Set in 1868 in Spain, this novel is an exquisitely detailed portrait of a world that is changing, leaving behind the old arts – like fencing – and the old men who practice them, such as the main character: the Fencing Master, Don Jaime. The trouble is that the plot isn’t as well conceived as the setting.

Ostensibly a mystery, the story takes far too long to progress to the first murder, which should be the real beginning. After that, events occur way too quickly, allowing no time for suspense to build up. The solution to the puzzle is quite obvious by the time the second murder is discovered, so the climactic revelation comes as no surprise. With such fine writing to back it up, the lackluster plot is a great disappointment.