Chasing Mona Lisa

Swiss Agents

by Tricia Goyer, Mike Yorkey

It is August 1944 and Paris is on the cusp of liberation. As the soldiers of the Third Reich flee the Allied advance, they ravage the country, stealing countless pieces of art. Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring will stop at nothing to claim the most valuable one of all, the Mona Lisa, as a post-war bargaining chip to get him to South America. Can Swiss OSS agents Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler rescue DaVinci's masterpiece before it falls into German hands?

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

Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Christian, Suspense, Historical

322 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Tricia Goyer is a busy mom of ten, grandmother of two, and wife to John. Somewhere around the hustle and bustle of family life, she manages to find the time to write fictional tales delighting and entertaining readers and non-fiction titles offering encouragement and hope. A bestselling author, Tricia has published thirty-three books to date and has written more than 500 articles. She is a two time Carol Award winner, as well as a Christy and ECPA Award Nominee. In 2010, she was selected as one of the Top 20 Moms to Follow on Twitter by SheKnows.com. Tricia is also on the blogging team at MomLifeToday.com, TheBetterMom.com and other homeschooling and Christian sites.In addition to her roles as mom, wife and author, Tricia volunteers around her community and mentors teen moms. She is the founder of Hope Pregnancy Ministries in Northwestern Montana, and she currently leads a Teen MOPS Group in Little Rock, AR. Learn more about Tricia at www.triciagoyer.com.

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
I liked this even less than the first book. Again there's quite a lot of violence, described in vivid terms--blood dripping, heads exploding, etc. But we really didn't even get the characters around described, except for perhaps a word or two, generally in terms of hair color. There were still six POVs, which was better than book one but still too many. A lot of the narration was in the abstract, so it was hard to sort between actual clues and assumptions. I spent a great deal of my journey through this book hopelessly confused. Even one guy from the last book showed up out of nowhere without any sort of logical explanation.

Content: Two French profanities, one coarse joke, and violence

Since I have enjoyed so many of Goyer's books in the past, this means I will be avoiding Mike Yorkey's writing in the future. It just didn't work for me.

[Staci · Rating 3 out of 5]

The details about the painting of Mona Lisa were incredibly interesting. While the second half of the novel was engaging, the story line didn't hold my interest as strongly in the first half.

[Fakhrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spent most of time trying to figure out what is actually going on then realizing there's actually nothing going on at all. The main characters, Gabi and Eric, left to their own devices to discover what they're supposed to do, and ended up loitering and sightseeing all over Paris. From the title of the book, I was under the assumption that the story is fill with intense and rapid plot from the get go. I was wrong. The entire storyline felt too monotonous and underwhelming and the action scenes for me were too short and insufficient. Gabi and Eric spent almost the entire doing basically nothing but waiting and playing the guessing game while their enemies plotting their ways to get their hands on Mona Lisa. This book fell really short from its predecessor.

[Loraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are interested in art and World War II, this is a top notch novel. It involves art theft, underground resistance movement in France, the Communist versus DeGaulle rivalry in France, and the OSS. Throw in a couple of love connections and you have a great story. I'd love to see this one made in to a movie!

[Sherry Sharpnack · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm glad I didn't read other reviews before I read this book! I disagree w/ most of them, as I felt this was an edge-of-my-seat read about the race to recover the Mona Lisa stolen from its hiding place in southern France.

The novel is very tense nearly from the beginning, w/ the Prologue introducing us to Bernard Rousseau, a Resistance fighter in one of the many Communist organizations fighting to free Paris from the Nazis. Bernard single-handedly stops a train carrying priceless artwork out of France to Reichsmarshall Herman Göring in his "lodge" in Germany.

A few years later, Göring's arts-acquirement henchman, Col. Heller, has his eyes set on a MAJOR prize - the Mona Lisa. He learns the hiding place of the Mona Lisa from Collette, a curator at the Louvre by threatening to kill Bernard, whom Colette loves. He plans to use it to buy Göring's way out of Germany - or his own? - ,as the war is going to end badly for the Germans soon. There are two Swiss operatives, Eric and Gabi, racing to Paris to deliver money and medicines to the partisan fighters in Paris, sent by Allen Dulles, the American OSS director stationed in Switzerland. There is heart-pounding action, as Bernard avoids being killed in the last days of the Nazi occupation of Paris, where it is generally chaos w/ rivalry between the Free French and the Communist Resistance fighters, who do NOT want de Gaulle to become the leader of a free France.

