From Publishers Weekly
Liss’s first novel, A Conspiracy of Paper, was sketched on the wide canvas of 18th-century London’s multilayered society. This one, in contrast, is set in the confined world of 17th-century Amsterdam’s immigrant Jewish community. Liss makes up the difference in scale with ease, establishing suspense early on. Miguel Lienzo escaped the Inquisition in Portugal and lives by his wits trading commodities. He honed his skills in deception during years of hiding his Jewish identity in Portugal, so he finds it easy to engage in the evasions and bluffs necessary for a trader on Amsterdam’s stock exchange. While he wants to retain his standing in the Jewish community, he finds it increasingly difficult to abide by (more…)
July 1st, 2009 at 9:00 pm
5.0 out of 5 stars
A thriller that uses the mind, not dead bodies, to move the story forward
One of my favourite genres is that of the historical novel, whether it be a romance or not. An author that I have recently discovered for myself is David Liss, who crafts…
July 1st, 2009 at 9:32 pm
3.0 out of 5 stars
A painful read
Like many here I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the machinations of the varied characters. As much as I enjoyed the characters, however, I was left feeling the more…
July 1st, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Edgar Award-winning author Edward Liss returns with “The Coffee Trader,” another elegantly written historical suspense thriller. In 1659 the bustling port town of Amsterdam was filled with refugees from the Spanish Inquisition, as well as schemers and rogues from all over Europe looking to make some gulden (guilder). The Dutch, after defeating the Spanish, turned their small country into a major economic power in Europe. Amsterdam became the most financially dynamic city in the world, thanks to the robust commercial activity of their commodities exchange, the world’s first.
Miguel Lienzo, a Portuguese Jew, escaped the Inquisition on the Iberian peninsula and moved to the much more tolerant Netherlands. He created a home within the city’s close-knit Sephardic Jewish community. Sharp-witted, and a bit of a rogue himself, Miguel thrives on the exhilaration of the Dutch bourse, but his trades of late have not gone well. On the brink of financial ruin due to sudden shifts in the sugar market, he enters into a partnership with a seductive, entrepreneurial Dutch widow with an eye for business, Geertruid Damuis. Together they concoct a daring plot to corner the market on a new commodity - coffee. Lienzo’s plan has him going up against a powerful enemy, Solomon Parido, who sits on the Ma’amad, the Jewish self-governing body which controls all aspects of community life. Miguel had been betrothed to Parido’s daughter, until his unfortunate lack of discretion caused the relationship to end, earning him Parido’s lasting enmity. If Lienzo fails, he will not only be ruined but exiled as well…and nothing would please Parido more.
Liss meticulously recreates the 17th century Dutch city. He brings Lienzo’s world to life in great detail, as well as the workings of the Amsterdam bourse which are strangely similar to modern commodities markets. The complex, labyrinthine storyline, chock full of intrigue, is really compelling, and his characters are three dimensional in scope. Miguel, actually, is a surprisingly nuanced figure.
I found myself drinking more coffee than usual while reading this novel. Something about the narrative had me smelling freshly ground coffee beans constantly. Imagine a world without Starbucks! One part of “The Coffee Trader” that I really enjoyed, amongst many, is the Europeans’ astonished reaction after their first taste of this bitter, stimulating brew, and their realization that fortunes could be made with the beverage. Lienzo even foresees a day when taverns, serving coffee, will spring up on every corner. Imagine that?
JANA
July 1st, 2009 at 10:51 pm
3.0 out of 5 stars
More Caffeine, Please
Set in 17th century Amsterdam, this book concerns itself with on Miguel Lienzo, a Portugese Jewish commodities trader….
July 2nd, 2009 at 12:05 am
If Starbucks Coffee was smart, they’d start selling David Liss’s new novel THE COFFEE TRADER right alongside all their other caffeinated laced beverages. After winning the 2000 Edgar Award for Best First Novel for A CONSPIRACY OF PAPER, Liss has created another masterpiece relating to the historical fiction genre.
His second novel takes place in 17th-century Amsterdam in 1659 during the Golden Age. The book’s main character is a Portuguese Jew named Miguel Lienzo, who has recently lost a bundle after the sugar market crash and is now trying to resurrect himself by searching for investors who would consider a new product called “coffee”.
Broke and busted, Miguel must take shelter in the basement of his brother’s house. Daniel, who also works at the booming commodities exchange, tells his brother not to waste his time vying for a lucrative fortune in the coffee trade. But after learning about the possible financial windfall from the provocative Dutchwoman Geertrud Damhuis, Miguel is utterly convinced that coffee will become a worthwhile investment.
