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Inspector Jack Oxby #1
The Da Vinci Deception
Following three years of intensive preparation, well-fed art dealer Jonas Kalem is ready to offer to the world the discovery he's long been hinting at: a new page from the sketchbooks of Leonardo da Vinci, with others perhaps to follow. The first drawing, a study for the Mona Lisa accompanied by notes in Leonardo's distinctive left-handed writing, is worth millions, or would be if it hadn't been drawn within the month by gifted forger Curtis Stiehl, whose recent release from prison had closed the circle of Kalem's hand-picked colleagues in the fraud.
Retired art historian Giorgio Burri has been waiting to start the ball rolling on authenticating the bogus drawings; unwitting American chemist Eleanor Shepard has been spending a year in Florence looking for likely sources of 500-year-old paper and charcoal; and Kalem's light-fingered assistant Tony Waters stands ready for whatever crasser skullduggery his boss may command, beginning with borrowing an authentic Leonardo drawing from the Windsor Library so that Stiehl can quickly make a closer study of the master's technique.
The theft from the library goes off with all the clockwork precision of a good TV movie, but an unexpected glitch -- the result of a police officer's incredible indiscretion -- brings C13 into the picture for a series of cat-and-mouse chases that range from New York to Lake Como, where a showdown between Oxby's colleague, Supt. Walter Deats, and Kalem's troops provides a rousing denouement. Crammed with information on everything from Leonardo's pigments to the Royal Family's art holdings, though competently handled in its own dishonor-among-thieves caper.
Retired art historian Giorgio Burri has been waiting to start the ball rolling on authenticating the bogus drawings; unwitting American chemist Eleanor Shepard has been spending a year in Florence looking for likely sources of 500-year-old paper and charcoal; and Kalem's light-fingered assistant Tony Waters stands ready for whatever crasser skullduggery his boss may command, beginning with borrowing an authentic Leonardo drawing from the Windsor Library so that Stiehl can quickly make a closer study of the master's technique.
The theft from the library goes off with all the clockwork precision of a good TV movie, but an unexpected glitch -- the result of a police officer's incredible indiscretion -- brings C13 into the picture for a series of cat-and-mouse chases that range from New York to Lake Como, where a showdown between Oxby's colleague, Supt. Walter Deats, and Kalem's troops provides a rousing denouement. Crammed with information on everything from Leonardo's pigments to the Royal Family's art holdings, though competently handled in its own dishonor-among-thieves caper.
279 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1990
15 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Swan
15 books5 followersTHOMAS SWAN is a past president of the Mystery Writers of America, New York Chapter. Now a full- time writer, he was an ad agency vice president, a senior advertising executive with American Express, a copywriter, and a television producer. He lives in Short Hills, New Jersey.
Series:
* Inspector Jack Oxby
Series:
* Inspector Jack Oxby
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 11, 2020
"Fałszywy Da Vinci" to powieść sensacyjno-przygodowa, której akcja dzieje się w świecie międzynarodowego handlu dziełami sztuki. Jeden z jej bohaterów, Jonas Kalem, marszand z Nowego Jorku, postanawia wprowadzić na rynek rzekomo zaginione szkice Leonarda Da Vinci, które oczywiście są fałszywkami. Do urzeczywistnienia tego planu angażuje genialnego fałszerza Curtisa Stiehla, włoskiego profesora i specjalistę od sztuki renesansowej Giorgio Burri oraz specjalistkę od papierów i atramentów Ellie Shepard. Akcję koordynuje asystent Kalema - Tony Waters, który zatrudnia się przy remoncie Biblioteki Zamku Windsor, aby wykraść oryginalne szkice Leonarda Da Vinci. Jednak gdy wzbudza on podejrzenia policjantki Sary Evans, również zatrudnionej w bibliotece, pozoruje on jej śmierć w wypadku samochodowym i od tej pory wszystko się komplikuje, a policja nowojorska wraz ze Scotland Yardem zaczyna deptać po piętach szajce Kalema.
Pomysł na fabułę tej powieści wydaje mi się bardzo dobry, ale już jego realizacja - nie za bardzo. Ilość bohaterów jest dla mnie przytłaczająca i momentami już gubiłam się kto jest kim i po której jest stronie. Poza tym brak jest jednego głównego bohatera.
Książka ma momenty ciekawe i ogólnie czyta się ją dość szybko, ale ma też i momenty nużące, na których trudno mi było się skupić.
Podsumowując, jest to lektura dość przeciętna i nie zapadająca w pamięć, a szkoda, gdyż sam pomysł na powieść wydaje się naprawdę obiecujący.
