The Lost Van Gogh

by Jonathan Santlofer

A thrilling story of masterpieces, masterminds, and mystery.

For years, there have been whispers that, before his death, Van Gogh completed a final self-portrait. Curators and art historians have savored this rumor, hoping it could illuminate some of the troubled artist's many secrets, but even they have to concede that the missing painting is likely lost forever.

But when Luke Perrone, artist and great-grandson of the man who stole the Mona Lisa, and Alexis Verde, daughter of a notorious art thief, discover what may be the missing portrait, they are drawn into a most epic art puzzles. When only days later the painting disappears again, they are reunited with INTERPOL agent John Washington Smith in a dangerous and deadly search that will not only expose secrets of the artist's last days but draws them into one of history's darkest eras.

Beneath the paint and canvas, beneath the beauty and the legend, the artwork has become linked with something evil, something that continues to flourish on the dark web and on the shadiest corridors of the underground art world.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Art, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Historical

340 pages, Paperback

First published January 2, 2024

About the author

Jonathan Santlofer is the author of five novels and a highly respected artist whose work has been written about and reviewed in the New York Times, Art in America, Artforum, and Arts, and appears in many public, private, and corporate collections. He serves on the board of Yaddo, one of the oldest artist communities in the country. Santlofer lives and works in New York City.

Reviews

[Teres · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shortly after starting Jonathan Santlofer’s The Lost Van Gogh, it quickly became apparent that I was supposed to already be familiar with the lead characters.

Except, well, I wasn’t.

Although not billed as part of a series, the novel unspools like a sequel where you should already know who’s who and what their ethics/motives are.

Artist Luke Perrone and his art historian girlfriend, Alexis Verde, discover what may be a missing self-portrait by Vincent Van Gogh hidden beneath another painting Alexis finds in an upstate New York antique store.

Unfortunately, before they can get it authenticated, the painting is stolen.

And so, the pair become embroiled in the dangerous game of buying and selling lost or stolen art.

There’s lots of intrigue, danger, double crosses, shady dealings, and surprise twists. No one is who they appear to be, and everyone seems to have a hidden agenda for this painting.

The adventure spans several countries and multiple international crime-fighting organizations, including Interpol.

Interspersed throughout are flashbacks to 1940s France, when Resistance fighters attempted to smuggle valuable works of art out of occupied Paris. 

The Nazi were notorious for art looting during World War II, and the novel shines a light on the ongoing struggle to return stolen objects and families’ entire collections to their rightful owners.

There are a lot of characters in this book and I have to admit, it did take me awhile to get them all straight. Plus, the changing point of view with almost every chapter transition prevents the characters from fully developing.

While certainly a swift-moving page-turner, The Lost Van Gogh will probably appeal more to those who’ve read Santlofer’s earlier art-heist title, The Last Mona Lisa, and are already familiar with many of the characters.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are literally many layers to this story and lost painting that will keep readers engaged.

It may have started off as an innocent find of a hidden painting, but could it be a missing self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh? But when it is stolen before Alex and Luke have a chance to authenticate it, what will they do?

This is a fast-paced, globe-trotting, art crime thrilling page-turner with twists and multiple viewpoint narratives. This one is rich with backstory of Nazi stolen art and their collaborators – as well as an introduction to the modern art and theft trade. Also, the author tackles the mystery of Van Gogh himself. Could it have been too much between the pages?

Still…the author does touch on important questions. When a lost painting is found, who does it truly belong to – the world for everyone to appreciate – or some rich person to hoard? What about restitution and reunion to those families that Nazis/collaborators stole from?

I have since learned that the author’s first book, "The Last Mona Lisa" featured characters Luke Perrone and Alexis Verde. Still, not knowing that initially, this book was read as a stand-alone. But it is always good to start with any series at the beginning.

This author is also a talented artist. At the end of the book there are some beautiful ink-wash sketches that reflect the time and place written in the story, as well as a self-portrait.

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 3 out of 5]

For years there have been rumours around Vincent Van Gogh’s death, was it suicide, murder or an accident? The Dutch Post-Impressionist painter was famous for his landscapes, still life’s, portraits and self-portraits and did he paint his last one just prior to his death and it was displayed at his funeral.

Luke Perrone is an artist and the great-grandson of the man who stole the Mona Lisa, and his girlfriend Alexis Verde is the daughter of a notorious art thief Richard Baine. Alex buys a black and white painting and by sheer accident they discover it's been painted over and underneath it looks like a self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh. When it’s stolen from Alex, the couple are reunited with INTERPOL agent John Washington Smith in a dangerous and deadly search that will take them to Amsterdam.