There is graphic violence, near-misses, and heart-stopping action as Bernard, Eric, and Gabi escape German soldiers and an assassin out to get Bernard. That plotline resolves and soon, Paris is free! With that, Colette wants to rescue the Mona Lisa from its home in southern France and return it to the Louvre. As above, Col. Heller also has designs on the Mona Lisa. So there is a race to southern France between the four young people and Col. Heller's henchman and Swiss-banker collaborator and a couple of confrontations between the good guys and the bad guys. Who reaches the Mona Lisa first?
And I loved the plot twist after what I thought was the denouement!

I was really sucked into the plot and assume this was made into a movie (?) b/c it would be a good one, IMHO. As for those reviews that criticized the French and German sentences, I had no trouble w/ them b/c they were all translated immediately. Much of the French is very basic anyway, so even w/o the immediate translations, the reader would catch on to what was meant. And for those who thought there was no plot, I beg to differ. Maybe they simply liked the romantic plot lines and not the race to find the painting?

I'll give this a solid four stars.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read several books written by Tricia Goyer and would consider her a favorite author, but with this title I just couldn't get into the story. I am not sure if the problem was because this book was a sequel to "The Swiss Courier" which I didn't read. Generally I love historical fiction, especially when there is bits of truth woven in but there were a few things that didn't work for me in this book.
It took several pages for me to even get interested in the story, but once I did the French phrases used bogged me down, while I could figure out what they meant based on where they were used, it would have been very nice to have had a translation page included in the book so that I wouldn't have had to guess at what the phrases meant. There were also instances where I thought the authors went overboard on descriptions, which made me want to skip parts of the story. I did enjoy the fact that there were a few strong female characters,and it was easy to see that the authors had done their research about the subject they were writing about, but those things alone just couldn't hold my attention.
Overall this book just wasn't for me, but that is just my opinion. If your a fan of historical fiction, or spy novels with a bit of a romance thrown in then I encourage you to pick up this book, who knows you just might love it.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

rating 2.5/5

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting historical fiction...but I've read better.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this book wasn't my favorite story, I'm not even sure why I had trouble connecting with it. Perhaps it's my lack of real love for art. Don't get me wrong, I like art, but I've never felt it was worth risking peoples lives for.
Also, there was bordering on graphic violence. Now, it was all very historically accurate (war is never bloodless or pretty) but I must say I almost gave up after a couple of very gross things in the beginning.

Overall, I would say this was a well-written, and historically very interesting book, but not a personal favorite.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though this book definitely held my attention throughout, I found that I did not enjoy it as much as I did 'The Swiss Courier'. That said, it was interesting to read about the lengths taken (even if the novel stretched them perhaps a bit) to secure the safety of arguably the world's most famous and beloved painting.

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may have read this book before. It had plenty of plot twists. The dialogue was nice.

[Kaylea · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hidden masterpiece. Protected during the war, becomes the target of a massive chase through Europe. Who will win? The good guys - spies for the OSS or the Nazis'.

In their second book - Chasing Mona Lisa - Mike Yorkey and Tricia Goyer dive back into the political intrigue surrounding OSS spies at the end of World War II, as they show how Gabi and Eric (who appeared in their first book - The Swiss Courier) take part in their mission to protect the Mona Lisa - the French prized jewel - from German thieves.

"It [Chasing Mona Lisa], is history rich and full of plot twists," explained Goyer. "For me, I was most interested in the stolen art. I read a book Rescuing Da Vinci that fascinated me. And the spy part is just plain fun.

"One of my all time favorite books is The Spy Wore Red. I also wrote about spies in my Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War Series. (A Valley of Betrayal, A Shadow of Treason, A Whisper of Freedom.) It's the cleverness of spies that I like best I suppose."

Goyer said she became acquainted with the stories surrounding stolen art when she was in Europe, after touring salt mines iin Austria which were used by the Germans to hide art during the war.

"I was fascinated by those who did what they could to protect art, hiding it away in unexpected places. The Mona Lisa hung in a young girl's bedroom for part of the war--that amazes me," Goyer continued.

While the story surrounding Chasing Mona Lisa is fiction, the novel is inspired by true events.

"The Germans did load up trains filled with art at the end of the war," Goyer said, "and many of the events that happen in the book, like the parade down the Champs-Elysees after "liberation" was true. The attempted theft of the Mona Lisa is fiction...as far as we know!"

