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robinwalter's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Another mildly entertaining book in the series, elevated by the art history information and especially the delightful twist in the tail.
psalmcat's review
3.0
I don't hate this series (or I'd quit reading the books), but I like the Skeleton Doctor books better.
This one follows Chris as he investigates the donation of a "Rembrandt" to the Seattle Art Museum. The problem is that the donor tends to be a bit of a practical joker...and the day Chris arrives in France to examine the painting, the donor is killed. And someone seems to have it in for Chris as well.
Good story. Confusing and a bit busy, but good.
This one follows Chris as he investigates the donation of a "Rembrandt" to the Seattle Art Museum. The problem is that the donor tends to be a bit of a practical joker...and the day Chris arrives in France to examine the painting, the donor is killed. And someone seems to have it in for Chris as well.
Good story. Confusing and a bit busy, but good.
skullfullofbooks's review against another edition
3.0
One of these days I am going to find a good theme book that can balance the theme and the mystery. It's going to happen, really, but not with Old Scores.
Don't get me wrong; this book is fantastic if you want to learn about art history or know about art history, and that's why I gave it three stars and not two. I like art crimes and studying them, as I think there are a lot of good moral questions brought up when it comes to the ownership of old paintings and museums. This book does a great job of delving into those questions and making the reader think about what exactly is happening in the art world of this fictional market.
The problem is that this is a murder mystery, or rather, the murder mystery is peppered in here and there with only mentioning it occasionally. The mystery is solved in a matter of minutes after a long and drawn out "investigation" by Chris Norgren, the protagonist. He just really investigates a supposed Rembrandt painting and then somehow figures out the murderer. This is also a style that I don't like, since we find out how he knew in the last chapters instead of getting clues throughout the book.
By the end of this book, I was just ready for it to be over. I think Elkins failed to weave the murder mystery in with the art mystery, and cutting one or the other to make it a non murder cozy mystery would have done wonders for the plot and my personal engagement. The random, angst ridden relationship also muddled things up for me, although I liked that Ann was as confused as I was in the end.
Don't get me wrong; this book is fantastic if you want to learn about art history or know about art history, and that's why I gave it three stars and not two. I like art crimes and studying them, as I think there are a lot of good moral questions brought up when it comes to the ownership of old paintings and museums. This book does a great job of delving into those questions and making the reader think about what exactly is happening in the art world of this fictional market.
The problem is that this is a murder mystery, or rather, the murder mystery is peppered in here and there with only mentioning it occasionally. The mystery is solved in a matter of minutes after a long and drawn out "investigation" by Chris Norgren, the protagonist. He just really investigates a supposed Rembrandt painting and then somehow figures out the murderer. This is also a style that I don't like, since we find out how he knew in the last chapters instead of getting clues throughout the book.
By the end of this book, I was just ready for it to be over. I think Elkins failed to weave the murder mystery in with the art mystery, and cutting one or the other to make it a non murder cozy mystery would have done wonders for the plot and my personal engagement. The random, angst ridden relationship also muddled things up for me, although I liked that Ann was as confused as I was in the end.
christopherborum's review
3.0
Elkins's Chris Norgren books are an interesting break from the Skeleton Doctor. This one ends up being as much a primer the world of art authentication as it does a mystery story. Rembrandt's that may or may not be real, forgeries and fakes (which are two different things), and a little Nazi art theft and collaboration thrown in. The mystery is a little convoluted, the clues are there, but hard to spot, and it seems to take a while getting up to speed, only to end, but overall "Old Scores" is an entertaining and educational diversion. More like 3.5 stars.
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