Chasing Mona Lisa

Chasing Mona Lisa
Written by Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey
Published at Revell

About the book

One enigmatic smile. Two passionate protectors. And a relentlessly ticking clock.

August 1944. Paris is on the cusp of liberation. As the soldiers of the Third Reich flee the Allied advance, they ravage the country and steal countless pieces of irreplaceable art. In fact, Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring will stop at nothing to claim the most valuable one of all—the Mona Lisa—as a postwar bargaining chip.

But the woman with the mysterious smile has some very determined protectors. Can Swiss OSS agents Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler rescue Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece before it falls into German hands?

With nonstop action and intrigue, Chasing Mona Lisa is sure to get your adrenaline pumping as you join the chase to save the most famous painting in the world. From war-ravaged Paris to a posh Swiss chateau, the race is on--and the runners are playing for keeps.

Who are Trician Goyer and Mike Yorkey?

Tricia Goyer is the coauthor of The Swiss Courier as well as the author of many other books, including Night Song and Dawn of a Thousand Nights, both past winners of the ACFW's Book of the Year Award for Long Historical Romance. Goyer lives with her family in Arkansas.

Mike Yorkey is the author or coauthor of dozens of books, including The Swiss Courier and the bestselling Every Man's Battle series. Married to a Swiss native, Yorkey lived in Switzerland for 18 months. He and his family currently reside in California.

My Thoughts

I enjoy historical fiction but this time I didn’t enjoy it – I ADORED IT.   Wow!   I am breathless after completing this reading.   I just couldn’t put it down when I was going to sleep.   The result?   Well I forced myself to close to book so I can sleep and many days I went into dreamland way past my usual time.

This book is packed with mystery and adventure.   The story will keep you to the edge of your seat from the first page until the last one.   That’s how good it is! 

The story is set during the second World War.    Usually I don’t like war books but this one is different during the time that valuable art pieces were taken by the Germans.    The Mona Lisa is an item that the French have hidden before the invasion of France.  It is literally a race against time as both sides – the German and the Swiss/French teams are trying to reach La Joconde to either steal her or save her.  Who will win?   How does the story end?  I won’t tell you but I can say that the authors did an extensive research because after searching on Wiki I discovered that some of the facts/characters really happened or existed.

Interestingly enough, as I was reading this book an article about another Mona Lisa appeared in the news.   I thought it was interesting.  Could it be a forgery or really an apprentice of Leonardo Da Vinci who painted this “other” Mona Lisa?   I wonder.

The painting itself is shrouded with mystery and I doubt that we will find our answers in a near future.   For the meantime, I hope that one day I can visit France and the Louvre so I can meet the Mona Lisa with my own eyes.

If you enjoy historical fiction let me strongly suggest that you consider Chasing Mona Lisa.  I think it is one of the best historical fiction I have read for quite some time.     The book was hard to put down and I devoured every words of it.    I highly recommend this novel!

Chasing Mona Lisa is available at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group including amazon.ca.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.