Paris can do strange things to a man's mind—like make him agree to an apparently harmless favor of escorting a picture to Rome. It seems routine work, and art dealer Jonathan Argyll gets to meet his girlfriend, Flavia, who works for Rome's Art Theft Squad.
"The Death of Socrates" is a particularly nondescript piece, so Jonathan can sympathize when its recipient refuses to accept delivery. But in an unusual twist, the same man is found dead a few hours later. Surely the painting wasn't that bad? Now caught up in a murder investigation, Jonathan recalls an attempt to steal the artwork while he was at the train station. Could this be the killer? What is so special about this painting? The bodies start piling up and Jonathan must uncover the dark wartime secret at the heart of the mystery—before someone puts him out of the picture for good.
With customary wit and panache, Jonathan and Flavia embark on a breathless chase to capture a killer who has been refining his own particular art for many years.
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"This was really a 3.5 star. I was fighting off a cold this weekend so I wallowed in mysteries. I saw the conclusion coming a mile away, but the writing is witty and funny, so I can overlook the obviousness. I will continue to read Iain Pears. " — Peggy (4 out of 5 stars)
"This was really a 3.5 star. I was fighting off a cold this weekend so I wallowed in mysteries. I saw the conclusion coming a mile away, but the writing is witty and funny, so I can overlook the obviousness. I will continue to read Iain Pears. "
“The latest (mis)adventure of art historian Jonathan Argyll delivers its plot twists at a rapid clip right up to the closing pages…Pears keeps his readers well occupied.”
“Pears weaves a tale as tangled as spaghetti. What triggered the murders? Who is telling the truth? [Cosham’s] strong voice and characterizations neatly tie together the deception, beautiful art and history.”
“A sophisticated, adventurous, and gripping story that is sure to hold wide appeal. In the odd moment when Jonathan and Flavia aren’t detecting, they carry on a delightful courtship that provides nearly as much enjoyment as the surprising plot.”
" Great book with an expert ending almpst reminiscent of Peter Tremayne's Fidelma. A convoluted mystery that revolved around France in WW2 "
" This was really a 3.5 star. I was fighting off a cold this weekend so I wallowed in mysteries. I saw the conclusion coming a mile away, but the writing is witty and funny, so I can overlook the obviousness. I will continue to read Iain Pears. "
" Superb - I'm a great fan. "
" I can't say enough about this author and this series. As soon as I make my way through the art history mysteries, I am on to his more lengthy novels. Yippeee! "
" worth reading twice. "
" "Il quadro che uccide" "
" I loved this book. It had many twist and turns that I had no idea who done it. "
" Clever, fast paced Mystery. A great escape. I look forward to reading more, especially those about artists I know. "
" As always iain pears delivers a witty, relevant and engaging mystery with lovely characters full of art world drama and war crimes galore. "
" I will look for more by this author. "
" Really fun, good work "
" I love this series! This may be the best book so far in the series - it is so complicated, and yet so fun! Now, on the the next one, thanks to my son, who bought me three wonderful books for Christmas! "
" A mystery plot that keeps you guessing. Still a very enjoyable series, although I'd like to see more character development. "
" same main characters as in _The Raphael Affair_. more fine art talk, a lot of country jumping, a good solid read. "
" It feels like Pears is repeating some of the territory he covered in the Bernini bust, about how WWII casts a very long shadow. I am sure the book felt au currant when he wrote it, but now stating that Rue Jacob is modest sounds funny. "
Iain Pears is a journalist and art historian with a doctorate in art history from Oxford. He is the author of numerous works, including seven detective novels in the Jonathan Argyll series, a book of art history, and the New York Times bestselling historical novel An Instance of the Fingerpost. He lives in Oxford, England.
Geoffrey Howard (a.k.a. Ralph Cosham) was a stage actor and an award-winning narrator. He recorded more than 100 audiobooks in his lifetime and won the prestigious Audio Award for Best Narration and several AudioFile Earphones Awards.
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