Customer Reviews

The Last Judgement (Art History Mystery)

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

 

 

Pears offers yet another art historical mystery with a cast of characters including art historian Argyll and Italian Art Police Flavia and Bottando. All these characters are a joy to visit once again, especially those who love this series. However, this plot is not as thickly woven as past Pears' novels. It does have its twists and turns, but in the end the killer is quite obvious, and there is not a whole lot to do about art, in the end. Death and Restoration is perhaps the best to start with in this series; once you get hooked, as I have, read this one, too!

The Last Judgement is slightly more political than the other Argyll art history mysteries. As always there is a dash of sense of humor that keeps the enjoyment level high. A light hearted murder mystery, The Last Judgement involves WW II, family secrets, political intrigue and of course art history. While people will probably see the ending coming; the way it's resolved and the aftermath are appealing.

I could hardly believe that this was by the same author as the brilliant "An instance of the fingerpost". Admittedly, it's not the same kind of thing and it's an earlier work, but even so, it is mediocre as whodunnits go. The outcome was largely predictable, and the characters lacked dimension. The best thing I can find to say about it is that it is vastly superior to the art history mysteries of Derek Wilson.

I could not put this book down, and the minute I finished, I ran to the bookstore to buy another Pears book. I was intrigued by this book because of its claim to be an art history mystery. While the book by no means requires a knowledge of art history, it occasionally references artists that are quite familiar to those interested in early Italian Renaissance. Those references add mental images which can sometimes further the story. It is an excellent book.

I am a big fan of these novels. I have read Raphael, Titian and Bernini before this one and loved all of them. The previous reviewer got it right, this one is not really about art, it is about politics. And as the reader said, the killer is obvious early on. I think that the author was experimenting in a slightly different genre (political thriller) and didn't quite have it down. Instance of A Fingerpost shows that he can do it if he wants. If this is your first Argyll/ de Stefano novel, then please try another, they really are good, if you like art and art history.

Iain Pears has cornered a unique area in the mystery department with his Art History mystery series featuring art dealer Jonathan Argyll and Art Squad officer Flavia di Stefano. One does not have to read these novels in any particular order to enjoy what happens to the two main characters or the minor characters on the side. "The Last Judgment" is a unique murder mystery that spans several countries and several decades before a solution can be found.

While on a purchasing trip in Paris, Jonathan Argyll agrees to transport a sold painting back to Rome to its buyer. The painting is a mediocre and not well-known work entitled the "Death of Socrates". Jonathan thinks little of it but changes his mind when someone tries to steal it from him in the train station and when the purchaser doesn't want it and then turns up dead the next day. For some reason, the "Death of Socrates" must be a more important painting than Argyll thought, and he and Flavia race across Europe trying to uncover the answer while being pursued by a possible murderer. Their search brings them into a twisted network of characters and possible WWII war criminals.

"The Last Judgment" is a quick-paced, relatively well-written read (except that there does seem to be an extraordinarly large number of fragments scattered throughout the book). With two main characters telling the story, certain elements seem to get rehased at times. The ending, while satisfying and surprising, comes a little too quickly after such a roundabout build up. While some may find the inclusion of war crimes a bit of a stretch, Pears knows enough about art to write intelligently about the crimes perpetrated during those times, especially in terms of stolen artwork.

THE LAST JUDGEMENT is one of the "art history mystery" series. The series' protagonists are quite appealing. They are a still unmarried couple living in Rome. I must admit that we end up knowing her by her first name, Flavia, and him by his last, Argyll. If that seems a bit sexist, it is consistent with the European scene where new attitudes must break through habits that have crusted over centuries. Flavia is with the department of the Italian police that specializes in art crime. She has an interesting mentor in her department and faces competition from the regular police, the Carabinieri. Argyll is an expatriated British art scholar. In this book he is an art dealer. In a later volume, Death and Restoration, he becomes an art history instructor at a university. The adventures revolve around art theft, invariably including murder. The plots exploit historical mysteries and criss-cross Europe.

In the LAST JUDGMENT, Flavia and Argyll go from Rome to Paris, Zurich, London, and the English countryside. The historical component is the German occupation of France during WWII, and the post-war punishment of the collaborators.

The unfolding of the plot of THE LAST JUDGMENT frustrated me. The mystery is fairly obvious, even before the midpoint of the book. The result is a painful observation of the discovery of the obvious. Nevertheless, the book is fun and I give it three stars.

I've read up to now four of the six "art thrillers" by Iain Pears and this is the deepest and the most meaningful. We have a second-rate picture in an art gallery in Paris, where our friend Jonathan Argyll has gone to buy some drawings to send to a museum in the States. He stops wandering to observe this picture, showing the death of Socrates: although not a masterpiece, the scene enthralles him. The gallery owner approaches him and explaines the picture has been bought by a client living in Rome. Jonathan is due back to Italy, so he offers to take the parcel to its buyer, while the gallery owner sends the drawings to the U.S.A. museum. But no good action goes unpunished: first somebody tries to steal the parcel from Argyll, then the buyer is murdered, while the French police inform Jonathan the picture had been stolen and, as a consequence, its removal from France illegal. Up to now the tone is light. But as the carabinieri and the art police go on inquiring about the murder and the picture, other disquieting connections pop up, leading to the dark past of war times and war crimes. Why is this second-rate picture so important to so many people? What secret is hidden in it? Neither Argyll nor the crime scientists can find an answer. But when Flavia and Jonathan join their efforts... the solution can be found.

I've now read 5 Pears novels. Certainly, his art history series differs greatly from his masterpiece, An Instance of the Fingerpost: A Novel. They are lighter in general, though this one has some heavier topics. It is also easier to figure out whodunnit though the plot is a bit complex. It depicts the pragmatism of the police--ignoring the call of justice though. Realistic, perhaps, but a bit sad nevertheless. However, this one does have some humorous dialog in it--more than the others I've read:
p. 17: As he took a step back and put his foot on an old sandwich cunningly hidden under the armchair.
p. 105: It is dangerous to form an opinion about someone merely on his choice of wistaria.
p. 155: Even had he been her husband's fairy godmother that was no excuse for turning up at such an hour.
But, my favorite part is the p. 130 Attack of the winos! What a riot!
I'll upgrade to a 4 because of the humor.

The other reviews are right about political intrigue taking too much space in contrast to art history. However, I think the characters are evolved more in this book then any other, and the personal aspect of the three main characters are brought out more then in the first three books. I agree this is not the best book to start with, but it is still a good read and essential if you are going to invest in reading the whole series. Most importantly for me, it is still written with a ton of wit.