Six top historical novels that capture the 18th century

Laura Shepherd-Robinson is the award-winning, Sunday Times and USA Today bestselling author of four historical novels including the newly released The Art of a Lie.

At CrimeReads Shepherd-Robinson tagged six "works of fiction [that] explore the vast contradictions and extreme hypocrisies of our so-called Age of Enlightenment." (She also included one title from 1782, Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Choderlos de Laclos.) One title on the list:

A Conspiracy of Paper by David Liss

Set in early 18th century London, this is a bawdy, picaresque romp, with a colorful array of rogues and wenches populating its pages. However, in between the intricate crime plot and the humor, the novel tackles some serious subjects: the anti-Semitism and legal oppressions faced by Jews in London at that time, as well as the world of the early money markets and joint stock companies. The story is narrated by Benjamin Weaver, a Jew and former boxer turned thieftaker. Weaver is told by a client that his estranged father, lately deceased, was in truth murdered. Unable to ignore this information, Weaver hunts for the killer, drawn back into the family he tried to escape, and the company of his beautiful cousin, Miriam. His inquiry brings him up against many enemies, notably the powerful Bank of England, their rival, the South Sea Company and the famous underworld villain, Jonathan Wild. Weaver is a brilliant protagonist, flawed, fun, but also complex and conflicted about his heritage.

Read about another entry on the list.

A Conspiracy of Paper is among Samantha Greene Woodruff's five books that explore the complexities of the stock market.

--Marshal Zeringue