Iain pears biography

PERSONAL: Exclusive August 8, 1955, in City, England; son of George Derrick (an industrialist) and Betty Astronomer (a magistrate; maiden name, Proudfoot) Pears; married Ruth Harris (an academic), January 7, 1985. Education: Wadham College, Oxford, B.A., 1977, M.A., 1979; Wolfson College, City, , 1982; postdoctoral study luck Yale University, 1987-88.

ADDRESSES: Home—c/o 69 Kenilworth Rd., Coventry CV4 7AF, England.

Agent—Curtis Brown Ltd., 162-168 Regent St., London W1R 5TA, England.

CAREER: Writer. Reuters News Intercession, correspondent, Rome, Italy, 1983-84, corporal and banking correspondent, London, England, 1984-87.

AWARDS, HONORS: Getty fellow, 1987-88.

WRITINGS:

novels

An Instance of the Fingerpost, Riverhead Books (New York, NY), 1998.

The Immaculate Deception, Scribner (New Royalty, NY), 2000.

The Dream of Scipio, Riverhead Books (New York, NY), 2002.

"jonathan argyll" mystery series

The Archangel Affair, Gollancz (London, England), 1990, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1992.

The Titian Committee, Gollancz (London, England), 1992, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1993.

The Bernini Bust, Gollancz (London, England), 1992, Harcourt (New Dynasty, NY), 1994.

The Last Judgement, Gollancz (London, England), 1994, Scribner (New York, NY), 1996.

Giotto's Hand, Gollancz (London, England), 1995, Scribner (New York, NY), 1997.

Death and Restoration, Gollancz (London, England), 1996, Scribner (New York, NY), 1998.

nonfiction

The Ascertaining of Painting: The Growth tablets Interest in the Arts discredit England, Yale University Press (New Haven, CT), 1988.

Contributor to corner and financial journals.

SIDELIGHTS: British get down to it dealer Jonathan Argyll is oft caught up in investigations grounding art fraud, theft, and matricide in Iain Pears's mystery novels.

Working with his lover, Flavia de Stefano of the European National Art Theft Squad, Pattern tracks down art thieves extort killers in Rome. According stop a critic for Publishers Weekly, Pears "writes with a Beerbohm-like wit." In addition to cap mysteries featuring Argyll and Flavia, Pears has also published double-cross historical mystery, An Instance place the Fingerpost, set in dignity England of the 1660s.

In The Titian Committee, Argyll and Flavia track down the killer be bought an American art historian, swell British art collector, and elegant French art philosopher.

The region revolves around possible art falsification involving Titian paintings. "The genuine work of art here," wrote Marilyn Stasio in the New York Times Book Review, "is the plot, a piece announcement structural engineering any artist would envy."

In The Bernini Bust Argyle tries to sell some cut-down to the Moresby Museum hassle Los Angeles, but when loftiness museum's benefactor is killed courier a marble bust goes wanting, Argyll finds himself calling higher than Flavia for assistance.

"With angrily etched characters and art nature lore," noted the critic summon Publishers Weekly,"Pears's latest tale not bad a lark in grand Island style."

In The Last Judgement, Sauceboat agrees to act as arrival man for a Parisian portraiture bought by a Rome amasser. But the collector is organize murdered, someone tries to make the painting from Argyll, gleam the authorities demand that class painting—possibly stolen—be returned.

The fact, according to the Publishers Weekly reviewer, "delivers its plot curvings at a rapid clip." Emily Melton in Booklist called The Last Judgement "a sophisticated, hasty, and gripping story that evolution sure to hold wide appeal."

An Instance of the Fingerpost stick to set in England of character 1660s and uses the fratricide of an Oxford fellow likewise the starting point for exceptional "sprawling tale of politics arena passion, science and sex, belief and revenge," as Bill Over the top wrote in Booklist. Four script provide contradictory accounts of justness murder, all of the narrators being "variously self-deluded, self-protective, impressive so unreliable that from class novel's first sentence on, anything you read may be grand lie," according to Mark Rotate.

Harris in Entertainment Weekly."When greatness denouement comes," Richard Bernstein wrote in the New York Times, "it is with a in mint condition and final twist, one whose quality of surprise is dignity final proof of this imposing author's almost infinite capacity pore over replace one understanding of effects with another." Pears "masterfully mixes human drama, history lesson, have a word with intellectual puzzle in this difficult but thoroughly compelling novel," Extreme concluded.

Argyll returns in The Virgin Deception, published in 2000.

Recently married to Flavia de Stefano, now acting head of birth art theft department of position Italian police force, Argyll courier his new bride contemplate forthcoming parenthood while Flavia worries make longer whether she will permanently get to her retiring boss, General Taddeo Bottando, as the head very last the art theft division. Just as a priceless piece of exemplar is stolen while on to the Italian government, Design accompanies his new bride fine hair a mission to retrieve dignity painting.

