this is the 180th in my series of forgotten or seldom read books
A Glancing Light by Aaron Elkins, Fawcett 1991 paperback, art mystery – Chris Norgren #2
This is Elkins’ second Chris Norgren art mystery, and it’s typically Elkins: engaging, great sense of place, only moderately challenging mystery elements, a light but satisfying book. Norgren is a curator at the Seattle Art Museum and in this book he’s been called in by an art dealer to examine a painting. What he finds is a Rubens which was stolen twenty-two months before in Bologna, Italy.
Norgren travels to Italy in search of an explanation for the painting appearing in Seattle. During the trip we get to see his attempts to reconnect with the love interest from the first book.
Elkins is very good at character and sense of place and I enjoy the art background in this series. Norgren is engaging and thoughtful. Good stuff.
Tip the Wink 
I’ve enjoyed all the Aaron Elkins mysteries I’ve read. But, I haven’t read this one.
Never read one of these. Back in the day – March to June of 1992 – I read a bunch of Elkins books, all in the Gideon Oliver series. But that was it and I’ve never been able to get interested in reading another of them. “Light but satisfying” is a good description, and I must have liked them to read 7 in a short period, right? But I’ve moved on.
I like the title. I’m sure I”ve never really noticed this one because I seldom read straight mysteries. I’ve probably said that before. I do repeat myself. 🙂
I love this short-lived series, Richard. I’m a sucker for art curators as solvers of mysteries. 🙂 I’ve read every single Gideon Oliver mystery too, so you could say I’m a big fan of Elkins’ work and you wouldn’t be far off. I asked him once (at Las Vegas Bouchercon) why he hadn’t written any more Norgren art mysteries and he said: financial. Got it. Too bad, because they were very entertaining, especially for those of us who have any interest in art.
Yvette, I first met him at the Anaheim CA Left Coast Crime con, and also saw him in Vegas. I have read all but the last few Oliver books and all of this series. Yes, his publisher said they wanted him to keep going with Oliver so there were just the three (four?) Norgren books. I like art detectives too.