Death and Restoration (Art History
Mystery) by Iain Pears
"Hodigitria - She Who Shows The Way"
Like An Instance of the Fingerpost, Iain Pearss Death and Restoration is
grounded in a richly cultured vision rife with references to European
history, art, and cuisine. And, though it represents the sixth novel in
Pearss Jonathan Argyll series, the author subtly informs new readers of
the key relationships and the past histories of his characters within the first
three chapters. Once again, Argyll and his soon-to-be wife, Flavia di
Stefano, are enmeshed in the Italian art world: Flavia, as a member of the
Rome polices art squad and Argyll as a professor of art history. The
suspense of the novel is sustained by the careful revelation of the central
art-theft plot; in turn, each major character becomes the narrative center
and offers an expanded understanding of the events at San Giovanni.
While Argyll is troubled over his fiancées frequent absences just prior to
their wedding, Flavia feels compelled to keep odd hours. Shes certain that
her old nemesis, Mary Verney, has returned to Rome with the intention of
committing a major new theft. And Verney, readers soon learn, is herself
in jeopardy. She must steal a Madonna icon from the monastery--despite

the close scrutiny she faces from the Rome police force--because the
sadistic Mikis Charanis has kidnapped Verneys granddaughter, 8-year-old
Louise, and he will only release the child when Verney has acquired the
artifact from San Giovanni. Underlying each characters concerns is the
mystery of the Madonna itself. Why does Charanis covet this piece over
the more valuable, though still dubious, Caravaggio that is also in the
monastery? In the end, the novel is a perfect melding of a tightly
composed mystery plot, witty dialogue, and a realistic sense of character,
all flowing from an intellectuals appreciation for the finer things in life. For
readers who discovered Pearss fiction through An Instance of the
Fingerpost, the Argyll series--particularly Death and Restoration--offers
much to satiate the need for his pleasantly baroque sensibilities. Other
works in the Argyll series include The Raphael Affair, The Titian
Committee, The Bernini Bust, The Last Judgement, and Giottos Hand. --
Patrick OKelley
Personal Review: Death and Restoration (Art History Mystery)
by Iain Pears
"Business meetings are more or less the same all over the world...there is
always a dispute, which serves the purpose of making half-felt
antagonisms real." This book opens with such a meeting of the Order of
St. John the Pietist, in which a decision by a one-vote majority eventually
leads to an injury to the head of the order and the disappearance of an
icon, of little monetary value but deeply valuable to the parishioners in the
order's neighborhood in Rome. The order is at first much more concerned
for the value of its "Caravaggio," which is undergoing restoration, but this
concern turns out to be misplaced.
Flavia di Stefano (temporarily standing in for her boss Bottando) and
Jonathan Argyll discover the historical and contemporary motives for the
icon's disappearance, by way of figuring out who has lured the "sweet-
faced criminal" Mary Verney out of retirement to undertake a very risky art
theft job. The mystery is complex, as always with Pears, but sketched with
great clarity - it surpasses The Immaculate Deception and The Titian
Committee in this respect.
The bonus, for anyone interested in the pursuit of unity in the Catholic
church, is the marvelous history of the icon Hodigitria (based in historical
fact) as protector and bringer of healing. This is made concrete in the
rapprochement between Fr. Xavier and Fr. Jean, in which they both move
beyond their ideological positions (modern and traditionalist) to repentance
for the way in which each one's intransigence has harmed the order, to
genuine reconciliation which points the way to the future - led, not
surprisingly, by a priest from Africa who becomes their reluctant, Spirit-
filled leader.
This is the finest of this series I have read so far, not only for its particular
locale, but for what it reveals of Jonathan's goodness, for his
understanding of what Flavia needs to be happy in her work, and for his
encouragement of her career path. It is also wonderful to find a book which
portrays priests as the fascinating individuals they are -- in contrast to the
predictable stereotyping which has become common in some writers.

Even though this book is the sixth in a series, it can stand on its own - I
haven't read Giotto's Hand (Mary Verney first appears in this book) and
didn't miss the background.
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