The Triumph of Bacchus — Douglas Skeggs

Everyone in town is lining up to see Titian?s masterpiece, The Triumph of Bacchus, on loan for a limited time to London?s Royal Academy. But while most of the art-lovers have nothing more than aesthetics on their minds, a few in the crowd have other agendas. When the painting is stolen?returnable in exchange for five million pounds? worth of uncut diamonds?at least one of those agendas becomes clear. Others, however, remain murky. Take Tom Shaughnessy?shameless cad, ladies? man, and expert forger of paintings: For whom and for what purpose is he making that exquisite copy?