I found this fair-condition paperback (older edition and different cover than shown) in Nashua's Four Hills recycle center swap shop. As a murder mystery set in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum of Boston it seemed like a perfect choice for a themed release - and with any luck it'll be an entertaining read as well.

This was a pretty amusing read, and made me want to go visit the Gardner - in part to check out the scenes of the crimes and in part to enjoy all the art works that are so lovingly described in the book! The characters are quirky, and the plot interesting (if a bit improbable). The story centers around a series of strange happenings at the museum that might (according to the terms of Gardner's bequest) actually force the shutting down of the museum and dispersal of all the works of art... but is that the motive or only a side effect? There's also a potential romance, a potential hostile takeover by a business conglomerate (called Fatcat here but which could stand in for any of several real-life companies), and lots of bits-of-business about daily life at a museum, from classroom outings to special events for dignitaries. The viewpoint shifts between several main characters, including Langton's ex-detective Homer Kelly (with the outsider's viewpoint), the museum's new director Titus Moon, and elderly conservator Catherine Rule, to name a few; at times this is distracting but it does provide a variety of opinions about the nature of museums in general and this one in particular.

RELEASE NOTES:

I just had to. I left this book inside the Gardner Museum, on a little table just outside the gift shop, at around 3:30 or so - would have loved to leave it among the displays but I don't think all the guards would have been amused! Hope the finder enjoys the book...