However, being Jewish in Amsterdam during the Golden Age was extremely difficult for any promising entrepreneur. For instance, Miguel must be careful not to scorn the Ma’amad, the restrictive and mysterious governing body of the Jewish community. He must also be wary not to conduct business with anyone who is not Jewish, something extremely forbidden during the mid-1650s. Miguel also has to deal with his bothersome brother Daniel and his mousy wife Hannah, who seems to be falling in love with Miguel. On top of that, he has to deal with Hendrick, a man seething with anti-Semitism and a close associate to his business partner, Geertrud. Throughout the book, Hendrick refers to Miguel as “Jew Man.”
During the course of close to 400 pages, I couldn’t read THE COFFEE TRADER without either sitting in the kitchen of my apartment and brewing a pot of the luscious black beverage or venturing out to my local Starbucks and ordering a grande Sumatra with room for milk. Even from the opening pages of the novel, Miguel is sitting with Geertrud and she is introducing him to the wonders of coffee. This is where Liss’s work truly shines. He does a magnificent job conveying to his audience the allure of coffee and its magical ability to induce mental awareness and intellectual prowess.
Not only is this wonderful novel chock full of suspense, intrigue and a touch of romance, it’s also extremely funny at times. For instance, when Daniel’s wife, Hannah, who is obviously smitten with Miguel, raids his stash of coffee beans instead of attempting to brew them in a conventional fashion, she chomps on the beans and finds them to be utterly exquisite. Yuck!
Liss also completed exhaustive research before sitting down to write THE COFFEE TRADER, which took a year and a half to finish. At the end of the book, after his Historical Note, is a lengthy Works Consulted section with over 30 books Liss read in order to set the proper tone for this historical piece of fiction. What’s most fascinating about Liss’s work is his incredible ability to transport the reader back in time. His ability to handle the nuisances of everyday life in Amsterdam over 344 years ago is utterly amazing. Liss paints an incredible landscape in detailing the rising commodities exchange in Amsterdam at that time. He also does an excellent job describing the seediness of pub life and how schemers would spread rumors about ships being looted by pirates in order to decrease the worth of cargo expected to arrive in the nearby docks.
It gets to the point where Miguel doesn’t exactly know who to trust and, in some ways, THE COFFEE TRADER emulates the risks that investors take today in dealing with high finance.
If you are a coffee fanatic like myself, then by all means go out and get yourself a copy of THE COFFEE TRADER, head to your nearest coffee shop and hunker down with this incredible saga.
— Reviewed by David Exum
July 2nd, 2009 at 2:24 am
I loved Lisss first book, A Conspiracy of Paper, but I have to say I think I love The Coffee Trader even more. This one is set in 17th century Amsterdam and concerns a traders efforts to get a monopoly on coffee just as coffee is first emerging in Europe. This novel moves and feels like a thriller, and I kept turning pages late into the night to find out what happens next, but Liss doesnt rely on tricks used by cheap thrillers no piles of bodies or burning buildings, etc. His protagonists anxiety about debt, ruin and humiliation make this novel moving and real and very, very compelling.
Liss tackles a number of tough topics here: commodities speculation in the 1600s, the insularity and paranoia of the Amsterdam Jewish population, the corrupting nature of trade, and so on. He clearly knows his stuff, and I walked away from the book feeling like I had received a great history lesson, but the book never gets bogged down with details. Probably because the characters are so believable and compelling. Every character has some kind of secret agenda, but it is never what you think, and the novels conclusion is risky, but very, very satisfying.
This is the best historical novel Ive read in years. It is suspenseful, funny and addictive. Even people who dont like historicals should check it out.
July 2nd, 2009 at 4:59 am
3.0 out of 5 stars
Might as well be Wall Street today…
The Coffee Trader is a well-drawn tale that takes place in 17th century Amsterdam at a fascinating time - the dawn of the financial exchange.
July 2nd, 2009 at 10:40 am
5.0 out of 5 stars
His Destination: Amsterdam, 1659 — A Mysterious World
“The Edgar Award — winning novel A Conspiracy of Paper was one of the most acclaimed debuts of 2000.
July 2nd, 2009 at 2:04 pm
4.0 out of 5 stars
No epic but entertaining enough
Original and very readable book. Great for plane rides. Not a “heavy” book that makes you ponder life, but still definitely worth the read.
July 2nd, 2009 at 3:35 pm
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sincerity can be the greatest means of deception
On a recent trip to upstate New York, trawling through used book stores, I tossed copies of Liss’s first two novels into my basket of purchases, having heard they were wonderful…
July 2nd, 2009 at 6:30 pm
3.0 out of 5 stars
Strictly a commerce-driven thriller
It seems like everywhere people have just read, are reading, or are planning to read The Coffee Trader. I like historical fiction and love coffee so I picked up a copy.
July 2nd, 2009 at 10:53 pm
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good investment on your time
This is a very strong book to read. By that, this book has depth. As a historical novel, you want some glimpse into the world as it was so that you leave with some factual…
July 3rd, 2009 at 5:34 am
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dutch Masters meets Gordon Gekko
There are some historical fictions which are just fun stories in costume, but that is not David Liss at all.