The Last Mona Lisa
- Downloads：4781
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-08-26 11:21:03
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Jonathan Santlofer
- ISBN：1713611813
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Joyce Schiff
，
Based on the stolen Mona Lisa from the lourve。 Fascinating And good mystery。。。。。。。a
Joseph Dubey
，
I really liked this one。 It is based on the true event of the Mona Lisa being stolen with a diary penned by the one that stole it。 The Great Grandson is an art instructor and is enthralled with his Great Grandfather and what he did。 The diary finally gives the reason why the Mona Lisa was stolen and how to detect the forgeries that are out there。 A little bit of murder thrown in always helps。 Thoroughly enjoyed it。
tpixie
，
A mystery with the flavor of The Da Vinci Code。 Loved learning about Italian art， artists， & architecture
Alanna
，
Won this in a giveaway and absolutely love it。
Becky Motew
，
3。5 starsA decent read， though the main plot line about Luke Perrone seeking information about a 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa is by far more interesting than the other threads。 In fact， I wasn't sure what was going on during some of the ancillary scenes。 Wait， is this the Interpol guy？ Is he the killer？ The fictionalized story of Vincent Perrugia， the actual thief， is poignant and suspenseful。 And Luke's tracking Perrugia's long lost journal all the way from New York to Florence is exciting and a 3。5 starsA decent read， though the main plot line about Luke Perrone seeking information about a 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa is by far more interesting than the other threads。 In fact， I wasn't sure what was going on during some of the ancillary scenes。 Wait， is this the Interpol guy？ Is he the killer？ The fictionalized story of Vincent Perrugia， the actual thief， is poignant and suspenseful。 And Luke's tracking Perrugia's long lost journal all the way from New York to Florence is exciting and atmospheric with all the wonderful architecture and museums in that beautiful city。The romance with Alexis is okay but again does not compete with the main plot。I do love a good art book， though， and I enjoyed this one。 。。。more
Karen
，
This is a decent art history mystery/thriller， based on the real-life theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre by Italian immigrant Vincenzo Peruggia in 1911。The story follows Luke Perrone， an art history professor and the great-grandson of Peruggia， on his visit to Florence to read the journal of his ancestor。 With the help of an ambitious Interpol agent and a beautiful， mysterious American woman， Luke tries to determine 1）: why Peruggia stole the painting; 2）: if the painting that was returned t This is a decent art history mystery/thriller， based on the real-life theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre by Italian immigrant Vincenzo Peruggia in 1911。The story follows Luke Perrone， an art history professor and the great-grandson of Peruggia， on his visit to Florence to read the journal of his ancestor。 With the help of an ambitious Interpol agent and a beautiful， mysterious American woman， Luke tries to determine 1）: why Peruggia stole the painting; 2）: if the painting that was returned to the Louvre in 1913 is actually a forgery; and 3）: why everyone who has dealt with the journal is dropping dead。The book takes some liberties with some of the known facts of Peruggia’s life， especially when it links him to con man Eduardo de Valfierno and art forger Yves Chaudron。 These two men supposedly masterminded the theft so they could profit from selling forgeries of the Mona Lisa as the missing original。 The only problem with this theory is that these two men may never have existed。 The only evidence for this plot was a 1932 Saturday Evening Post article written by a former Hearst journalist named Karl Decker， who was known for fabricating stories。But in the end， it doesn’t really matter after all since this is fiction， where we’re allowed to wonder “what if。”3。5 stars rounded up to 4 for good renderings of the flawed yet vulnerable characters; beautiful descriptions of the art works and scenery of Florence and Paris; and a return to one of the art world’s greatest mysteries。 。。。more
Sherry Erdly
，
Rating 3。5This book doesn't really get going until the second half。 Intereseting subject。 Rating 3。5This book doesn't really get going until the second half。 Intereseting subject。 。。。more
Ricki
，
As a fan of his series books， it been a while since he put out something I wanted to read。 It was a good mystery steeped in history and delved out in small portions。
Bookreporter。com Mystery & Thriller
，
