Customer Reviews

A Glancing Light.

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What a fun novel! Great plot-building, great international intrigue. Sort of reminds me of Margaret Truman's "Murder at the National Gallery."

I enjoyed reading this book & since other reviewers have not done so, let me quote the blurb on the back cover:

Mild-mannered and law-abiding Chris Norgren, curator of Renaissance and Baroque art for a Seattle Museum, is an unlikely undercover investigator, but when a priceless masterpiece is discovered in a shipment of reproductions, Chris reluctantly agrees to find out how the painting got there. All too soon, what should have been a pleasant interlude in Italy turns into a bizarre odyssey into shady art world dealings and deadly secrets.

I hugely enjoy all Aaron Elkins books but, as an art collector myself, finding a compelling suspense novel with such erudite knowledge of the art world is a real turn-on. As an Amazon author myself HIPAA Hysteria JAGC-Off I know how hard it is to write a compelling novel about such an arcane field as old master paintings. But Elkins pulls it off. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys suspense and art.

I like Aaron Elkins books. I like Aaron and Charlotte Elkins books. I liked this book. Our hero in this book is the archetypal Red Skelton, Mean Widdle Kid character: Should I do 'it, I shouldn't do it, I'll get punished if I do it, What am I thinkin' about, I'm goin' to do it anyway. Even in this quite appealing book, neat art theft plot, a smidgeon of romance, nice characterizations, the usual skilled writing, sometimes I got a little irritated with the absence of common sense manifested by a 34 year old man living in late 20th ccentury societies. Purely a personal complaint, I know, but I include it to show that the book was good enough to evoke an enthusiastic response despite my mild irritation at certain points. Elkin's readers should find it quite palatable; other mystery story readers should be pleased as well.