Mulling the origins of the Western monetary system might keep economic students awake at night, but it's hardly the stuff of suspense novels -- until writer David Liss appeared.

		Meet David Liss David Liss appears at 10 a.m. Saturday at Mystery Lovers, 514 Allegheny River Blvd. For reservations, 412-828-4877.

His 2000 mystery, "A Conspiracy of Paper," used the early days of the London stock exchange in the 18th century as the backdrop for a complex and prize-winning mystery.

Liss returns to the squalid streets of the British capital in his newest effort, "A Spectacle of Corruption" and his amateur sleuth, Benjamin Weaver.

This time, it's politics and the formative days of English democracy that surround Weaver as he hunts the clues to another mystery.

Liss, 38, said he became attracted to the 1700s when he was studying the 18th century English novel in college.

"I discovered I liked the music, the clothing, the writing. I wish I could have lived then," he said.

While in graduate school at Columbia University, Liss decided to try his hand at writing a novel.

"I figured that after college, I'd be working and not have any time to write, so between semesters, I starting writing," he said.

The success of "A Conspiracy of Paper" (it won an Edgar Award for mystery fiction) set him on the path to being a full-time novelist.

This week, he takes another path -- a 14-city promotion tour for "A Spectacle of Corruption."

It leads him to Oakmont on Saturday and the Mystery Lovers Bookshop.

"I like publicity tours. It's nice to get out in the world and talk to people about what you're working on," he said.