J. G. Links (1904–1997)

I remember being shocked that I actually correctly deduced the solution to this mystery when I first read it, which may or may not be a sign of a weakness on the part of the authors, given my record in such. As usual, the "dossier"/"feelies" setting is a large part of the fun of this book, and makes a pleasant break from ordinary mysteries. Plus, I think the authors do play fair.

I didn't like this one quite as much as "Murder Off Miami," in part because I think the authors deliberately set up the double-trap door ending. Still and all, the solution is logical and the authors play fair, so they get credit for that. And, as always, the "feelies" and the dossier setting are a lot of the fun. You can actually read this through as a straight mystery.

Interesting experiment in writing a mystery for the reader to solve by presenting a collections of statements, evidence photos and newspaper articles, with the solution sealed in the back. I got my copy second hand, but I didn't peek at the answer until I'd read all the information. I picked up on some clues, but not the significant ones.

Canaletto, by J.G. Links follows the Phaidon tradition of delivering a beautiful book, full of detailed colour plates, for a fairly modest price. The pictures alone make the book worth purchasing.

Canaletto, a Venetian painter of the early 18th Century, moved from painting stage backdrops to gorgeous perspective views of his native town. If you have ever been to Venice you know that it has an achingly beautiful prospect around every corner. Canaletto reproduced these views artistically, with show more a keen eye for perspective, architectural detail and atmosphere. His paintings will leave you wanting to book the next flight to Italy. Phaidon does a wonderful job of reproducing his images, in full colour with plenty of detail plates. Canaletto's later work in London and his capriccios and ink drawings are also included. From a visual perspective this book is stunning.

It is, however, a little lacking when it comes to the text. It would seem that we only really know anything about Canaletto through his contacts with a couple of British middlemen , McSwiney and Smith, who engaged him to paint views of Venice for rich Englishman who had toured Venice. We are treated to numerous details about provenances and the lives of the British agents but precious little about Canaletto himself. His style is discussed largely in terms of technique - his use of perspective and the slight deviations he made from the real scenes. But a more in depth analysis of motivation and aesthetics never materializes. A final quibble would be the lack of a good map of Venice. A plan of Venice from 1729 is included, with labels in Italian but is mostly inadequate. The author assumes the reader is familiar with Venetian topology and rarely clarifies details of place.

The book is richly deserving of five stars for its images alone. The text is adequate but not particularly inspired. A brief chronology, list of sources and list of plates, together with a short index make up the somewhat abbreviated scholarly apparatus. If you are looking for a detailed life of Canaletto and a deep analysis of his paintings this book is probably not for you but if you want to simply wallow in the sheer beauty of Venice, it is a definite must. show less