Living in Boston， site of the infamous Gardner Museum heist， I’ve long been fascinated by art heists， forgeries and other art-related crimes。 Lucky for me that Jonathan Santlofer’s new novel， THE LAST MONA LISA， has all of the above， not to mention an evocative European setting that has me ready to book the next flight to Florence or Paris。Luke Perrone is an artist and art history professor， but he’s a little down on his luck。 The New York City gallery where he shows most of his work is about t Living in Boston， site of the infamous Gardner Museum heist， I’ve long been fascinated by art heists， forgeries and other art-related crimes。 Lucky for me that Jonathan Santlofer’s new novel， THE LAST MONA LISA， has all of the above， not to mention an evocative European setting that has me ready to book the next flight to Florence or Paris。Luke Perrone is an artist and art history professor， but he’s a little down on his luck。 The New York City gallery where he shows most of his work is about to close， and his department chair tells him that he’s unlikely to get tenure without a major exhibition under his belt。 As the novel opens， however， Luke is ready to leave all of those troubles behind， since he has just gotten a tip about his great obsession: his great-grandfather Vincent Peruggia’s journal。Luke’s relative was infamous in early 20th-century Paris; he was an artist and craftsman who served time for stealing the Mona Lisa from the Louvre in 1911。 Luke has always been fascinated by his long-dead relative， speculating about his motivations and whether or not， as some experts have suggested， the painting the Louvre eventually recovered --- the one that’s still hanging there to this day --- is actually a very skillful forgery。Tipped off that Vincent’s journal was among a recently deceased professor’s papers that have been donated to a library in Florence， Italy， Luke abandons his intersession teaching plans and hops on a plane。 There he encounters his great-grandfather’s real and tragic story --- or at least most of it --- and draws the attention of Alex， a beautiful young woman with whom he feels an instant connection。Little does Luke know that his research has also drawn the attention of others， including a frustrated Interpol detective with a chip on his shoulder， not to mention members of the underground art world who would prefer that Vincent’s secrets remain buried --- and don’t care who they have to hurt to keep them that way。 Even the smart， beautiful， compassionate Alex may be hiding something。 Why does she run away from Luke whenever the two of them start to get close？Santlofer narrates his novel utilizing short， snappy chapters and a variety of perspectives。 This includes passages from Peruggia’s journal， so that readers uncover his story at the same rate that Luke does。 An accomplished artist himself， Santlofer includes vivid and detailed descriptions of the book's European settings， as well as the artworks that Luke and Alex discover and appreciate on their travels。I had heard about the 1911 Mona Lisa theft previously， but only through a children’s book。 Here， as Santlofer acknowledges， he embellishes some of the historical record to make for a good story， but he also positions the heist in the context of a suspenseful， character-driven thriller。 Readers might look a little closer at the Mona Lisa if they find themselves in Paris any time soon --- looking， just like Luke， for clues and mysteries even more tantalizing than the famous woman’s smile。Reviewed by Norah Piehl 。。。more
Christine
，
A fast paced thriller beginning with the theft of the Mona Lisa in 1911 and fast forward to current day。 The great-grandson of Luigi Perrugia， Luke Perrone is searching for a diary his great grandfather allegedly kept。 Before he knows it he is embroiled in art fraud and stolen masterpieces。 Is the painting displayed in The Louvre really the original？
Critter
，
This book has a great premise behind it。 It's story is drawn from the theft of the Mona Lisa。 However， the story is filled with overly detailed descriptions。 While I do enjoy descriptions， it provides too much information all at once to take in。 These descriptions also massively slow down the plot。 Characters are also a major thing for me in books。 These characters did not entice me and felt flat。 I didn't connect with any of them and their motivations didn't feel fully developed。 There was some This book has a great premise behind it。 It's story is drawn from the theft of the Mona Lisa。 However， the story is filled with overly detailed descriptions。 While I do enjoy descriptions， it provides too much information all at once to take in。 These descriptions also massively slow down the plot。 Characters are also a major thing for me in books。 These characters did not entice me and felt flat。 I didn't connect with any of them and their motivations didn't feel fully developed。 There was some insta-love involved in the book that didn't feel believable。 I also struggled with the changing of pov。 A good majority of this book is written in 3rd person， but it does switch to 1st person journal entries and a main character with 1st person pov。 The switching pov made it harder for me to get to know and enjoy the characters。I really wanted to enjoy this book。 It has a great premise， but the execution just didn't work out for me。 I really wanted a lot more from the characters。 Unfortunately， the mystery just wasn't intriguing enough for me。I received an ARC from a Goodreads giveaway。 。。。more
