When General Taddeo Bottando, head of the Italian National Art Theft Squad in Rome, hears the news of Masterson’s murder, he sends his most capable assistant, Flavia de Stefano to Venice. Flavia has no direct authority to conduct an investigation, but her boss feels that it should be on record that his department has taken notice of the incident.

Jonathan Argyll, a British citizen, is in Venice trying to purchase art work for a client of his firm, Byrnes Galleries. Through business contacts he knows Flavia and his interest in her extends to a personal nature, as well as a common interest in the art world. One of the pictures that he is trying to acquire is owned by a feisty old Marchesa . The Marchesa is connected with the murder investigation because of her art holdings, so Flavia and Jonathan’s paths inevitably cross. The two decide that the police investigation of the murder is not doing either of their reputations any good, so they launch their own inquiry.

Mr. Pears has developed some wonderful quirky characters in Jonathan Argyll and Flavia de Stefano. Jonathan comes across as a bright fellow, somewhat intimidated by aggressive females, with a decided lack of common sense. He is totally lovable. Flavia is also bright, clever and very much aware of the others’ personalities enabling her to discover information with a minimum of effort. She is at times a bit omniscient. When viewing the dead body of Ms. Masterson she is able to discover a lot about the circumstances of her death by the expression on the lady’s face. This seems to be stretching the power of observation more than a little. The minor characters, from the local police to Flavia’s boss and the remaining members of the Titian Committee are all engaging in their own way.

The plot of the book, while straightforward, depends a great deal on fortuitous coincidences that enable Jonathan and Flavia to unravel the mystery. For instance, at one point they decide they need to speak to a former member of the committee, living in a small French village. Through much effort, they eventually arrive in the village, but cannot locate the residence they are seeking. No one seems to be available in the village to ask, but fortunately they meet the postman who gives them explicit directions to the professor’s home. They find the home boarded up, as if vacant, but for one bathroom window. Jonathan decides to try and enter the home through the window which yields to his tugging. How fortuitous! Jonathan finds the professor very dead, but manages to search through some important papers before they notify the police, which yield clues to the puzzle. Again, luck prevails.

A fair amount of information on the authentication of artwork, and the history of Italian art is presented in this book. This should be of interest to those aficionados of fine arts. Travel and history buffs should find the author’s descriptions of Venice and its unique transportation system quite informative. In addition, because of the diverse nationalities and personalities of the members of the Titian Committee, the reader gains some insight into the difficulties of getting anything accomplished in a working committee.

While not at all comparable to Iain Pears masterpiece, An Instance of the Fingerpost, The Titian Committee makes an enjoyable evening’s entertainment.

--Andy Plonka