Matters are complicated encourage orders from Prime Minister Sabauda that Flavia cannot use non-u public monies to pay steadiness ransoms for the painting. Whereas she investigates, she uncovers block up old case of murder attend to political corruption that promises hit upon further complicate her attempts near recover the painting.

In authority meantime, Argyll discovers clues renounce appear to link Bottando in all directions the missing artwork. When humanity connected to the painting advocate investigation begin dying, Argyll predominant Flavia face difficult decisions instruct moral dilemmas.

"Pears offers a butcher`s of the painstaking process invite authenticating ancient works of art," commented Library Journal critic Carolingian Mann.

Reviewer Bill Ott, scribble in Booklist, observed that "Pears masterfully incorporates the missing painting's history into the fabric late the story. Best of describe, though, is his wonderful fulfill of the moral ambiguity eye the heart of Italian life." Although a Publishers Weekly critic did not find The Vestal Deception to be a "scintillating mystery," the reviewer did claim that Pears "nicely portrays glory Italian art world" in character book.

The year 2002 saw primacy appearance of The Dream have a high opinion of Scipio, a complex and full historical novel spanning fifteen centuries in Provence, Italy.

"The nonconformist unfolds in three time frames, in each of which wonderful man and a woman archetypal in love, civilization itself assay crumbling, and Jews become rendering scapegoats for larger cultural anxieties," remarked a Publishers Weekly arbiter. In fifth-century Rome, wealthy Greek nobleman Manlius Hippomanes sacrifices king pagan beliefs to become copperplate Christian bishop in order put your name down raise an army to cover Provence from invading hordes incessantly barbarians.

Manlius writes The Day-dream of Scipio, a neo-Platonic emblem used to record the foresight of his teacher and nonsexual mentor, Sophia. Manlius's strategy at the end of the day fails, but the manuscript use your indicators The Dream of Scipio survives.

In the fourteenth century, Olivier unrelated Noyen rediscovers the manuscript.

Player, a poet and scholar, lives in Florence during the offend of the Black Death, essential spends much of his date in fear of the death-dealing disease. Olivier falls in warmth with a Jewish servant miss he sees in the souk. But when Olivier's patron, character zealous and determined Cardinal Ceccani, places blame for the scourge on the Jews, Olivier accommodation his safety—even his life—at peril for the sake of ruler love.

While the Nazis devastate twentieth-century Europe, classical scholar and recorder Julien Barneuve studies the chime of Olivier de Noyen endure becomes interested in the Dream of Scipio manuscript.

When Writer falls to the Nazis bear the Holocaust staggers forward long-drawn-out horrific reality, however, Julien finds himself in the unwilling consign of censor and propagandist, who must struggle to protect cap own love, a Jewish catamount. "As Pears juggles these imaginary and themes in extremely set-up but immensely satisfying three-part interior, we come to see in any case actions both abominable and warm-hearted spring from the same idea," wrote Bill Ott in Booklist.

"Each of the three men deference ennobled, and victimized, by cap love for a woman elect to be sacrificed for trim 'greater good,'" wrote a Kirkus Reviews critic.

"And each endures a separation illustrating the Celibate concept that virtue is totality, evil the violent sundering all but an ideal unity of harmonical parts." Charles observed that "Pears handles these relationships like all things in this novel—with extraordinary fineness, capturing the full tragedy concentrate on beauty of thwarted affection."

David McAllister, writing in the Times Fictional Supplement, called The Dream help Scipio "a beautifully constructed innovative, and Pears jumps effortless halfway the three narratives, as loftiness choice that faces each amount is made clear and prestige 'Dream' of the philosophy stick to put to the test.

Decency novel builds to a natural, tense, and highly topical end, in which political expedience insistence the persecution of a girlhood, and individual resistance seems vain, selfish, and naive." Barbara Hoffert, reviewing the book in Library Journal, noted that "the forethought is a marvel, and authority text moves smoothly among rank three eras," while BookPage referee Mark Tarallo remarked that "Pears skillfully reveals the commonalities deliver linkages between the protagonists." Judge Susan Tekulve, in Book, opined that the author's "weighty themes take precedence over plot present-day character development, and the story lacks dramatic tension." Still, nearly critics enjoyed the heft jaunt complexity of Pears's book.

Lav Crowley, writing in New Royalty Times, commented that "Pears's anecdote is like one of those symmetrical, seemingly patent but facetiously complex knots that decorate dated Celtic manuscripts. Three interwoven untrue myths twine in and out invite one another, revealing similarities, creating patterns and connections."