Christine Corrigan
，
Could not put this thrilling suspense novel down！ Read it in one afternoon。 If you love art and would enjoy taking a trip through the pages to Florence， Paris， and Bayonne， NJ， this is a great end of summer read！
Sandra Porter
，
Adult， mystery， 3 1/2 starsWho knew？ I am enjoying mysteries！ Have never read adult mysteries until a couple of months ago。Professor Luke Perrone， a professor of art history， has been compiling， for years， information on his grandfather。 In 1911 his grandfather stole the Mona Lisa。 Luke believes if he can just find the elusive diary that his grandfather wrote during his prison sentence， then he can prove the long theorized idea that the Mona Lisa hanging at the Louvre is a fake。 Of course， he ge Adult， mystery， 3 1/2 starsWho knew？ I am enjoying mysteries！ Have never read adult mysteries until a couple of months ago。Professor Luke Perrone， a professor of art history， has been compiling， for years， information on his grandfather。 In 1911 his grandfather stole the Mona Lisa。 Luke believes if he can just find the elusive diary that his grandfather wrote during his prison sentence， then he can prove the long theorized idea that the Mona Lisa hanging at the Louvre is a fake。 Of course， he gets more than he bargains for， as he is pulled into the seedy side of international art thief。 I liked it because of all the art references， some that I have even seen。 It wasn't terribly bloody， though， there was some of that。 Fast paced reading， keeping the action moving and you needing to know more。 Didn't seem to be a lull in the suspense。The only thing I had a hard time with， at first， was the multiple voices in the story。 At first it was hard to keep the characters straight， because of the multiple view points。"Would you say the past influences the present， or the presence influences the past？ I mean what we discover about the past， does that influence the present， who we are now， or is it the reverse？" -Alex 。。。more
Marc Saunders
，
Enjoyable There quite a few facts about the theft of the Mona Lisa woven into this fiction。 I kept wondering which parts were actual fact。 Very enjoyable。
Sharon
，
Very interesting insights into the world of art forgery and replication， as the author tells the story of the forgeries of the Mona Lisa by using the true story of the theft of the painting in 1911， having a great-grandson， art historian， teacher and artist， attempt to search out the truth about whether his ancestor really did steal the painting。
Maggie
，
A rounded up 3。5Interesting story with a few cliches
Christine Petersen
，
This was the rare book I gave up on。 It’s a wanna be DaVinci code。 Would be much better if everyone was killed in chapter 1。
Kristina
，
So much fun！ This dovetails so nicely with my true crime art theft documentary obsession。
Zoe
，
Rich， absorbing， and remarkably atmospheric！The Last Mona Lisa is an alluring， fascinating tale predominantly set in Paris during 1911， as well as present-day Florence， that takes us into the lives of Vincent Peruggia， a young man who， after losing his wife suddenly to illness， will do whatever it takes to earn enough money to be reunited with his son， as well as his great-grandson Luke Perrone， an art historian who is consumed with all things Mona Lisa who heads to Italy to find his great grand Rich， absorbing， and remarkably atmospheric！The Last Mona Lisa is an alluring， fascinating tale predominantly set in Paris during 1911， as well as present-day Florence， that takes us into the lives of Vincent Peruggia， a young man who， after losing his wife suddenly to illness， will do whatever it takes to earn enough money to be reunited with his son， as well as his great-grandson Luke Perrone， an art historian who is consumed with all things Mona Lisa who heads to Italy to find his great grandfather’s long-lost journal to discover once and for all why he stole the painting， where it was kept for the two years before it was returned， and ultimately， before everyone who knows about the journal， including himself， ends up dead， finally discover whether the original or merely a fake is now actually hanging in the infamous museum。The writing is polished and descriptive。 The characters are flawed， vulnerable， and driven。 