Throughout the book, Goyer and Yorkey provide some twists and turns that often have "good guys" who turn out to be "bad" in the end, as well as some characters who seem compromised by life choices, who turn out to be "good."

"What we tried to portray is that everyone has their own motivations and goals and the truth always will come out," she said. "We tried to make the characters true-to-life and live with the desires and motivations of real people during that time. It's amazing what someone will do for a cause they believe in."

Goyer said the book was fun to write, because it incorporated characters from her previous work.

"Gabi and Eric were too good of people just to forget," Goyer said. "I was thankful to be able to spend more time with them! And in this novel I really love Colette. It was great to be able to step into the shoes of a curator for the Louvre. The mix of protector and servant was the essence of who Colette is."

Goyer said she hopes readers will walk away from this novel asking themselves several questions.

"I hope readers (examine) their own hearts and ask, 'What am I willing to fight for? Sacrifice for?' It's easy to live our lives without fighting for something we believe in," she said. "But maybe walking through this "fight" with the characters will make readers consider their own path and call."

Through writing this book, Goyer said God has taught her several lessons on trust.

"I needed to trust my co-writer. I needed to trust the process. And I learned trust through the character's lives," she said. "Do we trust we can make a difference? Do we trust God has a plan for individual lives in the midst of a big world? ... Yes."

What I Thought
Chasing Mona Lisa is a suspense-filled novel with a romantic twist. I enjoyed reading it. While it's a "second book," for the most part, you can pick up this book and read it as a "stand alone" work.

The plot, crafted around a Resistance fighter and a curator at the Louvre, truly has a lot of twists and turns. Good guys turn out to be not so good, while others pegged as "bad" turn out to be ok in the end.

The novel's descriptions let you feel like you are driving all over France and Austria trying to save the Mona Lisa along with Gabi and Eric. An unexpected kidnapping - and subsequent chase - provided an unexpected turn in the novel.

Overall, this novel is intense - but not terrifying. It's a great read that will keep you guessing what happens. It's would truly make a great movie because of the intrigue and suspense.

On the scale of one to five, with five being the highest, this book is a solid four. Once again Yorkey and Goyer have created a great novel steeped in history and intrigue. While they are not planning a third novel at this time, I would definitely be ready to read another book by this pair.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. Eric Hofstadler and Gabi Mueller, two Swiss nationals working for the American OSS (Office of Strategic Services) based in neutral Switzerland, are sent into occupied France to bring supplies, money, and instructions to the cash-strapped and freedom-hungry resistance. Paris, the famed City of Lights, is a powder keg waiting to explode. After four years of Nazi rule, the scent of freedom is in the air as the Allies begin their advance across Europe following the D-Day invasion toward the heart of Nazi Germany. But freedom is not without a price, and Eric and Gabi quickly discover that with the scent of freedom in the air resistance groups with vastly opposing ideologies have already begun jockeying for political power in a post-German government. And while France is in turmoil, heady with the promise of freedom, opportunistic Nazis such as Reichsmarshall Hermann Goring and his lackeys seek to profit by the confusion and secure their own postwar futures by stealing the nation's most priceless treasures. With France's beloved Mona Lisa in Goring's sights, Eric and Gabi are thrust into a deadly game pitting them against Nazis and their own supposed allies in their quest to bring da Vinci's lady with the enigmatic smile home.

I loved Goyer and Yorkey's previous collaboration, The Swiss Courier, which introduced Gabi and her quest to become an OSS operative. I'm passionate about the history of this time period, and The Swiss Courier was a standout offering in a veritable sea of World War II-era fiction for its tightly plotted, suspenseful, and well-researched storyline. While enjoyable, Chasing Mona Lisa falls a bit short of its predecessor. The same research and feel for the time period are present, but the tightly plotted action sequences and razor-sharp plot focus that made The Swiss Courier so memorable are lacking. In large part I think this is due to the fact that the actual portion of the novel devoted to "chasing the Mona Lisa" only takes up a little more than half of the book, with the first half of the novel devoted to Eric and Gabi experiencing the liberation of Paris. While I enjoyed the snapshot of wartime Paris and the struggles faced by resistance fighters, I felt like this novel almost delivers two distinctly different books rather than fleshing out one storyline in greater depth.

