Oliver Banks

The Caravaggio Obsession

JACKET NOTES:  On a fall afternoon, Amos Hatcher made a leisurely visit to Jake Sloane, a second-rate art dealer and friend who was about to break into the big time by auctioning five rare Old Masters of questionable provenance, late that evening, Hatcher stared in disbelief at the police photos of Sloane, who was slumped in his chair, the blunt handle of a knife protruding from his neck.

The Caravaggio Obsession is the second compelling mystery by Oliver Banks, whose first work, The Rembrandt Panel, was hailed by Newsweek as "a neat debut" and was chosen by The New York Times as one of the best mysteries of the year. Once again, his story features Amos Hatcher, the savvy private investigator of the art world.

The story begins in New York, where Hatcher is galvanized into action by the brutal murder of Jake Sloane. Hatcher sleuthing takes him to Rome, where a series of random clues, most notably an obscene slogan spray-painted on the wall of the Caprese Collection, lead him closer to the thieves he is tracking. In the course of his investigation, Hatcher discovers that he is on the heels of a mastermind who seems to have a connection with the Red Brigades, an intimate knowledge of the art market, and a mysterious, uncanny obsession with Caravaggio.

An inspired and suspenseful detective story, The Caravaggio Obsession is a fascinating portrait of the intrigues that plague the international art world. Unforgettable characters, a plot that never gives the reader pause, and the rich flavor of the "Eternal City" comprise this riveting and sophisticated novel of suspense.
(© Little Brown and Company)