Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Obtained from: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours
Read: March 20, 2013
Following a 500-year-old mystery concerning a Flemish tapestry is routine work for Detective Claire DeMaere, since she's employed by the Newport Beach Art Theft Detail. But, unlike past cases, this one involves arresting Paolo Campezzi, lover to her best friend Nora. Mr. Campezzi is a distant descendant of a Florentine Duke, who commissioned the tapestry in 1520 in Bruges, Belgium. Claire finds that she must explore the true provenance of the tapestry, free Mr. Campezzi in order to re-establish her friendship with Nora and depend on the expertise of a textile expert she doesn't know. All this must occur in 72 hours, before the Vatican takes the tapestry back. But Claire isn't the only one with the Vatican looking over her shoulder. Claire's story intertwines with a 1520 diary by Beatrice van Hecke, the tapestry-weaver's daughter. Only Claire can discover the secret that is woven in time.
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| The Unicorn in Captivity |
Reading P.A. Staes The Bruges Tapestry made me homesick. I'm surrounded by cold and snow and all I can think of is a sand strewn boardwalk and the Laguna Beach sawdust festival. Needless to say I fell for this piece early on, but in reflecting on my experience with it, I find my appreciation goes beyond a simple sense of nostalgia.
As carefully as one might work threads into a loom, Staes illustrates both the mechanics that go into creating a tapestry and the artistry of any given design. The obvious effort put into researching this piece really gives the book something special.
I also found a lot to appreciate in Claire. She is a very realistic personality, someone you can actually imagine running into on the street. It has been some time since I've seen such a down to earth character and as a reader I really appreciated how easy it was to slip into her shoes.
Most surprising, however, was the symmetry of the duel plot lines. I don't want to say too much and give anything away, but I loved how Staes connected 1520 and 2012 in multiple ways, offering up more than the historic mystery I'd expected after reading the product description.
The Bruges Tapestry is a quick read, but an intriguing one that both contemporary and historic fiction fans will enjoy.
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"It appears you are in possession of stolen property. That tapestry is posted on Interpol as stolen from the Vatican."
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