Into the Vortex: A Tim Simpson Mystery

If you love PBS' "Antiques Roadshow", you're in for a treat. John Malcolm has written a series of Tim Simpson mysteries that delve intriguingly into the world of fine art acquisition. Modern English art history comes alive with the personalities and scandals we never hear about when viewing the art in a museum.In "Into the Vortex", Tim Simpson is offered a Wyndham Lewis drawing by a mysterious foursome. As the foursome is whittled down one by one, first by apparently accidental and then decidedly murderous means, Tim confronts both an art history mystery and modern high finance. This book's plot is a bit tortured, making it a 4 rather than a five star Tim Simpson, but it is a very entertaining read none the less.Protagonist Tim Simpson is a breath of fresh air as a knowledgeable buyer for White's Art Fund. Working for White's Bank, a most British merchant bank, Tim is based in London. Both he and White's have a South American past that often crops up in unexpected ways. A former "Cambridge Blue" rugby player, Tim has the ability to handle himself in a tough corner, an ability that he must call upon quite often in the cutthroat world of fine art collecting.The Tim Simpson mysteries afford the opportunity to learn about the world of Whistler, Sargent, Lewis, Godwin, Rodin and many more, as well as their often intertwined and tangled lives and shared mistresses. The reader gets a look behind the scenes of auction houses and antiques dealers from junkmen to exclusive galleries. Along the way, the fortunes of a British Merchant Bank are intriguingly explored.If you enjoy learning painlessly as you read for fun, then you will consume the Tim Simpson mysteries like popcorn. Fine Art, intrigue and high finance make for some very entertaining reading. Well written and well researched, this is a series well worth getting hooked on.