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The Biltmore's Mona Lisa: A Heist Novel
In 1941, France’s national treasure, Leonardo da Vinci’s
Mona Lisa painting is moved to the Biltmore House
near Asheville, North Carolina, for safekeeping.
German General Hermann Goring hears about this
move and sends a special Luftwaffe detachment to America by U-boat.
Their mission is to break out a German art expert from
an American POW camp and continue to Asheville to
steal the Mona Lisa, leaving a masterful forgery
in its place.
Unbeknownst to the Nazis, a second scoundrel has
a similar plan in place. However, while his wealth may
provide him with the resources to succeed, his greed may
be his undoing.
Will this villainy succeed? Only a disabled Army Air Corps captain
and a French art curator from the Louvre stands in their way...
Mona Lisa painting is moved to the Biltmore House
near Asheville, North Carolina, for safekeeping.
German General Hermann Goring hears about this
move and sends a special Luftwaffe detachment to America by U-boat.
Their mission is to break out a German art expert from
an American POW camp and continue to Asheville to
steal the Mona Lisa, leaving a masterful forgery
in its place.
Unbeknownst to the Nazis, a second scoundrel has
a similar plan in place. However, while his wealth may
provide him with the resources to succeed, his greed may
be his undoing.
Will this villainy succeed? Only a disabled Army Air Corps captain
and a French art curator from the Louvre stands in their way...
254 pages, Paperback
Published July 8, 2024
13 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Daniel D. Smith Sr.
6 books1 follower Daniel Smith is a writer and a military historian. He served 26 years in the Navy, retiring as a command senior chief petty officer. After retirement, he joined the all-volunteer Tennessee State Guard as an Infantry Captain. After six years in the State Guard, he retired as a lieutenant colonel.
While on active duty stationed in San Diego, Calif., Dan was a writer for the automobile magazine, Vette Vues. He covered California Corvette events for the national magazine.
In a second career, he retired from the Tennessee Valley Authority as an IT Software Manager.
From 1997 to 2000, Dan was executive director of the National Medal of Honor Museum of Military History in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
He has published four military history reference books, numerous articles in classic car magazines, and short stories. He and his spouse, Betty, have recently finished a children’s book, Elijah and Mr. Sage Stand Up to School Bullies. The Biltmore’s Mona Lisa is his first novel.
Aside from reading, Smith’s favorite pastime is showing and judging classic automobiles. He and his wife, Betty, and Maltese, Gigi, live in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
While on active duty stationed in San Diego, Calif., Dan was a writer for the automobile magazine, Vette Vues. He covered California Corvette events for the national magazine.
In a second career, he retired from the Tennessee Valley Authority as an IT Software Manager.
From 1997 to 2000, Dan was executive director of the National Medal of Honor Museum of Military History in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
He has published four military history reference books, numerous articles in classic car magazines, and short stories. He and his spouse, Betty, have recently finished a children’s book, Elijah and Mr. Sage Stand Up to School Bullies. The Biltmore’s Mona Lisa is his first novel.
Aside from reading, Smith’s favorite pastime is showing and judging classic automobiles. He and his wife, Betty, and Maltese, Gigi, live in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 30, 2025
This title was selected for IngramSpark's Indie Title Discovery Spotlight 2025!
Riveting art heist meets historical fiction meets spy thriller!
Riveting art heist meets historical fiction meets spy thriller!
August 8, 2024
The Biltmore’s Mona Lisa combines historical rigor and imaginative verve. The plot is fast-paced and loaded with unpredictable twists. Readers of historical fiction, thrillers, and/or crime novels will find much to admire in the intricate, globe-trotting narrative that excites and satisfies from beginning to end.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews