While I used to devour mysteries as if they were a source of life’s sustenance, I have not read more than a few over the past couple of years. They became too formulaic, if not entirely predictable. Many of the historical mysteries just didn’t offer enough history to hold my attention. Thus, when I read that An Instance of the Fingerpost was hailed as a literary mystery set against the background of the English Restoration, I was intrigued.

It did not disappoint. Told from four points of view - two of which are actual historical characters - the novel centers around the murder of Robert Grove, a senior fellow of New College in Oxford. Four characters relate the circumstances of his death. None are lying, but only one knows what really happened.

This clever presentation kept me stumped up to the end. Moreover, whodunnit was incidental to the real intrigue taking place in Charles II’s court. This involved a conspiracy to rival the Popish Plot.

An Instance of the Fingerpost is an intellectual’s mystery story. You may need a scorecard to keep the evidence, the players, their biases and interpretations in order. Along the way, you’ll pick up a lot of the history of the era. I counted no less than 8 actual historical figures – Richard Lower (one of the first physicians to experiment with blood transfusions), John Locke (philosopher), Robert Boyle (chemist), Thomas Ken (bishop), John Thurloe (spymaster for Oliver Cromwell), John Wallis (mathematician), Anthony Wood (historian) and Christopher Wren (astronomer/architect).

When historical fiction leaves me hungering to learn more about the history, it’s done its job. An Instance of the Fingerpost is my second favorite read of the year, falling only behind As Meat Loves Salt, which is a very different kind of story told, ironically, during a slightly earlier time period. Rating: Excellent