Following a clue provided by a dying woman's confession, General Bottando of Rome's Art Theft Squad sets off on a world-wide search for the man he calls Giotto, whom he believes is responsible for a series of major heists.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Now that fledgling art dealer Jonathan Argyll has finally consummated his rather foolish romance with Flavia di Stefano, of Rome's Art Theft Department (The Last Judgment, 1996, etc.), the two of them can finally turn their full-time energies to tracking down stolen Italian masters. But this time they don't even need to nose out secrets; the secrets come to them. First there's a tearful confession from Maria Fancelli that 30 years ago she helped her seducer, shadowy English dealer Geoffrey Forster, steal an Uccello; then, after Jonathan flies to England and phones Forster, there's a grudging invitation to discuss the painting, which has to be canceled when Jonathan finds Forster dead; finally, there are statements by two independent witnesses that finger Forster for unsolved thefts of paintings by Fra Angelico and Pollaiulo--and strongly suggest he may have been the wily master thief Flavia's boss, General Taddeo Bottando, has dubbed Giotto. Can Jonathan, short of documentation when somebody breaks the police seals on Forster's house and burns his papers, tie Forster in to all of Giotto's 31 suspected thefts--and Pears's trademark, another sensational centuries-old art find--in time to save Bottando from the officious bureaucrat who's baying for his resignation? As a final twist makes clear, collecting all that evidence is easy compared to the climactic challenge Jonathan will have to meet. Urbane and amusing as ever, with surprising new depths of temptation for the hero--though series veterans won't be fooled. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Art, crime, and Italy mix well. Following John Spencer Hill's Ghirlandaio's Daughter , about an art-fraud scheme, comes the latest in Pears' Jonathan Argyll series in which art dealer Argyll and his girlfriend, Flavia di Stefano of Rome's Art Theft Squad, track a consummate thief with a taste for old masters. Flavia's boss, General Bottando, is fighting the departmental bureaucrats, and his ability to produce the master thief, dubbed "Giotto," becomes the linchpin with which he will subdue his rival. Only one problem: as Flavia and Argyll traipse about the English countryside, following their only lead, it appears that Giotto may not exist. Pears masterfully juggles his plot elements while providing delightful diversion in the contrasting manners of his English and Italian characters. Best of all is the moral ambiguity at the heart of the story. As in Michael Dibdin's Aurelio Zen series, good and evil are inextricably blended, like the ingredients in a good risotto, and any attempt to break them apart can bring chaos rather than justice. Bill Ott
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
FREE
Within U.S.A.
Shipping:
FREE
Within U.S.A.
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Condition: Acceptable. Item in acceptable condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00074882753
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Item in very good condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00074212184
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: ZBK Books, Carlstadt, NJ, U.S.A.
Condition: acceptable. Used book - May contain writing, notes, highlighting, bends or folds. Text is readable, book is clean, and pages and cover mostly intact. May show normal wear and tear. Item may be missing CD. May include library marks. Fast Shipping. Seller Inventory # ZWM.8IE2
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. First American Edition. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # GRP13592816
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Aunt Agatha's, Ltd., Ann Arbor, MI, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. 1st edition, 1st printing. Minor shelf wear to jacket. Remainder mark to lower text block. Book. Seller Inventory # AO10
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom
Hardback. Condition: Very Good. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR002163613
Quantity: 3 available
Seller: William Ross, Jr., Annapolis, MD, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. First Edition. First American Edition, First Printing with full number line. New unread Fine book in Fine dust jacket. All our books are bubble wrapped and shipped in a sturdy box with Delivery Confirmation. NO remainder mark, NO previous owner markings or inscriptions, NOT price clipped, NOT a Book Club Edition, NOT an Ex-Lib. Dust jacket covered in protective clear wrapper. Seller Inventory # 012233
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Stock & Trade LLC, Portland, OR, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. First Edition. An exceptional hardcover with a crisp dust jacket, a tight binding and an unmarked text. First edition, with a full number line. Autographed by the author.From a private smoke free collection. Shipping within 24 hours, tracking number and delivery Confirmation. Seller Inventory # CASHBox13-109j
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Books Unplugged, Amherst, NY, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Buy with confidence! Book is in good condition with minor wear to the pages, binding, and minor marks within 0.95. Seller Inventory # bk0684814609xvz189zvxgdd
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Atlantic Books, Mars Hill, NC, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. First Edition. Hard cover in the jacket as shown. Stated first American edition simultaneous with U.K. Correct price and number line. Internally like new; jacket shows vague shelf rub, so an overall grade of collectible very good. shelf P. Seller Inventory # 0531193
Quantity: 1 available