That said, I have to give this writing team credit for delivering a type of fiction too rarely seen in my experience in the CBA market -- action heavy (rather than romance heavy) historical fiction. This is a novel that pulls no punches, never shying away from sequences of intense action and peril. The depictions of violence, while never gratuitous or overly explicit, provide a healthy dose of realism in this fiction market -- this was war, after all. I really appreciated the glimpse Goyer and Yorkey provided into the stresses and deprivations of occupied Paris -- the push/pull between Communist and Gaullist resistance fighters, the ever-present Nazi threat, provides enough meat for a novel alone sans the art theft angle. I also loved the all-too-brief glimpse into the lengths taken to protect France's national art treasures -- another fascinating premise that could have been explored in even greater depth.

Goyer and Yorkey have proven their mettle as a writing team, and their unique brand of historical action/suspense-centric fiction is a breath of fresh air in a market saturated with less intense offerings. With a more focused storyline, I can't wait to see what the team delivers next, because with their brand of adrenaline-laced historical thrillers they have have the potential to really own this marketplace niche.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s August, 1944. France is on the verge of liberation. Allied forces are advancing, while the Third Reich flees. Though Germany is retreating, Reichsmarchall Hermann Goring wants to steal the most precious painting of France–the Mono Lisa–a symbol of their freedom. The race is on between the Swiss OSS agents Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler against Colonel Heller’s henchman.

It was while Gabi and Eric were still fighting off stragglers from the Third Reich in France, alongside Bernard Rousseau of the Communist-run Resistance Group, that they were all informed by Allen Dulles of the OSS of the attempted heist of the Mona Lisa. Working through Collette, a curator of the Louvre of France, they hatched out a plan to retrieve and protect the Mona Lisa. Woven through these plans were the behind-the-scenes suspicions of Collette’s innocence or guilt in collaborating with the Germans.

Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey give us a hit-and-run twist of plots from the very first page to the end. The evil of the Third Reich and their underhanded methods of torture are exposed. Man’s inhumanity of unbelievable proportion. It’s real and it’s horrific. Your heart breaks over threats to even young children. You feel the fear of the characters as they go through the fearsome episodes. You find yourself holding your breath during the scenes of severity and tough demands in the Swiss Chateau.

Throughout the story Gabi and Eric prayed and put their trust in the Lord to get them through the dangerous circumstances and to save the precious Mona Lisa for France. Their heroism and loyalty went above and beyond their roles.

For a historical, fast-paced adventure, with a little romance thrown in, this is a book you will not want to miss. There are so many individual stories that have been told and still need to be told. But Chasing Mona Lisa triumphs the liberation of France and the hopeful claim of the Mona Lisa. It’s another part of WWII history that I found very interesting.

This book was provided by Donna Hausler, Publicity Assistant, Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for my honest opinion. No monetary compensation was exchanged.

Chasing Mona Lisa is available January, 2012, at your favorite bookseller, from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

[Christy Trever · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chasing Mona Lisa by Mike Yorkey & Tricia Goyer is the sequel to The Swiss Courier about Gabi Mueller, a Swiss-American woman working behind the scenes in WWII to help the Allies save the day. This novel picks up shortly after the events of the previous book with Gabi and her boyfriend Eric traveling to Paris to bring first aid supplies and aid to the Resistance fighters in the city. Paris is on the crux of exploding as the Germans refuse to let go of the city that is slipping out of their fingers, and the Parisians who have been under boche control for four years are ready to shake the yoke of oppression no matter the cost. Gabi and Eric arrive just at the most dangerous moment and are quickly taken under the wing of Bernard Rousseu, a resistance fighter for the Communist party. Gabi discovers some papers that make Bernard question the loyalty of his girlfriend, Collette, who is in charge of keeping the Mona Lisa out of the hands of the Nazis. When a plot is discovered to steal the famed painting, Gabi, Eric, Bernard, and Collette are on the chase of their lives to keep it out of Nazi hands, even though some of their motives may be different than what they appear. The authors include lots of fascinating history that will keep readers enthralled. I've never heard the stories about Occupied Paris, and they portray a city on the edge very well. I wish the story had remained there. There were some unbelievable elements that made me feel like the authors used Deus ex Machina a bit too much. A too convenient notebook and a bait-and-switch that many readers will find hard to swallow. Bernard's communism is portrayed as idealistic and he as a hero, so when he changes sides, I kept waiting for him to come to his senses. It just didn't make sense based on what the writers had displayed in him as a character. There is also a lot of shocking violence here, especially a death with garden shears, and a stomach-churning threat against a small child. This violence seemed out of place with the rest of the novel, especially when perpetrated by the good guys! This novel isn't of the same quality as The Swiss Courier when the characters leave Paris, but when they are in the City of Lights, the story truly shined.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you don’t know much about the Second World War, or even if you do, Chasing Mona Lisa will present to you a different slant on how things were. Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey take the reader into the drama and danger of the time when Nazi Germany was overpowering Europe and laying claim to all the wealth they wanted.

