remembered the solution but had thought it was another author; worth the reread! ( )

I love it when the main character's an artist. (Except when it hurts a lot, of course; that is the life I wanted. For some reason this didn't hurt, even though one of my dreams was to paint portraits like the hero.) Charles Honeybath is a renowned portrait painter – anyone who is anyone has their portrait made by Honeybath – but in the economy at the time of the book's setting (which could be today's) portraiture is a luxury many are putting off till more bullish times. While Honeybath is not worried about his next meal as yet, he is feeling a bit of a pinch … so when a not-quite-gentleman calling himself Peach shows up at his studio one day offering him a Mysterious Commission, for which Honeybath is amazed to discover he can demand nearly twice his usual rate, Our Hero finds it difficult to refuse. Despite the fact that the details are so very mysterious – he cannot know the name of his subject, and in fact, to his dismay, he is told (after agreeing) that he will be taken to an undisclosed location where he will remain until the painting is done.

Still, the money is awfully good – and as it turns out, so is the subject and the portrait thereof – and Honeybath is relatively willing. It's when the painting is finished and he is on his way home that things really get strange. And dangerous.

I don't know as this really and truly rates four stars; it was fun, and it was well written, and it kept me interested and engaged and amused by the painting details. It also kept me confused along with Honeybath, which was, I believe, one of the author's aims. It was funny, and fun, and smart, and (as I mentioned well-crafted (although the slang scattered throughout felt a little like rough spots that needed smoothing out), and Honeybath as the artist hero was lovely. Innes knew a bit about art, and it shows. The police, once they get involved, are not the dimwitted bunch Honeybath and I half expected them to be, and the criminals are garden variety thugs nor (thank goodness) part of an international conspiracy. The ending of the story may be a bit too pat and tidy – but, yes, all in all, I think I will stand on the four stars. It was very good at being what it was.

This is the introduction to Charles Honeybath a preeminent portrait artist who been commissioned to paint a portrait of a mysterious figure. This leads to a tremendous adventure for this quiet man who has to call on skills both present and long-buried to help solve the puzzle of what happened to him. ( )

Renowned portrait painter Charles Honeybath receives a request from a man who wants him to paint someone about whom he will give no information. Calling him Mr. X, the man says only that the person in mind is a bit insane, and that Mr. X's famous family (how they are famous he won't say) would like to have their relative's portrait made. He tells Honeybath that he has exactly two weeks to paint the picture, and that it must be done at Mr. X's place of residence. Honeybath is somewhat intrigued, and then he is taken away in the dark of night to his new temporary lodgings, where for the next two weeks he remains under some rather bizarre conditions. When he is dismissed, he finds himself under suspicion from the police -- it seems that during his absence, the bank next door to Honeybath's studio had been robbed. Honeybath must not only clear his name, but he wants to get to retrieve the portrait he'd painted, which he considers one of his best works.

This book is quite good. The writing is excellent and the story is strange enough to hold the reader's attention throughout. I read it in one sitting -- it gripped me from the beginning and never let up. Honeybath is an interesting character, well executed and believable. The end is a little rushed but otherwise this was a really good read. Definitely recommendable to readers of British mystery. ( )

The Mysterious Commission: slight spoilers.

In a plot with echoes of The Red-Headed League, portrait painter Charles Honeybath is lured away by a large fee from his studio to an isolated country house, where he is to paint the portrait of an elderly gentleman. He considers the resulting painting to be the best thing he has ever done, or is ever likely to equal.
When he finds that his absence has been exploited for the perpetration of a crime, he determines to investigate and has considerable success.
Unfortunately, the house containing his masterpiece and many other works of art burns down. Honeybath has the chance to rescue one item: his artistic sense and innate decency compel him to desert his own work and rescue one by a greater artist.

Not a great mystery story, but fascinating for Honeybath's character and the incidental lessons on art and culture.