The Case of the Missing Madonna

November 9, 2015
Those who like their mysteries shaken not stirred will enjoy British author Anderson’s action-packed second Patrick de Courvoisier adventure (after 2014’s The Case of the Black Pearl). A summons to London uproots Patrick, an Englishman whose tastes in food and drink would meet James Bond’s approval, from his houseboat in Cannes, where he performs jobs as a fixer. In London, one of Patrick’s former bosses, Charles Carruthers, asks him to investigate a theft that involves the royal family, but he declines. Back in Cannes, Patrick agrees to look for a painting, Fragonard’s Madonna, which has gone missing from a monastery on the island of St. Honorat. Of course, the case isn’t what it seems, and Patrick uncovers a labyrinth of secrets dating back to WWII. He’s soon dodging bullets and an arch nemesis, though he finds that he and his enemy must work together for the common good. Full of fascinating history and lush descriptions of the French Riviera, this whodunit will snare readers from the opening page.

Turning down a request from his former colleagues in Her Majesty's service, private inquiry agent Patrick de Courvoisier accepts another case instead, then finds himself banging heads with his old mates anyway. Charles Carruthers, whom Patrick likes and respects, isn't entirely clear about the mission, but he does say that he wants Patrick to retrieve a painting that's a Windsor family heirloom from its hiding place somewhere in the Esterel Massif, just west of Patrick's current home in Cannes, and dangles comely art historian Grazia Lucca, who's already signed on, as none-too-subtle bait. After turning him down cold, Patrick returns home to find that Carruthers has recruited unlikable Giles Huntington in his place. He's even more chagrined to find that the private commission he's accepted--recovering a Fragonard Madonna that's gone missing from a Cistercian monastery on an island off the Cannes coast--seems at every opportunity to bring him up against Grazia and Huntington, who's taken the alias "Coburn" originally assigned to Patrick and is therefore constantly mistaken for him. Not surprisingly, the Madonna, a piquant treasure on its own, turns out to be only the tip of the iceberg, and the case Patrick has taken is intertwined at every point with the case he didn't, especially once he realizes that Grazia's ex-lover, yacht owner Marco Fratelli, is in both cases up to his neck. There'll be nefarious neo-Nazis, underwater derring-do, and very little surprise en route to the final curtain. Anderson, who clearly intends Patrick (The Case of the Black Pearl, 2014) to come across as sophisticated and debonair, hasn't bothered to make him interesting, and the villains are right out of war surplus. Nothing new here, not even the highly competent undersea action. COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2016

Patrick de Courvoisier, known in Cannes as Le Limier, is a retired British intelligence officer, living on his boat. The Cistercian monks on the nearby island of St. Honorat request his assistance in retrieving a valuable painting of the Madonna, executed by Jean-Honore Fragonard. It seems that the missing artwork may well be connected to the job British intelligence wants de Courvoisier to undertake, to trace stolen art that may have direct ties to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, who are known to be Nazi sympathizers. VERDICT James Bond has nothing on de Courvoisier, as he enjoys action-packed adventures up and down the southern coast of France, including stops at the famous Eden Roc Hotel in Cap d'Antibes. An exciting read for fans of Matthew Reilly, Lee Child, or Joseph Finder.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2015
In this James Bondlike, jet-setting adventure thriller, former British agent Patrick de Courvoisier has retireddespite the British government's displeasureto his refurbished gunboat off the coast of Cannes, where he lives a relaxed life. Occasionally, he helps a local friend solve a problem, which has gained him the title of the Fixer. So when Brother Robert, head of the local monastery, asks Patrick to help recover a priceless painting of the Madonna by Fragonard, which has gone missing from the monastery's vault, Patrick is happy to help. But before he can start, he's called to London by British government officials, who propose a mission. He refuses, returns home, and starts searching for the missing painting, only to discover that his case and the British mission are connected. So begins an adventure involving a treasure map, links to Hitler, and an explosive secret that could be deeply embarrassing for the British monarchy. Filled with double-crosses, fast-paced action, and the requisite beautiful woman, this is sure to entertain those who like their martinis stirred, not shaken.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)