Hitler’s Germany had overrun France, and some over-zealous prominent military officials were determined to add to their private collections as much valued artwork as they could.

We meet the famous Louvre’s curator who is responsible for priceless art treasures sought by the above-mentioned officials. We also meet spies, a few members of the Resistance group determined to get their country – and their country’s art treasures – back, some other interesting characters who round out the story, and a convincing glimpse into World War II.

Chasing Mona Lisa holds the reader’s interest from the beginning to the end. It is impossible to tell who of the two authors, Tricia Goyer or Mike Yorkey, wrote which part. It is a well-delivered story, full of tension, excitement, faith, hope, drama, intrigue, suspense, and there are history lessons to be learned amid the fiction built around the facts. The reader gets drawn into a time of war, and introduced to situations where there is theft, kidnapping, a little romance, deception, blackmail, and more.

I found Chasing Mona Lisa to be a fast-paced book, one I was eager to pick up again after short periods away from my reading. I had to know what was going to happen next! And my guess is you will, too. :)

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: CHASING MONA LISA
Authors: Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey
Publisher: Revell
January 2012
ISBN: 978-0800720469
Genre: Inspirational/historical fiction

In August of 1944 Paris is on the cusp of liberation. The soldiers of the Third Reich are fleeing the Allied advance, but enroute they steal countless pieces of irreplaceable art. Reichsmarschall Hermann Goring will stop at nothing to claim the most valuable piece of all, the Mona Lisa.

Swiss OSS agents Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler are on a mission to rescue the valuable French pieces of art – but can they save them not only from the ravages of war, but also from German hands?

CHASING MONA LISA is a book that I hoped I would love. I loved all of Ms. Goyer’s historical fiction set during World War II and before, but this book left me cold.

Loosely based on a true story, about how people tried to protect the famed Mona Lisa, this book had potential. But it is written in a style that left me skimming, with lots of art information and historical facts tossed in, as well as overly descriptive accounts of the landscape and other sights.

Unfortunately, CHASING MONA LISA read like it tried to be authentic with the many facts, but there was no real story line which left me hopelessly confused and bored. However, I see many reviews across the board equally balanced between 3 and 5 stars so don’t take my word for it—this is only my opinion. You might totally love this book. I don’t. $14.99. 322 pages.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

War, intrigue, and a little romance come together in "Chasing Mona Lisa." The year is 1944, and the people of Paris are tired of being trampled on, but more than that, they are tired of seeing their precious art work stolen by the Germans. The Underground tries to stop things, but...

Gabi and Eric are trying to bring supplies to Paris, but quickly become embroiled in the conflict and work with the resistance. What happens when Gabi finds papers that incriminate someone from their ranks in the disappearance of the Mona Lisa? Bernard (a resistance fighter) isn't at all pleased to question Collette's loyalty. As these four race to find and secure the Mona Lisa, others are as well. They meet danger, death, suspicion, and even a little romance along the way. Who will find the famous painting? What will become of Gabi, Eric, Bernard, and Collette?

This is a fast-paced, sometimes violent thriller. It hooked me from the start and I didn't want to put it down. The premise of the story was plausible and the characters lifelike. Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey do a good job telling the story, and I think, have a hit on their hands. I wish I had read the first volume of the story, "The Swiss Courier," to have more of the background, but the book was well enough written to stand alone. I received my free review copy from the Litfuse Group, and thank them very much for the opportunity to be part of this blog tour.

[Abbie Riddle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fast paced novel is set at the close of World War II in German occupied France just as France gains it's freedom. Four people are racing to save the beloved French artwork - the Mona Lisa while German Reichmarschall Hermann Goring sets out to claim it for himself.

From the first page the action and intrigue is non-stop. I was surprised at the depth of the characters since there were so many in the novel. Just as the reader thinks they have it all figured out - and have chosen the character they want to see win - things change. As it is in war time there are so many dynamics that the reader is torn between loyalty for certain characters and the greater cause.

