Death and Restoration: A Jonathan Argyll Mystery - Hardcover

Pears, Iain

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0684814617 ISBN 13: 9780684814612

Publisher: Scribner, 1998

Synopsis

A thrilling tale of intrigue and murder set in the heart of Italy's art world pits Jonathan Argyll and art squad investigator Flavia di Stefano against a wily band of thieves that steals a painting reputed to have miraculous powers. 15,000 first printing.

About this title

Review:

Like An Instance of the Fingerpost, Iain Pears's Death and Restoration is grounded in a richly cultured vision rife with references to European history, art, and cuisine. And, though it represents the sixth novel in Pears's Jonathan Argyll series, the author subtly informs new readers of the key relationships and the past histories of his characters within the first three chapters. Once again, Argyll and his soon-to-be wife, Flavia di Stefano, are enmeshed in the Italian art world: Flavia, as a member of the Rome police's art squad and Argyll as a professor of art history.

The suspense of the novel is sustained by the careful revelation of the central art-theft plot; in turn, each major character becomes the narrative center and offers an expanded understanding of the events at San Giovanni. While Argyll is troubled over his fiancée's frequent absences just prior to their wedding, Flavia feels compelled to keep odd hours. She's certain that her old nemesis, Mary Verney, has returned to Rome with the intention of committing a major new theft. And Verney, readers soon learn, is herself in jeopardy. She must steal a Madonna icon from the monastery--despite the close scrutiny she faces from the Rome police force--because the sadistic Mikis Charanis has kidnapped Verney's granddaughter, 8-year-old Louise, and he will only release the child when Verney has acquired the artifact from San Giovanni. Underlying each character's concerns is the mystery of the Madonna itself. Why does Charanis covet this piece over the more valuable, though still dubious, Caravaggio that is also in the monastery? In the end, the novel is a perfect melding of a tightly composed mystery plot, witty dialogue, and a realistic sense of character, all flowing from an intellectual's appreciation for the finer things in life. For readers who discovered Pears's fiction through An Instance of the Fingerpost, the Argyll series--particularly Death and Restoration--offers much to satiate the need for his pleasantly baroque sensibilities. Other works in the Argyll series include The Raphael Affair, The Titian Committee, The Bernini Bust, The Last Judgement, and Giotto's Hand. --Patrick O'Kelley

About the Author:

Iain Pears is a journalist and art historian who worked for Reuters for several years and spent time at Yale University completing his book The Discovery of Painting, which was published by Yale University Press in 1988. He now lives in Oxford. In addition to writing An Instance of the Fingerpost, he is the author of five previous art-world crime novels: The Raphael Affair, The Titian Committee, The Bernini Bust, The Last Judgement, and Giotto's Hand.

About this edition

• Publisher: Scribner
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0684814617
• ISBN 13: 9780684814612
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 224