Wed 26 Jan 2011
Reviewed by Barry Gardner: IAIN PEARS – The Titian Committee.
Posted by Steve under Bibliographies, Lists & Checklists , Characters , Reviews[4] Comments
IAIN PEARS – The Titian Committee. Harcourt Brace, hardcover, 1993. Originally published in the UK: Victor Gollancz, hardcover, 1991. Reprint paperbacks include: Berkley, 1999; trade pb, August 2002.
This is the second novel featuring Flavia di Stefano of the Rome Art Theft Squad and art historian/dealer Jonathan Argyll. I haven’t read the first, The Raphael Affair.
An American lady, a member of an international art committee meeting in Venice, is murdered there. More, because of politics than anything else, a member of the Art Theft Squad in the person of di Stefano is dispatched to Venice to “assist†in the investigation.
In point of fact she is expected to do nothing, as is made quite clear to her by the local police. As one might imagine, however, she does a little more. When another member of the committee is found drowned, she pokes around still further.
Argyll, with whom she has worked on a previous case, has been trying to buy a painting that was a matter of dispute among the members of the unfortunate committee as to its authenticity. It all sounds very complicated, and it is.
This is an urbane, not exactly lighthearted but certainly not grim mystery featuring amiable investigators and a good bit of nice Venetian atmosphere and art lore. Di Stefano’s superior, General Bottando, is also an engaging character.
It’s nothing you’re going to remember in any detail for long, but when you do think of it, your thoughts are likely to be pleasant. Pears writes smoothly and competently. A very nice read, and although I’m not going to strain any muscles doing it, I’ll probably hunt up the first in the series.
The “Art History” series —
1. The Raphael Affair (1990)
2. The Titian Committee (1991)
3. The Bernini Bust (1992)
4. The Last Judgement (1993)
5. Giotto’s Hand (1994)
6. Death and Restoration (1996)
7. The Immaculate Deception (2000)
January 26th, 2011 at 10:43 pm
I came to this series late after the author hit the big time, but I have thouroughly enjoyed the mix of mystery, romance, and art history and the ongoing relation between the hero and heroince.
It’s a literate and well written series and makes the most of the setting and the insider view of the art world.
January 27th, 2011 at 12:02 am
I wish I could say that I’ve read any of the books in this series, but I can’t, and I wish I could. I own about half of them, but going down through the list, I have a feeling that I’ve never seen some of the ones toward the end.
But art mysteries are a great favorite of mine, and I’m mystified.
January 27th, 2011 at 10:27 am
I was addicted to these books for a while several years ago. So much so that I have both paperback and hardcover versions of all of the titles.
The most facinating part was learning about Italy’s huge police divisions devoted entirely to art theft and other art crimes. Never anything about that until reading these books. This led me to seek out non-fiction books about Italian art theft to compare the real with the fictional.
January 27th, 2011 at 8:52 pm
I love this series of books. Read them a few years ago but I’m always ready to read them again. I think they’re best read in order of pub, but I’m not strict about it. I’m crazy about art mysteries, especially if they take place in Italy. Though the Fred Taylor art mysteries set in Boston are mighty good too. (Those are written by Nicholas Kilmer.)