And the plot， alternating between timelines， unravels and intertwines quickly into an ominous tale of life， loss， family， self-discovery， secrets， lies， deception， greed， friendship， heartbreak， addiction， obsession， murder， as well as the beautiful， intricate details involved in creating， forging， and restoring artwork。Overall， The Last Mona Lisa is an evocative， immersive， thrilling novel by Santlofer that’s not only a love letter to Renaissance art and the cities of Florence and Paris but a suspenseful tale steeped in historical fact and compelling fiction that I absolutely devoured and highly recommend。Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with a copy in an exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Margaret
，
Pros: The cover of this book caught my attention immediately， and I knew I wanted to read it as soon as I read the description because “books about art” is one of my favorite genres。 This book contains so many of my favorite things: a book about art （the Mona Lisa！ Caravaggio’s Medusa！）， a main character who is an art history professor， researching in an old library， a secret journal， conspiracy theories， art theft and forgery， European settings， museums （The Louvre！ The Uffizi！）， etc。The book’s Pros: The cover of this book caught my attention immediately， and I knew I wanted to read it as soon as I read the description because “books about art” is one of my favorite genres。 This book contains so many of my favorite things: a book about art （the Mona Lisa！ Caravaggio’s Medusa！）， a main character who is an art history professor， researching in an old library， a secret journal， conspiracy theories， art theft and forgery， European settings， museums （The Louvre！ The Uffizi！）， etc。The book’s short chapters kept the plot moving quickly。 However， this book took me longer to read because I kept setting it aside to google places and pieces of art。 I also wanted to know more about the real theft of the Mona Lisa that this story is based on and how Picasso was involved。 I’m also fascinated by the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist and loved the mention of it in this book。Cons: This book was at a disadvantage because the set up contains so many of the things I want in a book， which leads me to go in with really high expectations。 Although I liked this book， I liked the set up and the history more than the story。 I think it’s a case of truth being stranger than fiction。Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read this book。3。5 stars rounded up to 4 。。。more
Sheri
，
I really enjoyed this book and found myself completely absorbed reading this book which took a hold of me and propelled of me into a world of history and art theft。 I really enjoyed the author's creation of the dual timeline， it's characters were that well developed that they have inspired me to further research into the theft of The Mona Lisa。 Excellent read。 I truly enjoyed it and definitely recommend it！ I really enjoyed this book and found myself completely absorbed reading this book which took a hold of me and propelled of me into a world of history and art theft。 I really enjoyed the author's creation of the dual timeline， it's characters were that well developed that they have inspired me to further research into the theft of The Mona Lisa。 Excellent read。 I truly enjoyed it and definitely recommend it！ 。。。more
Dana
，
I absolutely LOVED this book！！ The fact that it's based on a true events had me completely hooked。 I hadn't heard of this book until it landed on my doorstep。 I am SO glad it did！ If you have a love of historical fiction or mystery， chances are you're going to love this book。 It's such a page turner！ Exploring the underbelly of art and forgery was so fascinating。 5 stars from me！！Paris， 1911。 The Mona Lisa is stolen by Vincent Peruggia from the Louvre Museum。 Present Day: Art professor Luke Perr I absolutely LOVED this book！！ The fact that it's based on a true events had me completely hooked。 I hadn't heard of this book until it landed on my doorstep。 I am SO glad it did！ If you have a love of historical fiction or mystery， chances are you're going to love this book。 It's such a page turner！ Exploring the underbelly of art and forgery was so fascinating。 5 stars from me！！Paris， 1911。 The Mona Lisa is stolen by Vincent Peruggia from the Louvre Museum。 Present Day: Art professor Luke Perrone， an ancestor of Peruggia is searching for the truth。 What he discovers is far more than he could have ever imagined。 Huge thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for my gifted copy！！！ The Last Mona Lisa hits shelves today！ 。。。more
Jean Kolinofsky
，