Pomysł na fabułę tej powieści wydaje mi się bardzo dobry, ale już jego realizacja - nie za bardzo. Ilość bohaterów jest dla mnie przytłaczająca i momentami już gubiłam się kto jest kim i po której jest stronie. Poza tym brak jest jednego głównego bohatera.
Książka ma momenty ciekawe i ogólnie czyta się ją dość szybko, ale ma też i momenty nużące, na których trudno mi było się skupić.
Podsumowując, jest to lektura dość przeciętna i nie zapadająca w pamięć, a szkoda, gdyż sam pomysł na powieść wydaje się naprawdę obiecujący.
June 14, 2024
Book was interesting twist on the normal story in that it focused on the story from the criminals point of view at the beginning.
Disappointed in the amount of time it took for the main character to finally appear in the story and the background of his story was all explained very simply after the fact. Story would have been more interesting if Jack Oxby had been a more active participant earlier on.
Thomas Swan trying to surprise the reader with Jack Oxby's activities was a swing and a miss in my opinion. I knew the ending of the story 3 chapters before the book ended. It was just too predictable.
Disappointed in the amount of time it took for the main character to finally appear in the story and the background of his story was all explained very simply after the fact. Story would have been more interesting if Jack Oxby had been a more active participant earlier on.
Thomas Swan trying to surprise the reader with Jack Oxby's activities was a swing and a miss in my opinion. I knew the ending of the story 3 chapters before the book ended. It was just too predictable.
July 22, 2013
This is supposedly the first in the Jack Oxby series. Oxby is referred to in the book, but otherwise non-existent until near the end. Maybe he wasn't originally intended to be a major character; I don't know. Guess reading on may give me clues.
What an emotional book for me. I was confused by some of he characters and couldn't seem to get a handle on some of them, other than the obviously 'evil' ones. It was a bit confusing, but I was able to follow the story, involving forgery again (the book before this was about a painting forgery) of the drawings and works of Leonard Da Vinci.
While the story was engrossing and interesting, for some reason I was left with a vague feeling of disappointment. I think that was due to confusing characters. I hope the development of the characters are handled better in the next book. I had a hard time relating to the good guys or the innocent involved parties is this one.
What an emotional book for me. I was confused by some of he characters and couldn't seem to get a handle on some of them, other than the obviously 'evil' ones. It was a bit confusing, but I was able to follow the story, involving forgery again (the book before this was about a painting forgery) of the drawings and works of Leonard Da Vinci.
While the story was engrossing and interesting, for some reason I was left with a vague feeling of disappointment. I think that was due to confusing characters. I hope the development of the characters are handled better in the next book. I had a hard time relating to the good guys or the innocent involved parties is this one.
December 22, 2015
PROTAGONIST: Walter Deats, investigator
SETTING: Italy
SERIES: #1 of 3 (Jack Oxby series)
RATING: 3.75
WHY: Jonas Kalem is a top businessman who has come up with an unbeatable scheme to pass off drawings in the style of Leonardo Da Vinci as long-lost studies of some of his most famous works. He comes up with a brilliant plan which involves using a skilled artist who was arrested for counterfeiting and paper and inks as used in the time of Da Vinci. It was quite complicated but very well thought out. I didn't think I'd like this book, as I'm not into art history, but the narrative really dealt with an elaborate and interesting con. One thing that puzzled me is that the series features Inspector Jack Oxby. However, he only appears in the book in the last 20 pages. The real protagonist was a hard-working investigator named Walter Deats.
SETTING: Italy
SERIES: #1 of 3 (Jack Oxby series)
RATING: 3.75
WHY: Jonas Kalem is a top businessman who has come up with an unbeatable scheme to pass off drawings in the style of Leonardo Da Vinci as long-lost studies of some of his most famous works. He comes up with a brilliant plan which involves using a skilled artist who was arrested for counterfeiting and paper and inks as used in the time of Da Vinci. It was quite complicated but very well thought out. I didn't think I'd like this book, as I'm not into art history, but the narrative really dealt with an elaborate and interesting con. One thing that puzzled me is that the series features Inspector Jack Oxby. However, he only appears in the book in the last 20 pages. The real protagonist was a hard-working investigator named Walter Deats.
March 30, 2015
My Grade = 90% - A-
A good murder mystery art forgery story.
Takes place in the Royal Library of Windsor Castle, and London, New York, and Lake Como, Italy.
While an art forger mastermind is attempting to "borrow" for a short time a DaVinci drawing from the Royal Collection in Windsor Castle while it (the library) is being equipped with new air conditioning for better humidity management, the person attempting the infiltration is apprehended by the new assistant librarian, who is actually a Scotland Yard Detective with the Art Squad, so he kills her and attempts to mask her death as a car accident.
