Giotto's Hand (Art History Mysteries) [Paperback]

Iain Pears (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2003 | Series: Art History Mysteries

General Bottando of Rome’s Art Theft Squad believes that a lone criminal mastermind—dubbed “Giotto”—has been stealing priceless Renaissance art for over thirty years. But his theory—prompted by a letter from an embittered, dying old woman—is scorned by archrival Corrado Argan, a bureaucrat more interested in politics than policing.

Bottando’s right hand, the beautiful Flavia di Stefano, quickly locates a possible culprit—but he’s in England. Since the conniving Argan considers even a trip across town an unnecessary expense for Bottando’s squad, Flavia must rely on her fiancé, Jonathan Argyll. In England on business, he finds the suspect suspiciously dead. That’s a pity—especially for Jonathan. Were he not on the scene—raving about art thefts and coincidences—the police may have ruled that the deceased had a few too many and tripped on a loose stair. Now, Jonathan’s passport has been lifted until Her Majesty’s magistrate is satisfied that he has told all he knows… 

 

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Pears has a whimsical take on the scruples of the art trade, on English food and plumbing and on Italian bureaucracy…A sweet, art world ‘cozy.’”—San Jose Mercury News
 
“Art, crime, and Italy mix well…Pears masterfully juggles his plot elements while providing delightful diversion in the contrasting manners of his English and Italian characters.”—Booklist
 
“Fine art, quirky characters and scenes set in Rome and an English country village add to the joys of Giotto’s Hand…A neat twist at the end is the cherry on this fudge sundae of a mystery.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune

 

About the Author

Iain Pears was born in 1955. Educated at Wadham College, Oxford, he has worked as a journalist, an art historian, and a television consultant in England, France, Italy, and the United States. He is the author of seven highly praised detective novels, a book of art history, and countless articles on artistic, financial, and historical subjects, as well as the international bestseller An Instance of the Fingerpost He lives in Oxford, England.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 042518854X
• ISBN-13: 978-0425188545
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #984,786 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Clever Cozy, November 12, 2001

By 

sweetmolly (RICHMOND, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Giotto's Hand (Art History Mystery) (Paperback)

I approached this book with a certain amount of resolve, as my only other outing with Iain Pears was "Instance of the Fingerpost" which while fascinating, was quite complex. "Giotto's Hand" was instead, a very nice diversion. Mr. Pears proves he cannot be pigeonholed into one writing category.

Jonathan & Flavia are a delightful twosome headquartered in Rome, but over half the action takes place in a small village in England. The author is obviously well grounded in the style and flavor of both places. His descriptions of the wiles of Italian bureaucracy are priceless. He has a fine ear for dialogue (see following) and wittiness in comparison between the English vs. Italian spirit:

Flavia: "Why would anyone sneer at someone being charming?
Jonathan: "Because this is England, my dear, and that's what we do here."
F: "Why? I like people to be charming."
J.: "But you're Italian. In this country charm means you're superficial, have a tendency to flattery, are probably a bumptious social climber and, moreover, the term carries very distinct implications that you like women."
F: "What's wrong with that?"
J: "A ladies' man," Argyll said darkly. "Few things can be worse. It suggests a propensity to slobber over people's hands and pay compliments like some continental. You can do that sort of thing with dogs, but not with the opposite sex."

It is rare that a mystery makes me laugh aloud and even rarer that I want to, but Mr. Pears succeeds on all counts. My only problem with the book was most of the characters had a fastidious disinclination to become involved in the plot. I kept thinking I must get them back on track some way or another. Also, Mr. Argyll was so full of moral considerations, I feared for Flavia's financial well-being. What Jonathan would or would not do with ill gotten gains ratcheted up the suspense for me considerably.

This is a fine, clever and cunning read. Recommended as a mood lifter.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I agree: mediocre, but don't write off the author or series!, March 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Giotto's Hand (Art History Mystery) (Paperback)

In general, Giotto's Hand is not the best in this series. But I urge the previous reviewer not to give up on this author. The other books in this series (I've read every one but the Bernini Bust because I can't find it!). Death and Restoration is GREAT and so are the others. D and R is a later installment; Pears is getting better with these characters as he goes on. So, try another and you won't be disappointed. This one is just not his best. Other good ones include the Titian Committee and the Last Judgment.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A nice little mystery with a cosmopolitan flavor., May 31, 2000

By 

Margaret Fiore - See all my reviews

This review is from: Giotto's Hand (Art History Mystery) (Paperback)

Not only is this book an outstandingly enjoyable read on its own, but also, in Giotto's Hand, Jonathan Argyll and his fiance Flavia meet up with a character who is pivotal to other books of this charming series.

The struggling young art dealer Jonathan and Flavia the art cop live, of course, in Rome, the art capitol of the world. Pears not only gives the reader a beautiful feel for life in this culturally rich and layered city, but also gives a delightful study in contrasts when Jonathan is propelled by circumstances back into a small English village. As the story moves from one country to the other, the characters remain firmly and convincingly immured in the world of art dealers and art thieves - often one and the same.

Unlike so many mysteries, this is not one with an open and shut conclusion. Morality must get gently re-defined as the circumstances of real life impact the black and white facts of the crime. Although this is a relatively simple tale, and doesn't pretend to the complexity of Pears' "An Instance of the Fingerpost", this is a subtle, heart-warming and sophisticated mystery.