Giotto's Hand

by Iain Pears

Book Overview

General Bottando of Rome's Art Theft Squad believes that a lone criminal mastermind--dubbed "Giotto"--has been stealing priceless Renaissance art for over thirty years. But his theory--prompted by a letter from an embittered, dying old woman--is scorned by archrival Corrado Argan, a bureaucrat more interested in politics than policing. Bottando's right hand, the beautiful Flavia di Stefano, quickly locates a possible culprit--but he's in England...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 042518854X
• ISBN13: 9780425188545
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.81 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.2" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Sleight of Hand

Iain Pears has crafted a cozy niche within the mystery world with his Art History Mystery series featuring Flavia di Stefano and her fiance Jonathan Argyll. "Giotto's Hand" is a pleasant read, not the best novel within the series, but certainly a worthwhile mystery, even for readers who have read the series out of order and may know how certain events turn out. Pears manages yet again to make the world of art theft a duplicitous and dangerous place, and an exciting one to read about. "Giotto's Hand" begins with a letter arriving at the offices of the Art Theft Squad in Rome, with an admission of a stolen painting by someone connected with the guilty party. Granted, this was a theft that occurred thirty years ago, yet it strikes a chord with General Bottando. He pulls out a pet project he has pieced together, of a thief he has named Giotto. Bottando has chalked it up to a lost cause, but with this admission, his theory may be proved. Jonathan agrees to visit the accused party in England; however, when he arrives, the man is found dead, but not necessarily murdered. Flavia joins Jonathan in England and the two become enmeshed in an investigation that turns up even less proof the more they search. In the end the answer is right under their noses in a delicious twist of fate. "Giotto's Hand" is a fast-paced mystery with an intriguing premise and a very fitting ending. Pears weaves an array of art history and art appreciation into the story without it distracting from the story at hand. While definitely not the top novel within the series, it adds to the relationship between Jonathan and Flavia, offers General Bottando some bragging rights, and Pears offers his readers some witty and urbane observations into the difference between English and Italian cultural customs.

Good mystery

If you have read The Instance of the Fingerpost or The Dream of Scipio know that those books and the Argyll mystery series are written in two different styles. While the former two are more serious in nature the Argyll mystery series can still be enjoyed if you are looking for a simple mystery read. If you are looking for a more serious read you will be disappointed in this and others of the series. Having said that I liked this book and enjoy most of the books of this series. Set in Italy, France and England Jonathan and Flavia team together to investigate the arts thefts they believe were done by one person. Some of the thefts are decades old and time is not on their side. Meanwhile General Bottando is trying to keep his position as director of the Art Theft Sqaud and is depending on Jonathan and Flavia to come through. If you are looking for a quick enjoyable mystery that you can read over a weekend Giotto's Hand will fit the bill.

Art History in an easy-to-swallow size

Yes, I am a Pears fan, strating with "An Instance Of The Fingerpost". I really like these art history mysteries of his. They always have some quirky characters, interesting settings, and very little bloodshed. So I get my armchair travel nicely wrapped in a whodoneit. But I especially like to learn something along the way. Each of these show me something of an art world I will never live in - so I get a double-dip of tourism. This story, set in both Italy and England also throws in a little of Miss Marple's small village life as well. An easy read, not too long - I strongly recommend it.

A nice little mystery with a cosmopolitan flavor.

Not only is this book an outstandingly enjoyable read on its own, but also, in Giotto's Hand, Jonathan Argyll and his fiance Flavia meet up with a character who is pivotal to other books of this charming series. The struggling young art dealer Jonathan and Flavia the art cop live, of course, in Rome, the art capitol of the world. Pears not only gives the reader a beautiful feel for life in this culturally rich and layered city, but also gives a delightful study in contrasts when Jonathan is propelled by circumstances back into a small English village. As the story moves from one country to the other, the characters remain firmly and convincingly immured in the world of art dealers and art thieves - often one and the same. Unlike so many mysteries, this is not one with an open and shut conclusion. Morality must get gently re-defined as the circumstances of real life impact the black and white facts of the crime. Although this is a relatively simple tale, and doesn't pretend to the complexity of Pears' "An Instance of the Fingerpost", this is a subtle, heart-warming and sophisticated mystery.

It is okay but Pears has written better

General Taddeo Bottando believes that the stealing of many of Europe's priceless works of art since 1963 is the result of one person, an extremely skillful thief, dubbed Giotto. The General assigns his brilliant team, the Art Theft Squad, to investigate the possibility that one person is responsible for numerous thefts. Private investigator Flavia di Stefano and art dealer Jonathan Argyll begin the search for the elusive Giotto. ....... The first real clue is a letter from a dying woman who describes one of the robberies. Using that as a lead, Stefano searches Florence for follow-up information while Argyll travels all over England. Though they begin to put together the pieces of a four decade old puzzle, General Bottando's greatest opponent, Corrado Argan, raises a stink about the waste of money in pursuit of a ridiculous objective. Corrado believes that no one man could have committed all these crimes without a trace. It is up to the Art Theft Squad to prove their leader is right and bring to justice a grandmaster. ........ Though all three lead characters are charming and very endearing, GIOTTO'S HAND seems a bit flat for mystery lovers since there is little life threatening action confronting the squad. There is little doubt that Iain Pears' love for art oozes off of the pages to reach out and touch readers. In spite of this extra flavoring and great characterization, the who-done-it remains a bit weak. .......Harriet Klausner