The Lost Van Gogh: A Novel

While there is a lot of characters seeking this painting, , thought to be stolen from the works exhibited during Vincent's service when he died, the book begins with two characters, Luke and Alex , (Alex is a female( and the book rapidly runs spout of control shortly thereafter.

The story begins when Luke made a sudden purchase, and later that night it was noticed that the covering may be hiding another paining behind. When the outer layer was slowly, carefully chipped away, the excitement built when the face of Van Gofh was seen.

To discern if this is indeed a true painting, they contact a long-term specialist in finding art work, an acquaintance, Interpol Agent, John Washington. While it originally assumed it would be an easy job, it show more soon became very challenging.

Two main characters are the original ones seeking to obtain the precious painting, Luke and Alex, but, from then on, the book spirals out of control. While there are many wonderful pages outlining the story of Van Gogh's life, his work, and why his paintings are so very expensive in the art community, the adds characters, and too many of them simply renders the book very difficult to continue.

I did finish it, but with the exception of the descriptions of Amsterdam, and the Anne Frank hiding place, and the museums visited by the main characters, it simply was way to difficult to follow.

I rate this a low 2.5 show less

Luke and Alex may have discovered a lost painting by Van Gogh. But, before they can get it authenticated, the painting is stolen. They contact an acquaintance, Interpol Agent, John Washington. And it is not long that John discovers there is more to this than he ever imagined.

This is very well researched with quite a bit of enjoyable history. I mean, who doesn’t love to read about Van Gogh! And the mystery surrounding the painting…is it real? Is it fake? This is what kept the story moving for me!

I have only read one other novel by this author, The Last Mona Lisa. I enjoyed that book quite a bit more than this one. This story just seems to be all over the place. It is a bit discombobulated and unorganized. Now, as I always say…read show more this for yourself to form your own opinion.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review. show less

This is more than a story; it’s a learning experience with stolen art. It’s about how valuable paintings during WWII were secretly taken by Hitler’s law enforcers. We know that some pieces made it into the homes of the German officers while others were sold to dealers with profits that were used to support the German Army.

After WWII, hundreds of pieces were returned to the original owners or museums to be displayed. However, many were not. The book is a fictional story from the present time of a missing Van Gogh piece of art which was mysteriously found worth millions. Will it be returned?

Alex (Alexis) was at a market in a small town two hours north of her home in NYC. She purchased a painting of a lady’s portrait for $25.00 show more from a hippie. Her boyfriend, Luke, with his skills as an artist, immediately noticed a crack in the corner. He touched it and the top layer of paint fell off. There was another painting underneath it. Alex took photos while Luke unveiled what was hidden: a self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh. The story unravels how this couple tried to search for an authentication and then found themselves mixed up with a dangerous mission connected to the INTERPOL art theft division.

While publishers have released a variety of best-selling books related to WWII, this one is an original related to stolen art. The fast-paced mystery showcases facts about how the Nazis snatched up thousands of famous paintings. Investigations are still ongoing with million-dollar treasures that are traded on the dark web.

I enjoyed the story. However, I had to reread parts in the beginning as I was confused about who was telling the story not realizing it was Luke. After I caught on, it was fine. The details of the mystery made it exciting. This is the first book I’ve read by Jonathan Santlofer. I learned that it’s part of a series from his prior book, “The Last Mona Lisa” which will be added to my list.

At the end, the author gives the reader an outline of what is fact and fictional. Included is an extended reading list along with book discussion questions. The bonus is that the author is also an artist and added wonderful drawings related to the story.

My thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of January 2, 2024. show less

Rec'd by a book club member irl. Not for me, way too many characters to keep track of, few of whom we are actually introduced to, each of whom gets just a few pages at a time. I got to p. 80 last night and am still so lost that if I were to pick it up again tonight I'd have to start over.

I do like the quotations from Van Gogh himself. I might have to seek out a source for them.

Feb. 2024