What is it about this mysterious lady that makes her the most sought after piece of art - she truly is the most wanted lady in the world? Yet as each character takes their first look at this beloved piece of art they are captivated by her smile and poise.

I am forever amazed at the this particular period of history. Those living in this time were forced to make choices that I would never want be forced to make. Loyalty is constantly tested as black and white shifts to a hazy color of grey. Which side is the right side to belong to - and how should one serve to benefit the whole?

In this story you are invited into an exciting, life altering race that will forever change the lives of four individuals.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far one of the best books that I have read in awhile. Although, I didn't want to put it down...I had to for sleep. But I couldn't wait until naptime (for the kids) to start reading again.

This is one of those books that you don't want to end. Not only because of the characters, but to finish the story. But also because I'm finding more and more interest in the WWII era, and love when authors show great care in their development of the story using historical facts.

I am finding more and more that I really like this setting for books. -From Lynn Austen's While We're Apart to the Guernsey Literary Society...I've really been enjoying the books set in this period of history that seems to be forgotten.

Learning about the Nazi occupation of Paris was interesting, as I didn't know much about that part of WWII and how that impacted the lives of the French as well as the liberation of Paris and those involved...both the Gaullists and the French Communists.

I can't wait to go back and read the first book...the Swiss Courier to read Gabi's story.

This is definitely worth putting on your to read shelf!

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, this one was hard, it is hard to write a review on a book by a favorite author that didn't blow your socks off. And this one didn't do that for me. The story line was sweet between Eric and Gabi, but there were lots of side stories that distracted. And I had a difficult time with not knowing what some of the French phrases meant. A translation page at the end of the book would have helped greatly.

While it was obvious they did their research, I just had trouble buying the story. My favorite character in the book was Gabi, she was sweet, good at her job, but sometimes it was hard following along because the book moved through scenes a bit fast, and the romance between she and Eric seemed to move a bit fast at the beginning of the book, having only been working together a mere 3 weeks.

All in all I have to give this book a 3.5 star rating. 325 pages US $14.99


This book was provided for review purposes, no payment was received for this review.

Available January 2012 from your favorite bookseller of Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chasing Mona Lisa is an action-packed historical thrill-ride with a romantic thread. I enjoyed how this story transported me to World War II, which is one of my favorite time periods. From the opening scene, this novel sucked me in and kept me turning pages during my study halls at schools (who knows what my students were doing!) and late into the night. I couldn’t wait to discover what would happen in the lives of Swiss OSS agents Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler and the other couple that featured in their temporary alliance, resistance fighters Bernard and Collette.

I love being able to read a story of international intrigue, love, and revenge, which features layered characters, sophisticated plotting, and historical accuracy—all the while being confident that the authors would never take me into inappropriate scenes and conversations. And that’s just one of the many reasons, we should be reading, purchasing, and recommending Christian fiction!

[Blossom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. The history in this is very good. Although this is fiction, there is so much accuracy it is great. I watched The Train a few years ago and that was the first I'd heard (that I recall) of Germans acquiring works of art for their own gain. The movie isn't anything like the book but I recalled it while reading this. During my reading of this book, I did some research and was surprised by what I found: this book is a good historical fiction work! As I already mentioned, it has quite accurate historical scenes depicted.
Of course there is 'romance' but it is very subtle. There are references to the 'red-light district' but other than a word of two that was questionable, this book is as wholesome as a book about war can be. I was very surprised at the ending.
Very good book!

[NancyInWI · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd probably give this book 2 and a half stars. It wasn't my cup of tea. I'm not a historical fiction reader, but thought I'd give this one a try. A book should not take to page 200 to capture my attention to make me want to read more. I found I had to force myself to read it. The characters weren't engaging, the writing wasn't anything special and nothing really happened until late in the book. I probably wouldn't have bothered finishing it if it weren't for a book group on Goodreads that picked it out.

[Andi Tubbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was drawn into this book from page one. It was a travel back in time, and a vacation of sorts through France. This book takes place when France is being liberated from Germany. The very valuable picture The Mona Lisa has gone missing and it is a race against time to get her back.
Tricia writes so vividly you feel as if you are right there experiencing everything the characters are. I highly recommend this one!

