Be the first to ask a question about The Titian Committee. I have a fondness for couples in mysteries, and even though these two are not actually together yet, you know they will be. As an accomplished art historian/writer his crime stories feature art works and the art business; so apart from the fun of the mystery you are also treated to some art-history along the way. Select type of book search you would like to make. Titian Committee by Pears, Iain M. and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at AbeBooks.com. While she sticks with the case, he tends to get lost in the art. Something went wrong. If you’re deeply into the art business, fine, maybe you’ll be stimulated, but I found the endless intricate twists & turns of this plot increasingly tedious. This is the third book I've read by him, and the second in this art historian series. Poorly drawn characters. I enjoyed it. This time we get lost in the alleys and canals of Venice, zipping off on a quick side trip to a French village in an Alfa Romeo. If you are not quite sure, read the first sentence: An enjoyable book! One of their members is found murdered in a greenhouse in front of the Marciana library which makes up the south side of Piazza San Marco. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. I love the two main characters, art historian Jonathan Argyll and the police assistant in the art theft squad Flavia di Stefano. The international art world still makes the news, not only when an art piece sells at auction for an unimaginable price, but when a piece is the victim of a crime. You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. Hello, Sign in. Iain Pears is a fine writer who, in the style of some film actors, alternates between serious, deep and meaningful novels (quality dramatic movies) and lighter, fun who-dun-its (escapist, action, dumb-fun movies). In The Titian Committee, the junior, female member of a group of art historians is found murdered in a Venice botanical garden. No_Favorite. Refresh and try again. Perhaps it was an Italian setting that reflected the complicated politics of the country. An acquired taste which I haven't acquired. Am growing fond of General Bottando from the Italian National Art Theft Squad, the super cool & clever Flavia and the humble, Hugh Grant style bumbling but charming Argyll. Competent, with lots of art erudition. This book is so light-hearted and probably entirely dashed-off that it is hard to recognize that the writer of such masterpieces as Fingerpost and Scipio’s Dream wrote this series earlier in his career. Won't read any more of this series. ): and a murder (or two? A murder mystery set in Venice, revolving around art history, featuring two immensely appealing sleuths -- what could be bad? Over recent years, the Italian art authorities had become increasingly concerned at the proliferation on the market of paintings allegedly by Titian but lacking robust provenance. I enjoyed all seven books in this art history mystery series and wish there were more. A fun read but not comparable to his great "An Instance of the Fingerpost". Those with strong medieval/Renaissance history will have a better chance than I did at guessing the ending. This is the second of the Jonathan Argyll and Flavia di Stefano Italian Art Theft Squad mysteries. The characters are engaging and otherall it is worth reading. Try again. Please try again. A few years ago there was a radio program called "The Car Guys" where the hosts would take live call-ins and try to solve car problems by listening to owner/driver descriptions. Why? That said, these are good short reads -- ideal for plane flights and even insomnia. This might mean the Jonathan Argyll series isn't for me, but I won't write it off until I've tried another one. And speaking of - there was a lot of description that I felt was unnecessarily lengthy. Normally, that is, until two of… His well-known novel series features Jonathan Argyll, art historian, though international fame first arrived with his best selling book An Instance of the Fingerpost (1998), which was translated into several languages. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published His. Iain Pears combines "articulate characters and erudite art commentary" (The New York Times Book Review) in this sophisticated, suspenseful series featuring art … But the plot twists and pages of description seem more designed to fill pages and don't really add to the character development. I freely admit I saw their point. The Titian Committee Item Preview remove-circle Share or Embed This Item. [Iain Pears] -- Sent to Venice by Rome's Art Theft Squad to help local police solve a murder, Flavia di Stefano embarks on a search for the killer of a member of the famed Titian research committee. The second book in Iain Pears’ Jonathan Argyle Art Mysteries is also my second go round with this delightful series (Still can’t believe these enjoyable literary pastries are from the same author of the dense & amazing quadraphonic book “An Instance of the Fingerpost”). I found myself more interested in what they ordered for lunch or dinner than in the "plot". This one takes place in Venice, and is short and snappy and amusing and I will look for the rest in the series. He was educated at Warwick School, Warwick, Wadham College and Wolfson College, Oxford. Ahhh, Venice… This was more Agatha Christie-esque than the first one, including, at the end, the gathering of suspects in a room with a long exposition of deduction & guilt. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 6, 2017. This book had the added bonus of being set in Venice. In 1987 he became a Getty Fellow in the Arts and Humanities at Yale University. Even though the setting is Venice this is a thoroughly English cozy. Another charming little book of murder and intrigue. I have a fondness for couples in mysteries, and even though these two are not actually together yet, you know they will be. Download one of the Free Kindle apps to start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, and computer. Local police suspect that it’s a mugging gone wrong – but when Flavia makes an appearance on the scene, she suspects a more malicious intent. ISBN 0425185001, 9780425185001. Cart All. A nice little murder mystery in the art world. This book is so light-hearted and probably entirely dashed-off that it is hard to recognize that the writer of such masterpieces as Fingerpost and Scipio’s Dream wrote this series earlier in his career. Pardon me for disagreeing with the other reviewers. This book is written in a distinct style, and with a subtle sense of humor. And I look forward to more in this series. The hosts, who were brothers, were extremely knowledgeable and also very funny. The Titian Committee: Pears, Iain: 9780425168950: Books - Amazon.ca. We’d love your help. I enjoy the author, love mysteries, the setting is Italy and deals with