The girl was startlingly beautiful. On the other hand, so was the painting she was offering for appraisal - supposedly painted by Rembrandt. But then the girl - and the painting - disappeared.
Par for the course, to be sure, in another witty and erudite mystery by Michael Innes. "Silence Observed
It is very difficult to categorize a mystery by Michael Innes, and "Silence Observed" is no exception. It is a story of fraud in both the art and literary worlds, of overly-acquisitive collectors, of forgeries (and forgeries of forgeries) and, most certainly, of murder. It is a detective story, featuring Sir John Appleby, but it is also a thriller, with dramatic chases and a kidnapping and more.
And - being an Innes novel - it is all done with tongue firmly in cheek and with a fair amount of humor. There are the usual English eccentrics who provide some truly memorable characters. There is less of the kind of surreal humor found in many Innes novels, although the plot itself has entertainingly odd twiss and turns. On the whole, a very enjoyable entry in the Appleby saga.
The book appears still to be in print; it's also available in an Amazon Kindle edition
Les - Oh, I like Innes' humour! It's one of the really positive aspects of his work. I'm very glad that you highlighted this novel too as it's one I've not read. Time to add it to The List.
Posted by: Margot Kinberg | October 16, 2012 at 09:01 AM
I feel somewhat guilty, Margot, if I have added another title to your To Be Read list...and yet you have frequently done the same to me! I always enjoy Innes (even if I do not always recognize the literary quotes and, in this book, some of the artistic references), and I am happy to recommend him.
Posted by: Les Blatt | October 16, 2012 at 09:35 AM