YORKEY, MIKE
CHASING MONA LISA
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.
My Review:
Steeped in history and packed with action, this historical novel was an eye-opener. The authors managed to capture the emotion and atmosphere at the end of the war with gritty realism. French politics and the various factions in the resistance provide a tumultuous backdrop for a cloak and dagger story filled with intrigue.
Told from multiple points of view, Chasing Mona Lisa doesn't seem to have a clear hero or heroine. There are so many characters that none of them take precedence over the others. Definitely not Eric and Gabi, though the back cover blurb leads the reader to believe that this is their story. They definitely have a role to play, but so do many others and this left me feeling on the outside looking in. I felt like I was spectator not a participant in the story and that result failed to engage my emotions.
Something that surprised me was the lack of an inspirational thread. The few token comments made by characters about their belief in God seemed to have been slipped in so that the book would fit the CBA market.
"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".