In 1911 the。 Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre by Vincent Peruggia。 Jonathan Santlofer takes the known facts of this theft and creates a thriller that follows Vincent’s great-grandson as he searches for his ancestor’s story。 Luke Perrrone has spent years hunting for Vincent’s journal。 When he is contacted by a professor in Florence with information on its’ location he takes a leave from his position and travels to Italy。 Luke teaches art history， but his tenure may depend on finding the journ In 1911 the。 Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre by Vincent Peruggia。 Jonathan Santlofer takes the known facts of this theft and creates a thriller that follows Vincent’s great-grandson as he searches for his ancestor’s story。 Luke Perrrone has spent years hunting for Vincent’s journal。 When he is contacted by a professor in Florence with information on its’ location he takes a leave from his position and travels to Italy。 Luke teaches art history， but his tenure may depend on finding the journal and publishing Vincent’s story。Vincent was an artist who lost his wife and was forced to turn the Mona Lisa over to a forger to support his infant son。 His journal details his life before the theft， his time in prison and his pursuit of the forger after his release。 The journal reveals a number of forgeries and a method to detect which is Leonardo’s actual painting。 John Smith， an Interpol agent， wants the journal to provide an advancement from his dead end desk job。 Luke is also pursued by a Russian assassin who is working for an unscrupulous collector。 He has left a trail of bodies as he searched for the journal and is now on Luke’s trail。 From Florence to Paris it is a game of cat and mouse with the added complication of Alexandria Greene。 Posing as a student of medieval history， Luke feels an immediate attraction， but she is elusive and secretive。 While he opens up about his troubled background， he evades her questions about his research， causing a friction between them。 Jonathan Santlofer’s descriptions of the Italian churches and their artwork makes them easy to visualize。 He paints with words that show his love of art and the quest for the journal provides a thriller that builds from the opening pages to the final confrontation。 I would like to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing this book for my review。 。。。more
Jason Blythe
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 To many usages of coincidences to move the story along。 Zero back round on one the main characters and his motives。
Ghada
，
Thanks NetGalley， SOURCEBOOKS LANDMARK and Jonathan Santlofer for an ARC to review。 This book was on my wishlist and I am so lucky the publisher granted my wish。A fast paced page turner historic mystery that I almost finished in one sitting。 Alternating between Paris 1911 during the Mona Lisa theft and Florence current time， the book hooks you between Vincent's heartbreaking thrilling journal and Luke's insane adventure between Florence and Paris chasing his great grandfather's footsteps。 A rogu Thanks NetGalley， SOURCEBOOKS LANDMARK and Jonathan Santlofer for an ARC to review。 This book was on my wishlist and I am so lucky the publisher granted my wish。A fast paced page turner historic mystery that I almost finished in one sitting。 Alternating between Paris 1911 during the Mona Lisa theft and Florence current time， the book hooks you between Vincent's heartbreaking thrilling journal and Luke's insane adventure between Florence and Paris chasing his great grandfather's footsteps。 A rogue Interpol agent， a mysterious blonde， a ruthless killer， the man beyond and the infamous lady the Mona Lisa。I absolutely loved it and will seek all the author's othet work。 。。。more
Kari
，
My Review Of THE LAST MONA LISABy Author & Artist Jonathan SantloferPublished & Gifted by #Partner @BookmarkedOn Sale: 8/17/21 *Exclusive Pre-Order offer: Pre-Order from Retailer of your choice and submit Receipt to the Link in my Bio to receive a Postcard Set featuring replicas of famous art， as painted by the Author， Jonathan Santlofer。 （See Postcard Set in my Picture）******This book reawakened the inner art lover in me。 I haven’t been to Art Institute in Chicago in decades and now I’m yearnin My Review Of THE LAST MONA LISABy Author & Artist Jonathan SantloferPublished & Gifted by #Partner @BookmarkedOn Sale: 8/17/21 *Exclusive Pre-Order offer: Pre-Order from Retailer of your choice and submit Receipt to the Link in my Bio to receive a Postcard Set featuring replicas of famous art， as painted by the Author， Jonathan Santlofer。 （See Postcard Set in my Picture）******This book reawakened the inner art lover in me。 I haven’t been to Art Institute in Chicago in decades and now I’m yearning to know more; see more。 The story behind THE LAST MONA LISA is based on the the true story and theft of The Mona Lisa。 It is a painting I know well as I grew up with a replica of one。 