Dark Matter

A Novel

By: Philip Kerr

Narrated by: Byron Jennings

Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

I swore not to tell this story while Newton was still alive.

In 1696, young Christopher Ellis is sent to the Tower of London, but not as a prisoner. Though Ellis is notoriously hotheaded and was caught fighting an illegal duel, he arrives at the Tower as assistant to the renowned scientist Sir Isaac Newton. Newton is warden of the Royal Mint, which resides within the Tower walls, and he has accepted an appointment from the king of England and Parliament to investigate and prosecute counterfeiters whose false coins threaten to bring down the shaky, war-weakened economy. Ellis may lack Newton’s scholarly mind, but he is quick with a pistol and proves himself to be an invaluable sidekick and devoted apprentice to Newton as they zealously pursue these criminals.

While Newton and Ellis investigate a counterfeiting ring, they come upon a mysterious coded message on the body of a man killed in the Lion Tower, as well as alchemical symbols that indicate this was more than just a random murder. Despite Newton’s formidable intellect, he is unable to decipher the cryptic message or any of the others he and Ellis find as the body count increases within the Tower complex. As they are drawn into a wild pursuit of the counterfeiters that takes them from the madhouse of Bedlam to the squalid confines of Newgate prison and back to the Tower itself, Newton and Ellis discover that the counterfeiting is only a small part of a larger, more dangerous plot, one that reaches to the highest echelons of power and nobility and threatens much more than the collapse of the economy.

Dark Matter is the latest masterwork of suspense from Philip Kerr, the internationally best-selling and brilliantly innovative thriller writer who has dazzled audiences with his imaginative, fast-paced novels. Like An Instance of the Fingerpost, The Name of the Rose, and Kerr’s own Berlin Noir trilogy, Dark Matter is historical mystery at its finest, an extraordinary, suspense-filled journey through the shadowy streets and back alleys of London with the brilliant Newton and his faithful protégé. The haunted Tower with its bloody history is the perfect backdrop for this richly satisfying tale, one that introduces an engrossing mystery into the volatile mix of politics, science, and religion that characterized life in 17th-century London.

©2002 Philip Kerr (P)2002 Random House Inc., Random House Audio, a Division of Random House Inc.

Critic reviews

"An illuminating, often crackling exploration into the mysteries of science, mathematics, religion, and human nature." (Booklist, Starred Review)
"The ever-versatile Kerr...weaves a rich tapestry of interesting characters and period details. Highly recommended." (Library Journal)
"A most gripping and well-appointed entertainment." (Publishers Weekly)

Well done for an abridgment

This is the only abridgment that I own from Audible, and it was a mistake. I'd planned to purchase the full version. I'm not unhappy that I bought the abridgment; this is very well done. However, if you have the option, the unabridged version is far superior. There's a sense of things missing in an abridged version, even if the story is complete.

Great Book

The book was very fast paced and engaging. I definetly recommend it to anyone who reads historical fiction or murder mysteries.

Bloody Marvellous

Kept me gripped all the way through. The authentic reading and language used takes you back to 17th England and a side to Issac Newton I never knew existed.
Great Read -

A reallly good read (listen)

I really enjoyed this book. I couldn't wait to get back to it.

Great Historical Fiction

The story takes place in late 17th century London during the part of Newton's career spent at the Royal Mint. Christopher Ellis is sent to assist Dr. Isaac Newton in his investigations of counterfitters whose operations threaten to bring down a war-weakened economy of England.

The pair of Ellis and Newton almost seem like Holmes and Watson as the book tours through religious history and prejudices to catch the couterfitters who are committing murder in the Tower of London. The author presents a detailed look at what Isaac Newton might have been like while combining this profile within mystery and history set in this novel that is ripe with the names of Newton's famous contemporaries.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was meticulously researched to the point that I had a hard time telling where the fiction began and reality ended. As a nice finishing touch, the book has a light sprinkling of humor in it which will catch you by surprise and leave you delighted.

Enjoy.