Jaime is approached by a mysterious woman who seeks to learn the secret of the unstoppable thrust, an arcane technique known only to him. All too soon he finds himself in the vortex of a plot that includes seduction, secret political documents, and more than one murder. Rich with the historical detail of a decaying world that agonizes-as does the world of fencing itself-over the ideals of honor and chivalry, The Fencing Master is superb literature and a true page-turner.

"Extraordinary . . .The brilliant, final fencing match is pure poetry."-The Denver Post
Internationally acclaimed author Perez-Reverte was born in 1951 in Spain, where he lives. His bestselling books have been translated into nineteen languages in thirty countries and have sold millions of copies.
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