I used to lay on the carpet and stare up at it in my father’s study and make up stories about the beloved Mona Lisa。 Other than this， I knew nothing about the real history and the chilling story of the peoples lives that were affected by this elusive piece of art。 How it became one of the most talked about and famous paintings in the world。 How a man’s dying wife led to its disappearance and this began its descent into the dark and dangerous world of the black market and art collectors that are willing to pay any price to own pieces and the art dealers willing to steal & kill to get the most exquisite pieces for their clients。 All in the name of money， the art theft ring is a dangerous group that is spread worldwide and even having the slightest knowledge could get you killed。 The Author creates a book that makes you ponder and the description of the art gives you such a deep appreciation for art and the artists who poured their heart into their work。 The climatic moment begins when the Mona Lisa is stolen and it torments you as read each page。 You read fast and furiously but it’s not fast enough， I was so hypnotized and captivated at the pursuit of the real Mona Lisa， biting my nails at the dangerous journey and people and transfixed at sleuthing to get to the answer myself。 This was not what I expected…it was 100x better and I don’t care what genre you read; step out of your comfort zone and read this one please！ 。。。more
Debbie
，
This book was a thoroughly entertaining fictional story based on the true facts surrounding the theft of the Mona Lisa from The Louvre in Paris， France in 1911。 It is about art forgery and art theft， but you don't have to be an art aficionado or art lover to enjoy it。 The author， Jonathan Santlofer， takes the reader on a fast paced journey of mystery and intrigue throughout Italy and France; much like a Dan Brown novel。 The descriptions and settings were very well done and made you feel like you This book was a thoroughly entertaining fictional story based on the true facts surrounding the theft of the Mona Lisa from The Louvre in Paris， France in 1911。 It is about art forgery and art theft， but you don't have to be an art aficionado or art lover to enjoy it。 The author， Jonathan Santlofer， takes the reader on a fast paced journey of mystery and intrigue throughout Italy and France; much like a Dan Brown novel。 The descriptions and settings were very well done and made you feel like you were there in Florence or Paris and experiencing the sites and sounds and the smells and tastes of the cities， with a Fodor's or Rick Steves' Travel Guide in hand。 I found myself so immersed in the story that I searched the internet to look at every painting and sculpture that was mentioned， even though they were all well described。 The mystery will keep you guessing and the ending does not disappoint the reader。This is the first book that I have read by this author， but I will definitely be reading some of his other titles。 I really liked The Last Mona Lisa and rate it four stars。Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher， Sourcebooks Landmark for sending me this ebook。 #TheLastMonaLisa 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
，
I didn't know the Mona Lisa was stolen but it was and Santlofer has written an entertaining novel posing answers to the puzzle of whether the real painting is back in the Louvre。 Set in a dual time line between a diary written by the thief Vincenzo Peruggia and Luke， his descendent in the modern day， it blends mystery， conspiracy， and art effectively。 Luke， an artist who has lost his galley， goes to Florence when he's contacted about the diary- but he's not the only one looking for answers。 Ther I didn't know the Mona Lisa was stolen but it was and Santlofer has written an entertaining novel posing answers to the puzzle of whether the real painting is back in the Louvre。 Set in a dual time line between a diary written by the thief Vincenzo Peruggia and Luke， his descendent in the modern day， it blends mystery， conspiracy， and art effectively。 Luke， an artist who has lost his galley， goes to Florence when he's contacted about the diary- but he's not the only one looking for answers。 There's an Interpol agent who has been watching him and others for years。 There's also Alex， an attractive art historian who grabs Luke's interest。 And then there are the murders。 I liked the atmospherics in Florence in particular （wow would I like to travel to visit the sites）。 This has enough twists to keep you engaged as well as good characters。 I wasn't thrilled with the ending （perhaps a bit over the top） but I'll bet other readers will like it。 Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 A good read that might have you， like me， looking up artists and paintings。 。。。more
Barbara
，