[.ca] Titian Committee (ISBN 0007229186)

They sound like Oxford:
Pardon me for disagreeing with the other reviewers. The plot actually was interestesting with promising but not fully developed complexities. The correlation of modern and ancient events is pleasing. On the negative side, there are some odd inconsistencies such as Flavia getting seasick on the Grand Canal one minute and having a strong stomach a few pages later. I found the characters a bit shallow. And most disappointing, all the characters, whether Italian, Dutch, American or English all spoke the same unmistakeably English idiom even though the description of the characters tries to give them varied language abilities. Even though the setting is Venice this is a thoroughly English cozy.

The Titian Committee More About Place than Plot:
Iain Pears lives up to his modern day Agatha Christie title with a particular twist on writing about beautiful places. In fact, great places are the focus of his Art History Mystieries series, like Paris, London, Rome, and lots more of Rome, Los Angeles and other five star places like that. As far as the murder mystery in each book's plot, like "The Titian Committee", the story is as much about Venice (place) and how this high brow Titian committee credentials master works than it is about the dead body discovered in the first chapter. Reading a Pears novel is worth challenging a few college credits in art history, only tons more fun. Still, even with the "opposites attract" characters of the often morose Jonathon Argyle, who lives up to his very predictable last name, and his risk taking love Gloria Di Stafano, "The Titian Committee" isn't quite as memorable as the other books in this effervecent mystery series. Sometimes, the plot becomes just too cumbersome to make sense. Nevertheless, I wouldn't want to miss reading it, if only to keep up with the lively antics of the hero and heroine- especially, to find out if they ever plan on taking their relationship beyond the Panda bear dance they play out in their comic/drama experiences. Overall, "The Titian Committee" does not stand alone in The Art History Mysteries, but it's a good link with the others. "The Raphael Affair" is still the best in the series with "Death and Restoration" a close second. Of course, it will likely be a long time before another book will compare with the intellectual stimulation of "An Instance of the Fingerpost", a first rate Pears mystery, but not in the line up of the Art History Mysteries series.

I just don't care:
I gave this yawner three stars simply due to the setting. I love Venice. That,however, is where my interest in this little volume ends. I could not bring myself to care, positively or negatively, about any of the characters. I found myself more interested in what they ordered for lunch or dinner than in the "plot". Perhaps, to be fair, I should have read an earlier installation of the adventures of Flavia et al prior to this one. Maybe...but I think not. I would suggest the potential reader skip this one and opt for one of the Donna Leon mysteries instead.

Excellent, but difficult to follow at times:
This is the third book I've read by Iain Pears. It is entertaining and fun to read, but of the three art history mysteries I've read so far, this one was the most difficult to follow. There were a number of characters that seemed to meld together after awhile, and the subplot involving the portrait in the Marchesa's home makes the read a bit slower. But, as always, Jonathan and Flavia are fun characters, and the references to art history are plentiful.

An Instance of Authorial Disinterest?:
A murder mystery set in Venice, revolving around art history, featuring two immensely appealing sleuths -- what could be bad? Somehow, most everything aside from the two lead characters. Flavia and Johnathan are witty and charming throughout. But Venice never comes across, the mystery lies flat on the page in a serious of increasingly tedious interviews with stick figure supporting characters, and the art history element remains a barely there bit of background color. Pears is a very talented writer, his An Instance of the Fingerpost an ambitious and vastly entertaining historical novel. Is he just no longer interested in these slight mysteries?