It’s August of 1944 and Paris is about to be liberated from Nazi rule. In a last-ditch effort to leave nothing of value behind, the Nazis plunder strongholds of art throughout the region and stash it further away from the approaching Allies. While on a secret mission inside Paris, Swiss OSS agents Gabi Mueller and and Eric Hofstadler learn that the Mona Lisa is to be the next target. Already hidden in the French countryside, can they beat the German thugs to it – or will the French lose their most treasured piece of art?
Chasing Mona Lisa begins with a bang, promising lots of action, and it doesn’t disappoint. Agents Gabi and Eric are determined to save the Mona Lisa and protect it from falling into Nazi hands, but with French rebels and double agents everywhere you look, how are they to know who to trust? I love the twists and turns as they struggle to stay a step ahead of the Germans.
So many World War II books are about the gruesome treatment of prisoners in the death camps, but this book takes a completely different angle. While I knew that the Germans collected art and ravaged even private collections, I never really thought about what that meant: for the art world, for the owners, for future generations, for the German soldiers with a valuable bargaining chip in their pocket. This book addresses those issues in a realistic, colorful way.
The only part of this story that I didn’t like was the waiting. There were a few times when Gabi and Eric had to wait for information, to wait for directions, to wait for proper timing, and that frustrated me. I wanted them to be on the move now, to save the painting now, and yet I realize that there world wasn’t like ours. Without cell phones, with the danger of the Germans learning their plans or their covers being blown, they had to wait and make the best decisions possible. How antsy and impatient they must have become! and so I realized that even those waiting times had a purpose, for it accurately portrayed what it must have been like to live at that time during the War.
Chasing Mona Lisa is the second installment of Gabi and Eric’s story. I can’t wait to go back and read the first.
To watch the trailer of Chasing Mona Lisa or to read an excerpt, visit here.
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This post is part of a blog tour about ‘Chasing Mona Lisa.’ To see more reviews of this book, visit the blog tour schedule.
Win an iTouch SPY Pack in the Chasing Mona Lisa Giveaway from @triciagoyer @mikeyorkey!
Chasing Mona Lisa is the
continuing tale of Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler (first introduced in The
Swiss Courier). This time the due are on a relentless quest to save the most famous
painting in the world – the Mona Lisa. You can help Gabi and Eric
with your very own spy pack when you enter The Chasing Mona Lisa Giveaway!
One passionate protector will receive:
- iTouch (The must-have device for any spy. Camera, Maps & Music.)
- Starbucks Gift Card (For all those late nights.)
- Moleskin Notebook (For those important notes.)
- Invisible Ink Pen (Don’t want anyone reading those important notes.)
- Chasing Mona Lisa by Tricia Goyer & Mike Yorkey (Great
handbook and intriguing tale for any spy-in-training!)
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on January 31st. The winner will be announced at the Chasing Mona Lisa Facebook Party on 1/31. Tricia and Mike will be hosting an author chat (on Facebook and Live from Tricia’s website) and giving away their books and a Book Club prize pack! (Ten copies of the book for your small group or book club AND a LIVE Author Chat for your group with Tricia and Mike.)
So grab your copy of Chasing Mona Lisa and join Tricia and Mike on the evening of the 31st for an author chat, spy training (do you know how to pick a lock? ) and lots of giveaways.
Don’t miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 31st!
| 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. For more about Mike and his other books visit www.mikeyorkey.com
Thanks, LitFuse, for providing this book in exchange for an honest review. |
