Not only is this book an outstandingly enjoyable read on its own, but also, in Giotto's Hand, Jonathan Argyll and his fiance Flavia meet up with a character who is pivotal to other books of this charming series.
The struggling young art dealer Jonathan and Flavia the art cop live, of course, in Rome, the art capitol of the world. Pears not only gives the reader a beautiful feel for life in this culturally rich and layered city, but also gives a delightful study in contrasts when Jonathan is propelled by circumstances back into a small English village. As the story moves from one country to the other, the characters remain firmly and convincingly immured in the world of art dealers and art thieves - often one and the same.
Unlike so many mysteries, this is not one with an open and shut conclusion. Morality must get gently re-defined as the circumstances of real life impact the black and white facts of the crime. Although this is a relatively simple tale, and doesn't pretend to the complexity of Pears' "An Instance of the Fingerpost", this is a subtle, heart-warming and sophisticated mystery.