num_pages: 189
description: Penelope Fitzgerald's novel, The Golden Child , combines a deft comedy of manners with a classic mystery set in London's most refined institution—the museum. When the glittering treasure of ancient Garamantia, the golden child, is delivered to the museum, a web of intrigue tightens around its personnel, especially the hapless museum officer Waring Smith. While prowling the halls one night, Waring is nearly strangled. Two suspicious deaths ensue, and only the cryptic hieroglyphics of the Garamantes can bring an end to the mayhem. Fitzgerald has an unerring eye for human nature, and this satirical look at the art world delivers a terrifically witty read.
language: English
title: The Golden Child
titlecomplete: The Golden Child
characters: Len Coker, Heinrich Untermensch, Dousha Vartarian, Waring Smith, Haggie Smith, Sir John Allison, Jones Jones, Sir William Simpkin, Marcus Hawthorne-Mannering
genres: Fiction, Mystery, British Literature, Mystery Thriller, Literature, Novels, Contemporary, Art, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction
ratings_count: 673
places: Moscow, London, England
publisher: Harper Paperbacks