[Barbara Brink · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read - I read it while running on the treadmill a few days one week:) Very enjoyable historical suspense with intriguing passages about the French resistance and political aspects during WWII. A small thread of romance throughout, but I think it may have been continued from an earlier book that I have not read. Yet, I didn't feel as though I were missing any information. It was a standalone story.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just could not get to any point with this book and gave up when I was almost at 80% read. The books was good, but at the same time it annoyed me for some reason. I seemed like there were more books than just one here and some of it was an off splinter on another. I want to finish it, but cannot seem too. Very strange book experience.....

[Cindy]

Really good book. Hard to put down.

[Karina (Karina's Christian Reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Number of pages: 286

Genre: Historical Fiction (WWII)/Romance

Series: It is the sequel to The Swiss Courier

Age recommendation: 15+ (there is some graphic violence)

Summary: The Nazis are losing the war, and it’s only a matter of time before they are overthrown in France. Before that happens, Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring determines to steal the Mona Lisa which will ensure his fortune after the war. However, Gabi Mueller and her fiancé Eric Hofstadler catch wind of this plot and are sent to stop the Nazis from stealing the priceless painting.

My thoughts: I didn’t like this book as much as the previous book. It wasn’t as interesting, and there was a lot more violence. The first half of the book I found a little slow and boring, but the story did pick up a bit in the second half, which I enjoyed a lot more.
I thought that the first book had ended with Gabi and Eric being a couple (either engaged or married), but in this book (more so at the beginning), it seemed like their relationship/feelings for each other were kind of ignored. It kind of confused me where they stood with each other.
There is more graphic content in this book than the previous book. Many people are murdered, and some of these scenes got to be quite descriptive and made me rather uncomfortable. A lot of bad things that went on during war were alluded to and/or were briefly mentioned. Plus some Nazi soldiers are about to rape and kill Gabi before someone comes to her rescue.
Furthermore, the torture and threats of torture/murder were just too much in my opinion. I’m not trying to say that this (and worse) didn’t happen during WWII, it’s just not something I want to read about for entertainment.
God is mentioned only once as far as I can remember; I think Gabi says something to the effect of “God is taking care of us.” So, the book definitely could have used some more Christian content in my opinion.
I like how the book ended as someone else telling this story, however I do think it would have made a bit more sense if the book had started out that way too. Overall, it was a decent book I enjoyed, but I’m glad I borrowed it from the library and didn't buy my own copy.

My personal rating: 3/5 stars.

[Rachel Brand · Rating 4 out of 5]

GENRE: HISTORICAL/SUSPENSE
PUBLISHER: REVELL
PUBLICATION DATE: JANUARY 01, 2012
RATING: 3.5 OUT OF 5 – GOOD

PROS: Very detailed descriptions of locations and events; authors seem to have done a lot of research

CONS: Focus of the novel isn’t what is suggested in the title and synopsis; lacked any spiritual matter; too many main characters for the reader to connect with any of them

Swiss Agents Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler find themselves in Paris in the midst of its liberation from Nazi occupation and get swept up in the revolution occurring around them. Having thought that they were only travelling to the city to distribute medical supplies on behalf of the Red Cross, they’re soon informed that they’re required for a more important mission – rescuing the Mona Lisa before Reichsmarschall Göring gets his hands on the priceless painting. Along with Collette, an employee at the Louvre, and Bernard, her communist revolutionary boyfriend, Gabi and Eric set off across France in a race to get to the painting and transport it to a safe location ahead of Göring’s agents. Events don’t go entirely according to plan, and soon human lives are at stake as well as the painting, and Bernard has a hidden political agenda that not even Collette knows about.

Chasing Mona Lisa contains far more than just the story of how the Mona Lisa was almost stolen by the Nazis. The downfall of the Nazi party and the corruption that existed among its ranks; the jubilation and dejection of French communists as they help to liberate France then realise that their efforts will not be recognised; the ways in which common men and women in France were manipulated into giving the Nazis crucial state secrets in order to protect their families are all presented in such a way that suggests that the authors had put a lot of effort into researching this novel. But as pleased as I was with the in-depth historical details that this novel contained, it took a while for the plot to shift its focus from the events unfolding in Paris in 1944 to the race to rescue the Mona Lisa. There’s no doubting that Tricia and Mike have done their research into the liberation of Paris, but I did start this novel thinking I was going to be treated to a detailed account of how Göring tried to steal the Mona Lisa. If I’d known that this book would have been so focused on other historical details I wouldn’t have minded, but Chasing Mona Lisa was definitely promoted as a novel about the Nazi’s attempt to steal the Mona Lisa. It’s not so much that I feel cheated; more that this book sells itself short as it contains far more than a potential reader could guess.

