altheaann

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 above average for the genre.