Art, along with art theft and art history and features the Italian National Art Theft Squad. I like how they interact with each other, how their differences fit toge. The artistic whodunit has its own rules, and "The Titian Committee" is an example of how it should be done. The recurring characters are fairly roundly drawn and the plots are intricate enough to encourage page-turning (if not 100% belief). Membership of the prestigious Titian Committee is normally considered a high honour. He was educated at Warwick School, Warwick, Wadham College and Wolfson College, Oxford. To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. The Titian committee Novel, Mystery by Iain Pears. The Titian Committee More About Place than Plot, Iain Pears lives up to his modern day Agatha Christie title with a particular twist on writing about beautiful places. There are 7 books on the series this is the second but for me the 6 book read. Droll humor weaves in & out (worth it with just the takes on the goofy Italian justice system). Well done. Share to Pinterest. While she sticks with the case, he tends to get lost in the art. In The Titian Committee, the junior, female member of a group of art historians is found murdered in a Venice botanical garden. Soon, interviews with the surviving members of the committee reveal a web of personal rivalries, dislikes, and unethical doings. ‎Witty Italian art-history crime series featuring English dealer Jonathan Argyll, from the author of the best-selling literary masterpiece, 'An Instance of the Fingerpost'. His great wit is there though throughout. This was the first Art Mystery that I'd read by Iain Pears. by Berkley. This one, however, is better - it seems that Iain Pears was gradually improving his hand, just like the celebrated painter at the centre of the story. May 1st 1999 And I look forward to more in this series. But then comes a nifty little twist that lifted it up including some moral ambiguity. Most of the characters were quite flat and the mystery didn't develop much until the obligatory twist at the end. Fluff mystery with good characters, nothing plot. Why not? Share to Reddit. Well, this is what you won't do: panic. And when the surviving members become not-all-still-surviving, it becomes clear that at least one murderer is at work. The writing was good enough, and the main characters were interesting enough, but I just couldn't get involved in the puzzle about the paintings. I don’t usually read mysteries, but I picked this one up because I’ve enjoyed some of Pears’ other work, and it takes place in Venice, where Al and I will be travelling next year. The Titian Committee: A Flavia Di Stefano Mystery by Iain Pears (1993-10-01): Iain Pears: Books - Amazon.ca Murder, theft, smuggling, forgery, all find a way into the series. EMBED. Hello Select your address Books Hello, Sign in. Jonathan Argyll, coincidentally, travels to Venice to pick up a group of unimportant paintings from an elderly Marchesa… and discovers that some unguessed connections between these minor works and the great Titian may exist – and may have gotten someone killed. The plot actually was interestesting with promising but not fully developed complexities. The characters developed in this series, Flavia, Argyll and Bonnano, make this and other art history mysteries easy to read and enjoyable. He's bumbling and endearing. Flavia di Stefano of Rome's Art Theft Squad and Jonathon Argyll, art dealer/historian fit the bill. And most disappointing, all the characters, whether Italian, Dutch, American or English all spoke the same unmistakeably English idiom even though the description of the characters tries to give them varied language abilities. This is the third book I've read by him, and the second in this art historian series. He described the woman as fiery and volatile in places, but I didn't see. Share via email. I love Venice. Initially, I thought this had promise (Venice! Iain Pears is an English art historian, novelist and journalist. Or three?) It's a wonderful treat to find a page-turning, intelligent mystery that also brings in something meatier -- history, science, or, in the case of "The Titian Committee," the medieval artist Titian. This one won't keep you awake. I thought the conclusion a tad muddled, but I really like the art history that forms the backbone of the tale. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for The Titian Committee at Amazon.com. Iain Pears combines . EMBED (for wordpress.com hosted blogs and archive.org item tags) Want more? His great wit is there though throughout. This mystery was entertaining. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 22, 2018. Published Reviews Booklist Review: " Mysteries I love tend to have one thing in common- great characters. Alternately irritated and attracted to each other, their skills blend seamlessly well in their investigation of the murders/art thefts they pursue. A really great book shows us how everything is great and worth to die for, Venice in the rain; a cabal of petty art historians: a lost Titian (maybe? This was the first Art Mystery that I'd read by Iain Pears. Convoluted, lightweight, too clever for its own good. Sorry, there was a problem loading this page. Account & Lists Account Returns & Orders. Advanced embedding details, examples, and help! Flavia de Stefano of Rome’s Art Theft Squad is sent to find out why. The mysteries are, well, mysterious. © 2008-2021, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. That,however, is where my interest in this little volume ends. Starting with a dead body discovered in a garden in Venice, the novel gallops through Titian's life and painting style, some of the intricacies of the art business and Italian bureaucracy, and the canals of Venice in all their pungency. The mysteries are, well, mysterious. Iain Pears combines "articulate characters and erudite art commentary" (The New York Times Book Review) in this sophisticated, suspenseful series featuring art historian Jonathan Argyll and the delightfully clever Flavia di Stefano.In The Titian Committee, the two embark on a daring investigation after a member of a fa Soon, interviews with the surviving members of the committee reveal a web of personal rivalries, dislikes, and unethical doings. ‎Witty Italian art-history crime series featuring English dealer Jonathan Argyll, from the author of the best-selling literary masterpiece, 'An Instance of the Fingerpost'. 1-Click ordering is not available for this item. Droll humor weaves in & out (worth it with just the takes on the goofy Italian justice system). Ahhh, moral ambiguity…. There’s enough, The second book in Iain Pears’ Jonathan Argyle Art Mysteries is also my second go round with this delightful series (Still can’t believe these enjoyable literary pastries are from the same author of the dense & amazing quadraphonic book “An Instance of the Fingerpost”).