The Raphael Affair

Iain Pears

I love art history mysteries. I picked this one up a few years ago based on a review here at the barn by Jim. Jonathan Argyll, a graduate student in art history believes he has discovered a long lost painting by Raphael which had been painted over, back in the daya more mediocre painter named Mantini, and smuggled out of Rome. A fun, light page-turner, this became the first novel in a series of art history mysteries by Pears all of which feature Argyll. It's the first one I've read and I enjoyed it so now I'll be on the look-out at used booksales for the rest.