THE ART THIEF, by Noah Charney. Washington Square Press. 320 pages. $14

On the recommendation of a friendly stranger in the library, I discovered "The Art Thief," a novel set in the world of art, art forgery and art theft, with as many layers of equivocation as the paints and varnishes on a rediscovered, retouched, restored "Old Master" -- or in this case, perhaps, "New Master."

That's the mystery author Noah Charney wants us to solve, and he goes on to provide a generous palate of settings in Rome, Paris and London, with a colorful pastiche of characters that includes five detectives, several art dealers, two auction houses, two gallery directors, a host of policemen, and, of course, art thieves. Several art thieves.

But who is whom, and what is to be the overall exhibit? Will the numbers puzzle made up of addresses, ages and print copies clarify the portrait? Maybe. Maybe not.

It's a book that kept my interest to the extent of having to hold it with one hand while using the other to flip through my art encyclopedia to find the innumerable paintings mentioned therein. The novel itself is, in a word, a masterpiece.

Don't try to rush the conclusion by reading the ending first. There are too many hues and shadings, and while you may see the story's foreground, your overall perspective will be distorted. You'll miss both the surprise ending and the fun of it all.

-- Pat Baril, a reader in Roanoke