That's just the beginning. There's a lot more and it's all really a good story. I understand there are two more books in this series, and I intend to read the both of them.
A good murder mystery art forgery story.
Takes place in the Royal Library of Windsor Castle, and London, New York, and Lake Como, Italy.
While an art forger mastermind is attempting to "borrow" for a short time a DaVinci drawing from the Royal Collection in Windsor Castle while it (the library) is being equipped with new air conditioning for better humidity management, the person attempting the infiltration is apprehended by the new assistant librarian, who is actually a Scotland Yard Detective with the Art Squad, so he kills her and attempts to mask her death as a car accident.
That's just the beginning. There's a lot more and it's all really a good story. I understand there are two more books in this series, and I intend to read the both of them.
June 24, 2013
“- Estou farto de crânios, ossos e músculos [...] sabe a razão porque Leonardo passava tanto tempo de volta destas coisas? Precisava de saber do que as pessoas eram feitas para poder pintar melhores nus do que Miguel Ângelo”
Jonas Kalem, um misterioso comerciante de arte, prepara o golpe do século: forjar Os Manuscritos Perdidos de Da Vinci e tornar-se num dos homens mais ricos e prestigiados do seu tempo.
“Era uma mulher bonita e uma mulher bonita não é fácil de infuenciar”
“Somos homens honráveis a conspirar um desonrado acto”
“Leonardo disse que a impaciência era a mãe da estupidez”
Jonas Kalem, um misterioso comerciante de arte, prepara o golpe do século: forjar Os Manuscritos Perdidos de Da Vinci e tornar-se num dos homens mais ricos e prestigiados do seu tempo.
“Era uma mulher bonita e uma mulher bonita não é fácil de infuenciar”
“Somos homens honráveis a conspirar um desonrado acto”
“Leonardo disse que a impaciência era a mãe da estupidez”
August 1, 2015
Great story, a bit confusing at times. Took a while to read because of an unforseeabe family situation, not because of the story.
The book is referred to a the first in the Jack Oxby series, but he only makes a cameo appearance near the end to is reference several times in the story.
My only disappointment is the fate of two main characters. Since the book was originally published in 1990, I don't expect a sequal. Of course, its not impossible this could be revealed in the Jack Oxby #2 book. I will have to purchase and read to find out.
The book is referred to a the first in the Jack Oxby series, but he only makes a cameo appearance near the end to is reference several times in the story.
My only disappointment is the fate of two main characters. Since the book was originally published in 1990, I don't expect a sequal. Of course, its not impossible this could be revealed in the Jack Oxby #2 book. I will have to purchase and read to find out.
October 13, 2013
Great mystery. Facinating exploration and detailed description of art fraud and forgery with an emphasis on Leonardo Da Vinci. Much of the book focused on the "bad guys" and the people who were duped into assisting with the con. I am looking forward to reading the other two by the author that feature Scotland Yard art fraud detective Jack Oxby.
April 15, 2011
"Demasiados cabos sueltos" ou em tradução livre, demasiados fios soltos. A ideia base até é interessante, mas foi explorada um pouco atabalhoadamente e algumas das personagens estão mal desenvolvidas.
October 16, 2011
Interesting thriller; around the idea of the forgery of the Da Vinci manuscripts by an ex-convict (who forged bonds paper).It's the idea of a rich American art dealer. Scotland Yard police uncovers the deal.
not-finished
July 26, 2013the portuguese translation is so bad that i gave up, at least for now. the narrative is not fluid as you expect in a book like this. i always need to want to know what happens next and that wasn't happening with this one.
January 26, 2014
I enjoyed the story line although the fact that it's supposed to be the 1st in the inspector jack oxby series was strange. He doesn't show up until the end of the book. I'll probably read the next one.
October 18, 2014
A fun read, traipsing through the world of art forgery. Like others, I was confused that it was the 1st Jack Oxby case and yet he didn't appear until the end. All the same, a good beach reach and I will read another.
June 4, 2015
I wanted to like this, even love it, but predictable plotting and mediocre writing made it impossible to finish. Then, I gave it a 2nd try—felt the same through the 1st 1/4–1/3. Suddenly, it became more interesting.
Want to read
December 26, 2009Mine got another cover, cause it´s the one from 1990.
March 21, 2012
Que seca de livro. Não acabei.
February 15, 2013
Eh. A fun light read, and an interesting DaVinci forgery scenario, but ultimately lacking in substance.
September 1, 2015
Good read! Kept my interest and definitely liked the wind-up.
March 4, 2016
What fun!
May 3, 2016
read SOMETIME in 2007
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews