British Mysteries

The book has a strong start - farmer and former reporter Isobel Sadler wakes up when she hears a burglar in her house; you'll like Isobel right off as her anger takes over and she doesn't let the burglar get away with what he came for, though he does get away. What she can't figure out is - she's broke and has sold all the "good stuff" already - why would the burglar want the hideous and apparently valueless painting that's been hanging on the wall of her family's home for centuries? She takes the painting to be appraised by art dealer Michael Whiting, who confirms its hideousness and lack of value, while at the same time setting the two off on a treasure hunt. Michael thinks the painting is a series of clues pointing to church relics hidden from Henry VIII's scavengers when they raided the Catholic monasteries and churches back in the 16th century. The treasure, famous for disappearing completely, would be incredibly valuable in today's marketplace. Using the painting as a starting point, the two begin, point by point, to analyze the painting and figure out if it really is a kind of treasure map.

They are always one step behind the mysterious burglar, who had also figured out the painting's value and has a photograph of it to work from, and as the hunt draws to a close, the suspense factor ratchets up, making the end of this novel a fascinating combination of art history detection and plain old thriller. Forget the ridiculous DaVinci Code - Watson poses a much more plausible puzzle and dares the reader to help solve it. I was behind him at every step, and those readers who love clues and trying to get ahead of the detectives should eat this novel up with a spoon. Preferably a silver one, handmade by monks in the 16th century.