The Last Judgement

This is the third of Pears' "art-history mysteries" that I've read - and I really love them. British art dealer Jonathan Argyll and his girlfriend Flavia, a whiz on the Roman police's art squad, are, not surprisingly, always finding themselves mixed up in unsavory doings concerning art...
In this case, Jonathan agrees to deliver an unexceptional painting entitled 'The Death of Socrates' to a client as a favor to a colleague. However, when not only does someone try to steal it from him at the train station, but the client quickly ends up brutally murdered, he realizes not everything about this deal may be on the up-and-up.
A well-crafted plot, engaging and interesting characters, and well-researched details place Pears' mysteries well show more above average for the genre. show less

Jonathan Argyll is happy to help a colleague in transporting a painting from Paris to Rome, where the person who bought the painting is eager to examine it. The transport is not without drama as someone attempts to steal it while Jonathan is waiting for a train, but he fends off the would-be thief and successfully brings the artwork to its buyer. That individual, however, spurns the painting - and a few hours later is murdered! Not only that, someone seems to be tracking the painting and eliminating various interested parties, and it is up to Jonathan and Flavia di Stefano of the Art Police to discover why….It’s quite refreshing to re-read these books, originally published in the 1990s, both because the lead characters are both show more charming and witty, and because this is a time before ubiquitous technology displaced the need to actually physically travel to find answers. I also quite liked being reminded, as a North American, how very *small* Europe is, as Jonathan and Flavia travel from Rome to Paris to Switzerland to the UK, all within a matter of hours. This is the fourth novel in this seven-book series, and I would recommend that one start with the first one (“The Rafael Affair”) because of the evolving relationships between the characters. That said, recommended as a whole. show less

#4 Jonathan Argyll “art history” mystery in which ghosts of the past float up to haunt Flavia and Jonathan as they try to figure out how a painting that Jonathan bought figures into two murders and a multitude of other curious incidents. Enjoyable read as always, as our two intrepid heroes jaunt across Europe chasing answers about an obscure and unimportant painting, The Death of Socrates, and the people who owned it in the past. Tied in with Nazi war criminals, Resistance members, and people who aren’t what they seem, the painting is causing Jonathan more trouble than he ever dreamed possible.

Jolly romp with some great one-liners. It was all sounding very familiar as the story unfolded, though I couldn't have told you what was due to happen next, but it was only when I got to the end that I realised the reason for this was that I'd read it before.

A very enjoyable art history murder mystery! Jonathan Argyll and his lady love, Flavia, of the Art Police in Rome move between London, Paris, and Rome to solve the case. Fast-paced, betrayal and double crosses that have reached past the WWII era and French Resistance movement to present day lead them a chase. Good read!

This series seems to be getting better and better; this one moves from Rome to Paris to London and back; plot involves WW II and the French resistance.

another enjoyable art mystery