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The Apothecary's House by Adrian…
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The Apothecary's House (edition 2005)

by Adrian Mathews

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2005134,738 (3.2)9
When an old woman storms into the Rijksmuseum demanding the return of her painting, archivist Ruth Braams cannot quell her curiosity. Together with Myles, her gay confidant, Ruth delves into the history of the piece of looted Nazi art and discovers an enigmatic picture with a disturbing wartime provenance.… (more)
Member:chrvdven
Title:The Apothecary's House
Authors:Adrian Mathews
Info:Macmillan (2005), Edition: First Edition ~1st Printing, Hardcover
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The Apothecary's House by Adrian Mathews

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Sauumary from Amazon: When an old woman storms into the Rijks Museum demanding the return of her painting, archivist Ruth Braams cannot quell her curiosity. Together with Myles, her gay confidant, Ruth delves into the history of the piece of looted Nazi art and discovers an enigmatic picture with a disturbing wartime provenance. It also appears that the elderly Lydia is not the only claimant and, against strict bureau regulations, Ruth endeavours to help strengthen her case. Days later, Ruth begins to receive sinister anonymous threats, warning her to stay away from Lydia and the painting. When the door of her home, a houseboat on the Bloemgracht canal, is covered in graffiti and her gas supply tampered with, Ruth is convinced these are deterrents from the rival claimant. Our irrepressible and emotionally troubled heroine refuses to take them at face value and continues to strike up a friendship with the lonely old lady. But as the threats escalate, Ruth realises that there must be far more to the painting's popularity, and she enters into a series of increasingly lethal adventures as she investigates the painting's secret symbolism. ( )
  dalzan | Jan 24, 2013 |
The Apothecary's House is a story set in wintery Amsterdam, with a story which stretches back over 250 years. Ruth Braams is a solitary art-historian working on processing claims on artwork stolen by the Nazis during their occupation of the Netherlands. One day while working at the Rijksmuseum, she meets the elderly, and possibly dotty Lydia who has registered a claim on an odd little painting. However, an opposing claim has also been registered and soon Ruth finds herself being drawn into a dark and dangerous adventure.

Matthews has really captured the essence of the city of Amsterdam in this novel - from the foggy mornings to the frozen canals. He has also done an impressive amount of research, stretching from 18th century Amsterdam right through to the goings-on in Nazi-occupied Holland.

However, the novel is lengthy (700 pages) and this does detract from what could be a decent and interesting art history mystery. The twist and revelation is good, but is overwhelmed by overuse of arcane writing. ( )
1 vote dudara | May 2, 2010 |
meh. Forgettable and lacking in pace. ( )
  shinyshiny | Mar 27, 2010 |
I recently read The Apothecary's House by Adrian Mathews and must say I enjoyed it very, very much. The author has been able to capture the spirit of Amsterdam, and of the people of Amsterdam very well. The novel is set in Amsterdam, and apart from a few minor glitches, Amsterdam is described very accurately. I'd say, the author must have lived there for some time (although his biography doesn't mention that) or done his homework really well.

There is one feature of the supposed city's architecture, however, which I doubt. I won't say more about that, as it might prove a spoiler.

Living far away from Amsterdam, I really enjoyed this novel. Well done! ( )
  edwinbcn | Jan 14, 2008 |
a good read. I enjoyed it but thought that it was not very original and reminded me a lot of the Da Vinci Code ( )
  possumbaby | Jul 28, 2007 |
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When an old woman storms into the Rijksmuseum demanding the return of her painting, archivist Ruth Braams cannot quell her curiosity. Together with Myles, her gay confidant, Ruth delves into the history of the piece of looted Nazi art and discovers an enigmatic picture with a disturbing wartime provenance.

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