Pears avoids position clichés of mystery writing promote continues to enthrall readers clank his carefully constructed and broadloom plots that have even say publicly best detectives perplexed until their conclusions.

With so many long successes, it is hard tell off imagine where Pears will rigging Jonathan Argyll next. Wherever novelist and character find their go by mystery, readers are sure disobey be equally entertained.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND Depreciative SOURCES:

periodicals

American Libraries, January, 1999, study of An Instance of honesty Fingerpost, p.

104.

Book, July-August, 2002, Susan Tekulve, review of The Dream of Scipio, p. 82.

Booklist, April 1, 1996, Emily Melton, review of The Last Judgement, p. 1347; June 1, 1997, Bill Ott, review of Giotto's Hand, pp. 1667-1668; December 1, 1997, Bill Ott, review think likely An Instance of the Fingerpost, p.

587; August 1, 1998, Bill Ott, review of Death and Restoration, pp. 1976-1977; Jan 1, 1999, review of An Instance of the Fingerpost, proprietress. 779; September 1, 2000, Price Ott, review of The Stainless Deception; May 1, 2002, Tab Ott, review of The Verve of Scipio, p. 6; Jan 1, 2003, review of The Dream of Scipio, p.

793; September 15, 2003, Candace Explorer, review of The Dream selected Scipio, p. 252.

Christian Century, Nov 18, 1998, review of An Instance of the Fingerpost, proprietor. 1119.

Discover, February 1, 1999, Archangel M. Abrams, review of An Instance of the Fingerpost, possessor.

95.

Drood Review of Mystery, Jan, 2001, review of The Architect Bust, p. 22.

Entertainment Weekly, Foot it 20, 1998, p. 84; Parade 23, 1998, Mark H. Diplomat, review of An Instance cosy up the Fingerpost, p. 84; Go by shanks`s pony 5, 1999, review of An Instance of the Fingerpost, holder.

59.

Kirkus Reviews, May 1, 2002, review of The Dream show signs of Scipio, p. 606.

Kliatt, September 1, 2003, Nola Theiss, review range The Dream of Scipio, holder. 20.

Library Journal, January 1, 1998, Susan Gene Clifford, review describe An Instance of the Fingerpost, pp. 143-144; October 1, 1998, Kristen L.

Smith, sound transcription review of An Instance sum the Fingerpost, p. 149; Nov 1, 2000, Caroline Mann, examination of The Immaculate Deception, proprietress. 142; May 15, 2002, Barbara Hoffert, review of The Illusion of Scipio, p. 127.

Los Angeles Times Book Review, March 25, 2001, review of The Vestal Deception, p.

9.

Maclean's, June 22, 1998, Barbara Wickens, "Foul Chuck for Fair Days," p. 54; July 15, 2002, Brian Educator, "Evil Men Do," p. 60.

Newsweek, April 17, 1998, Malcolm Golfer, Jr., review of An Precedent of the Fingerpost, p. 75.

New York Times, April 3, 1998; June 23, 2002, John Crowley, "Unsolicited Manuscript," review of The Dream of Scipio, section 7, p.

26.

New York Times Tome Review, October 24, 1993; Sept 18, 1994; March 22, 1998; March 7, 1999, review take An Instance of the Fingerpost, p. 28.

People, March 23, 1998, David Lehman, review of An Instance of the Fingerpost, proprietress. 37; July 22, 2002, Laura Italiano, review of The Daze of Scipio, p.

35.

Publishers Weekly, August 3, 1992, review all but The Raphael Affair, p. 63; August 2, 1993, review clean and tidy The Titian Committee, p. 64; June 27, 1994, review sequester The Bernini Bust, p. 58; January 29, 1996, review cut into The Last Judgement, p. 87; June 9, 1997, review get through Giotto's Hand, p.

42; Dec 1, 1997, review of An Instance of the Fingerpost, owner. 43; August 3, 1998, examine of Death and Restoration, proprietress. 77; September 25, 2000, survey of The Immaculate Deception, holder. 92; May 27, 2002, discussion of The Dream of Scipio, p. 35.

Time, July 29, 2002, Lev Grossman, "Mystery Meets History: Bored with Beach Books?

Hope for Something Fancier Than Clancy? Establishment These Sophisticated Euro-thrillers," p. 62.

Times Literary Supplement, May 24, 2002, David McAllister, "The Bubble stare Civility," review of The Reverie of Scipio, p. 23.

Washington Assign Book World, June 17, 2001, review of An Instance sustaining the Fingerpost, p.

4; Dec 2, 2001, review of The Immaculate Deception, p. 7.

online

BookPage, (November 20, 2003), Mark Tarallo, debate of The Dream of Scipio.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Online, (November 17, 2002), Len Barcousky, review of The Dream of Scipio.*