781 pages
English language
Published Nov. 20, 1991 by Ballantine.
The Quincunx (The Inheritance of John Huffam) is the epic first novel of Charles Palliser. It takes the form of a Dickensian mystery set in early 19th century England, but Palliser has added the modern attributes of an ambiguous plot and unreliable narrators. Many of the puzzles that are apparently solved in the story have an alternative solution in the subtext.
Extremely detailed. You get the sense that the author knows how much change each character has in their pocket at all times. And that it matters. Amazingly engrossing for a novel about British inheritance law.
