Dark Matter

What are a few murders to the man who unraveled some of the greatest mysteries of the universe? Sir Isaac Newton and his assistant, Christopher Ellis, are Holmes and Watson--two hundred years earlier. As warden of the Royal Mint in 1696, Newton uses his powers of observation to thwart a plan to murder thousands of Catholics by uncovering a counterfeiting ring and a conspiracy intended to rekindle war with France. Almost as an afterthought, he solves four murders with Ellis's clumsy support. John Lee's performance brings to life an era when streets overflow with sewage and much of humanity wallows in swinish depravity. Lee fleshes out the primitive entertainments, perversions, and gruesome executions of the seventeenth century. Kerr's language abounds with archaic syntax and usage, which Lee absorbs and makes utterly believable. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine

Starred review from July 29, 2002
Holmes and Watson provide the template for this very satisfying historical thriller from Kerr (The Grid, etc.), with Sir Isaac Newton acting as great detective and one Christopher Ellis serving as narrator. It's 1696, and a series of murders are plaguing the Tower of London, where the middle-aged Newton has recently assumed (as in real life) the position of warden of the royal mint, with the younger Ellis (again as in real life) serving as his assistant. Like Holmes, the cold and cerebral Newton relies on rationalism—the scientific method—to solve the crimes, while Ellis, quick with sword, pistol and temper, brings the emotional counterweight provided by Conan Doyle's Watson. The murders are accompanied by esoteric clues, most notably encrypted messages and alchemical references, that spur Newton to their resolution as forcefully as does his intense sense of duty, for the killings seem to involve not only a plot to disrupt a recoinage necessary to continue England's war with France, but also a conspiracy to commit religious genocide against a backdrop of incessant tensions between Catholics and Protestants. The mystery elements of the novel provide a sturdy spine for the book's main flesh: its robust recreation of life at the end of the 17th century. Ellis's fluid narration sets the tone, illuminating a London beset by pestilence, poverty, whores and ruffians, noblemen grave or foppish, opium dens, brothels and grisly executions, and a bright array of historical figures including, in the role of blackguard, Daniel Defoe. There's an erotic/romantic subplot involving Ellis and Newton's niece, but the main focus is on the two leads. Both are well drawn, though Newton, ostensibly the novel's center, is less compelling than Ellis's full-blooded youth. That disparity, and an overly complex plot, are the drawbacks of what is, withal, a most gripping and well-appointed entertainment.

Isaac Newton is responsible for the purity of the coin of Britain, made in the Tower of London. When he uncovers a plot to debase the coin, he follows the intricate clues to a surprising conclusion. Kerr writes in an old-fashioned style, using formal language. Unfortunately Byron Jennings's narration bleeds into the dialogue, and his characterizations are not consistent. The volume changes between characters and narrative, and there is no break to indicate the end of each CD. Despite the flaws in narration, the mystery itself is captivating. M.B.K. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine