Amsterdam, 1659: On the world’s first commodities exchange, fortunes are won and lost in an instant. Miguel Lienzo, a sharp-witted trader in the city’s close-knit community of Portuguese Jews, knows this only too well. Once among the city’s most envied merchants, Miguel has suddenly lost everything. Now, impoverished and humiliated, living in his younger brother’s canal-flooded basement, Miguel must find a way to restore his wealth and reputation. Miguel enters into a partnership with a seductive Dutchwoman who offers him one last chance at success—a daring plot to corner the market of an astonishing new commodity called “coffee.” To succeed, Miguel must risk everything he values and face a powerful enemy who will stop at nothing to see him ruined. Miguel will learn that among Amsterdam’s ruthless businessmen, betrayal lurks everywhere, and even friends hide secret agendas.
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"This is vintage D. Liss. Our hero, Miguel, is in considerable financial distress after being a successful trader. He has to live with his younger brother and endure his sister-in-law's hapless state. All the while, he tries to dig his way out of debt, not really knowing who is for him and who is against him. He is an altogether decent sort, who while trying to second guess those he perceives to be his enemies, makes some bad decisions. His hatched plot is shot full of holes and he is pursued by bad debts. Will he succeed and will he live "happily ever after"?"
— Sherie (4 out of 5 stars)
" Most of it went through one ear and out the other. But it was alright, I guess. "
— Olivia, 2/5/2014" David Liss has a great way to tell stories. The intricate plot on the exchange market of Amsterdam involving the unknown commodity and its web of characters makes for a fun and enlightening story. "
— Mark, 2/2/2014" "The Coffee Trader" takes place in 17th century Amsterdam, at the dawn of the coffee trade in Europe. The setting and characters are so well developed that you even find yourself rooting for some downright duplicitous folks. And the best part is that the story worked on me like coffee. I would lie down tired and once I started reading, I was wide awake. This was a clever, no brilliant, page-turner, and it was just what I needed after reading so much mediocre stuff (unintentionally, of course). I highly recommend it if you like historical fiction. "
— Elise, 2/2/2014" Just didn't get into this book. There was too much deception, and ill-will in the characters to enjoy reading about the coffee trade. "
— Eileen, 2/1/2014" just an "alright" storyline but a very good book if you are interested in 17thC Amsterdam, especially if you are into the stock market-- this is where it all began! I would recommend this to anyone interested in: 17thC. Dutch culture, history of economics, history of European coffee trade, history of the Jews in Amsterdam (especially Portuguese Jewish immigrants who escaped the Inquisition). "
— Eileen, 1/30/2014" I found this a fascinating look, not just at the 16th century Sephardic Jews exiled by the Inquisition living in Amsterdam, but also a interesting window on the birth of the stock market. "
— Sheffy, 1/27/2014" Historically interesting and a great plot development although the characters are not people I would care to know. "
— Gayle, 1/15/2014" Quite simply one of the best books I've read. "
— Sophie, 1/12/2014" I'll finish this, but it's not one of his better novels. In fact, I don't know how he made a book about coffee and Amsterdam so dull. - OK, I'm finished. It was much stronger at the end than the beginning. Still, the main character should have been more compelling. "
— Rhonda, 1/5/2014" I saw this book listed somewhere as being of the genre "historical financial thriller" or something to that effect. I think it's interesting (and slightly bizarre) that this genre exists. The book was fine, but I can't say I'm motivated to seek out other historical financial thrillers as a result. "
— Lillian, 1/3/2014David Liss is the author six novels, most recently The Devil’s Company. He has several bestselling novels, including, A Conspiracy of Paper, winner of the 2000 Edgar Award for Best First Novel, The Coffee Trader, A Spectacle of Corruption, The Ethical Assassin, and The Whiskey Rebels. In 2008, at the United Nations Convention against Corruption in Bali, Indonesia, he was named an Artist for Integrity by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. No one is really sure why he should receive this honor or what it means, but it very possibly makes him the Bono of historical fiction. David Liss’ novels have been translated into more than two dozen languages. He lives in San Antonio with his wife and children.
John Lee is the winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He has twice won acclaim as AudioFile’s Best Voice in Fiction & Classics. He also narrates video games, does voice-over work, and writes plays. He is an accomplished stage actor and has written and coproduced the feature films Breathing Hard and Forfeit. He played Alydon in the 1963–64 Doctor Who serial The Daleks.