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Plague of Secrets, Lescroart, John |
 |
The Case of the Missing Servant, Hall, Tarquin |
 |
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, Bradley, Alan |
 |
A Flaw in the Blood, Barron, Stephanie |
 |
The Mask of Ra, Doherty, P.C. |
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Borderlands, McGilloway, Brian |
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White Sky, Black Ice, Jones, Stan |
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The Shadow of the Raven, Sundstrand, David |
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Bootlegger's Daughter, Maron, Margaret |
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The Raphael Affair
by
Pears, Iain
Plot/Summary:
When Jonathan Argyll is arrested by the Italian police for
breaking into an obscure church in Rome, the case finds its
way to the desk of General Bottando, chief of the Italian
National Art Theft Squad. Argyll, a twenty-eight-year-old
English art student, insists an enormous fraud has taken
place. He tells the police that a painting by Raphael has
been stolen. Argyll's research has led him to believe that
a painting by this famous artist is hidden under a work by
the lesser-known artist Carlos Mantini and was donated to
the church as an altarpiece. However, the altarpiece has
disappeared from the church. Mysteriously, the altarpiece
turns up in the hands of a top British art dealer. Argyll's
suspicions are confirmed when the Raphael is revealed, but
while on display at the National Museum the painting is set
on fire and destroyed. Argyll, General Bottando, and
Bottando's glamorous assistant Flavia di Stefano
investigate, but when the affair turns deadly it will take
more than an appreciation of fine art to keep them alive.
Comments:
The Raphael Affair, the first of Pears' art history
mystery series, is not only an engaging mystery but an
interesting lesson in art history. Other works from the
series include The Titian Committee, The Bernini
Bust, and The Immaculate Deception.
Reviewed by md, 6/01.
Other reviews by md.
Main reviews page.
Reader Remarks:
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Great series!
"I really enjoyed the Raphael Affair; the denouement was
much more intricate than I expected. The Italian setting
and art history-related plot made this book even more
enjoyable than the average whodunnit. The lead characters,
Flavia, Jonathan, and General Bottando, are very engaging.
I have also read other titles by this author and enjoyed
them all.
"--
A reader
from Cleveland, Ohio, 4/16/2002
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More information on The Raphael Affair:
Setting: Rome
Time: 1990s
Bibliographic Information: Published 1990, 191 pages
| Call number: |
MYSTERY PEARS, IAIN
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Unabridged audiobook available |
Genre/Subject:
Mystery
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