It’s not just that the story is slow to start, since a lot does happen in the opening chapters. Gabi and Eric arrive in Paris when the city is on the cusp of liberation from the Nazis, and they and the other main characters encounter various events that would likely have been typical of Paris at this time. There are some excellent descriptions of particular sights in the city that made it all the more easy to visualise the experiences of the characters. But, and this is a big but when you consider the title of this novel, no one actually talks about stealing the Mona Lisa until a hundred pages into the book. I’d waited nearly a third of the novel for the painting to be more than briefly mentioned in conversation and was incredibly relieved when Göring finally reveals his master plan. Another slight flaw in this novel is that it jumps between the perspectives of all the major characters, including the Swiss agents, Collette and her boyfriend, Göring and another Nazi officer, and even the agents Göring pays to steal the painting. A lot of time is spent attempting to introduce these characters at the start of the novel but by the point the plot finally switches to the Mona Lisa I didn’t feel as if I really knew any of the characters, just that I’d spent a lot of time reading build up to what I presumed was the actual focus of the novel.

I feel compelled to mention a couple of other aspects of the novel that didn’t sit quite right with me. These may merely be matters of personal preference, but I’m sure that other readers will have had the same reactions. I’m not big on violence, even if I’m reading a crime novel or thriller. Naturally, it’s hard to write about WWII without including instances of violence, but I felt that those featured in Chasing Mona Lisa didn’t have to be quite so graphic. In particular, there was one scene that involved garden shears that wasn’t terribly tasteful. The liberation of Paris was a tough time and regular men and women did have to defend themselves against rogue soldiers who were only thinking of themselves, but I wish that some of the descriptions hadn’t been quite so graphic. A good writer can depict the gist of a scene without resorting to blood and gore.

On a similar vein, this book is marketed as a Christian novel from a Christian publisher, yet aside from a few fleeting and awkward references to Gabi’s father attending church and thinking of his congregation, I couldn’t find anything in the novel that made it seem more suited for Christian market over the secular one. I generally prefer my novels to have a subtle Christian message but sadly there wasn’t anything resembling one in this book. I suppose it could be considered Christian in the sense that it’s a “clean” novel – no sexual descriptions or foul language, although some readers may find the violent scenes unsettling. But other than that, I was a bit disappointed with the lack of spiritual matter, particularly as Tricia has shown herself to be very adept at delving into the spiritual lives of her characters in her Big Sky series. Again, this is a matter of personal preference and the story isn’t at all spoiled by the lack of spirituality, but I do believe it could have been enriched by it if the authors had wished to include the spiritual journeys of their characters alongside the physical journey they took to rescue the Mona Lisa.

I had high hopes for Chasing Mona Lisa, and while I was slightly disappointed, I think this has more to do with the fact that the synopsis and title of the novel sell it for something less than it truly is. Tricia and Mike have crafted a highly-detailed novel that is about far more than just the Nazi’s attempt to steal the Mona Lisa, and historical fiction fans will definitely appreciate the image they depict of the liberation of Paris in 1944. Christian historical fiction fans, however, may find the novel lacking in any sort of spiritual matter, which raises the question of what makes a novel more suitable for the Christian market than the secular one.

Review title provided by Revell.

[SK · Rating 4 out of 5]

I put off writing this review as my thoughts were going in several directions. I really loved The Swiss Courier, just everything about it clicked for me. When I pivoted to Chasing Mona Lisa, I admit, the research was spot on, just like in Swiss Courier, the setting was WWII like in The Swiss Courier, although this time with a focus on France, and it even had some of the same characters, such as Gabi and Eric. With all these similarities, the packaging just was not as compelling as The Swiss Courier. It is true that Chasing Mona Lisa informed; it highlights the attempted rape of the Parisian art world; we see various political, resistance factions as they position themselves for the political ends they crave, especially as the ending of the occupation of Paris comes near; we also have some light romance thrown in, but the story just seemed disjointed. I never had trouble putting aside the book to get to another task that was pressing. I wanted to love this book, like I did The Swiss Courier, but if I am honest, I didn’t like it as much and it will not make my re-read list.
My recommendation to potential readers is to peruse the various reviews and see if this book has your name on it; it may, as books like people, strike people differently. If it does, buy it, and read it or not.