During the Second World War the German's stole thousands of art work and mostly from Jewish collectors, a lot has never recovered and some made its way to America, sold by dealers and is this how the painting ended up in New York?

I received a copy of The Lost Van Gogh by Jonathan Santlofer from Sourcebooks and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. The narrative is not only about the missing painting, it’s about the legend of Vincent Van Gogh, the masterpieces he created, the shady side to the flourishing stolen art trade and it links back to the Second World War.

A thriller for art lovers, full of intrigue, secrets, double dealing, lies and I wish I had read The Last Mona Lisa and I might have found the author's latest novel less confusing and easier to follow. Three stars from me, I enjoyed reading about Vincent Van Gogh, his paintings and Anne Frank.

[theliterateleprechaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Masterpieces, masterminds, and mystery” and “Van Gogh” - four words that had me reaching eagerly for this book! I’d never read anything by this author before and was curious.

I have read many books in the past few years about Nazi-looted artwork, but this book stands out as unique. There have been numerous restitution claims that have been in the news lately and I’ve been interested in the Musee du Louvre’s investigation into the provenance of the art in their collection. The author highlights the difficulty in making a repatriation/restitution choice and the moral/ethical dilemmas associated and raises questions about the ethical issues. I appreciated having a preview of the process, rather than starting the story after the painting has been altered. Although I’ve been to Arles and visited the tourist highlights associated with this artist, I’m not artistic in any sense. It doesn’t stop me from appreciating art. I was fascinated reading about the names of the colours and the painting process.

I was pulled in by the rumour and the multilayered secrecy. Almost every character is hiding something and trying to cover it up. The tension created by the shady side of the art world had me feverishly turning pages. I wasn’t aware that I’d gobbled up a 400-page book.

I’ve subsequently purchased The Lost Mona Lisa and am looking forward to enjoying more of this author’s work.

If you find Van Gogh, art thefts, forgeries and the race to uncover them fascinating, this one’s for you!

I was gifted this copy by Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

[Andrew Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a follow up to The Last Mona Lisa, New York art history professor Luke Perrone is one again thrust into a mystery concerning a famous painting. In this case it’s a self-portrait by Vincent Van Gogh, which was reportedly displayed at the artist's funeral and then never seen again. Perrone’s girlfriend, Alex, purchased a portrait of a woman at an antique store for $25, but Luke then accidentally knocked the picture, causing a small piece of the painting to chip off. What was revealed beneath stunned the pair of them. It was potentially the very last self-portrait painted by the Dutch Post-Impressionist painter.

What follows is another mix of fact and fiction as we are taken back to a time in which the Nazi regime stole an estimated twenty per cent of all European art of value. In an effort to save important pieces, some were hidden by their owners or keepers. Quite how this painting made its way to the New York antique shop is a story in itself and is told through a series of flashback sequences dropped in at intervals throughout the book. But Luke and Alex don’t have time to celebrate or even to confirm whether the painting is what they hope it to be, because on the very day they discover it, they lose it.

In addition to Luke and Alex, INTERPOL Analyst John Washington Smith also makes a re-appearance, ostensibly, to help the pair become reacquainted with their lost picture. But it soon becomes clear that nothing is straightforward here, and as more people from the art world are introduced into the tale, we are to realise that few are wholly what they present themselves to be. It’s a story that takes us back to the artists homeland in a search for truth and for the painting itself, in the course of which a good deal of interesting information is disclosed concerning the life, and tragic death, of Van Gogh.

It’s an adventure story that, to my eyes, was written by the author with his tongue firmly in his cheek. In particular, the INTERPOL officers are painted as Keystone Cops style figures - well-meaning but often dangerously inept – whereas the art afficionados are either larger than life show-offs or loose-handed lotharios. As a result the whole search and chase becomes one that’s harder and harder to take seriously. In truth, I enjoyed the serious discussions that took place regarding paintings and art history more than the rather wacky story these elements were submerged in. It’s also a story that’s told in a choppy series of chapters and from the perspective of various characters (sometimes unidentified) featured in the book. I found this both confusing and irritating.

So it’s a real mix, but a rather uncomfortable one in my eyes: 4 stars for the bits I enjoyed but only 2 stars for the bits I didn’t. Therefore, 3 stars it is.

My thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Artist and author Jonathan Santlofer brings us a dazzling art mystery in his newest book "The Lost Van Gogh." This is a book that combines art and history and keeps us on the seat of our pants the entire time as we try to find out the mysteries behind a painting that may in fact have been the last and lost Van Gogh painting created by that master. This is the second book that features Luke Perrone and Alexis Verde, both of whom are children of art thieves, but they have not followed in there parents footsteps, but rather they are on the trail to find and discover mysteries regarding the world of art. As a lover of art and art history this book is a gem, as it is filled with meticulous detail about artworks, their location, the history behind these pieces, as well as the death of Vincent Van Gogh. While not a history book, the book delves into his death and the alternate theory that Van Gogh did not commit suicide, as well as the theory that one of his last paintings was placed near his coffin and mysteriously disappeared after his burial. It's that painting, and that history that the author uses to perfection to weave a tail regarding the location of the painting, and how it eventually turned up in an antique gallery in upstate New York. Not only do we follow Luke and Alexis, but we also follow the trail of the painting, a painting that was disguised to be smuggled out of France. And once the painting was discovered by Luke and Alexis, they immediately lose it and now the story takes us from New York to Amsterdam on the trail of the painting and nothing is as it seems in this mystery or in the world of art. It is a marvelous work, one that keeps you guessing, as there are allies, predators and enemies galore with everyone wanting to get their hands on the lost Van Gogh. Luckily for us we are able to follow and enjoy the trail of that painting in this new and dazzling book by Jonathan Santlofer. 4.5****

[Maren’s Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ Following his untimely death, rumors swirled that Van Gogh had completed one final self-portrait. When Luke Perrone and Alexis Verde, both descendants of notorious art thieves, discover what may be the missing portrait hidden beneath another painting, they are quickly drawn into the art world’s biggest mystery.

I have been seeking out historical fiction that revolves around the art world lately, and The Lost Van Gogh is my latest find. There was a lot I enjoyed about this very fast paced story, however, this ultimately ended up being a bit of a mixed bag for me.

The overall plot line, fast pacing, and timeline were all a major plus. From the go, I was pulled into the art world and the mystery of the newly discovered painting. I loved how this book ties nicely into some of the previous books I have read on this very intriguing topic. And there were kernels of information in this story I cannot wait to dig into, such as what really happened to Vincent Van Gogh (was it suicide or was it murder?)

What did not work as well was the character development. Each of these characters felt very one-dimensional. Given the large cast of characters and how frequently we bounced back and forth between them, the lack of character depth and the lack of any connection to them, made them all start to bleed together. As I reached the end of the story, this led to some confusion. After re-reading sections of the book, I have a better grasp on the details, however, I think many, like me, may have a harder time following the story.

Read if you like:
•art history
•large ensemble casts
•plot heavy stories
•fast pacing
•books that read like a movie
•the Paris deception

Thank you {partner} Sourcebooks Landmark for my gifted copy.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high expectations for this book, because I really liked this author's previous book, The Last Mona Lisa. Even though several of the characters are in both books, this can definitely be read as a standalone. I suspect that the mystery surrounding the loss and discovery and loss again of a famous painting is supposed to be exciting and suspenseful, but I didn't find it to be either of those things. The story also lacked good flow and the narrative felt very choppy.

In this story of corrupt art dealers and art thieves all of the characters are either lying, cheating, or stealing, and no one is trustworthy. I found there to be an overabundance of characters and with the introduction of each new one I began to lose more and more interest.

The historical aspects of the story were my favorite parts. The scenes from the 1940s, when the Germans were stealing important pieces of artwork from the families that were being sent to concentration camps, and how resistance fighters were smuggling art pieces out of the grasp of Hitler and Goring were very interesting. And, the tracking of how art works made it into museums in the U.S. was also fascinating.

There is a lot of good information in this novel, but I feel that the delivery fell short of the intended goal.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the DRC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first time I have read a book from Jonathan Santlofer, so I haven’t experienced The Last Mona Lisa, many of whose characters return here in this story of art theft and art history. This was not an issue on entering into the art world of Luke Perrone, Alex Verde and John Smith. By pure happenstance, Alex purchases a fairly simple painting while upstate in New York one weekend. Returning home, her partner Luke accidentally nicks one corner of the painting and discovers that there is something else underneath. Is this a lost Van Gogh?

So begins another adventure in the long history of stolen art, and an education in more of the horrors of the Nazi era…and how they stretch into today. The story offers some excellent history for readers who have not encountered details of Nazi plundering of European cultural artifacts and there is an interesting bibliography also.

But the story itself had problems before its exciting ending. The most grievous for me were the constant unknown references that made conversations and actions confusing and sometimes almost meaningless. Almost every character was in contact with someone unknown to us, as readers, and to their friends and associates. For me, this went beyond making the story either exciting or thrilling. It made it maddening. I almost stopped reading but I wanted to see how it ended. The ending was exciting and did answer a lot of questions, but there had been so many characters introduced in the course of the book that I was still confused about some of them. Just too much! Possibly 3.5, rounded down for my frustration.

Thanks to Sourcebook and NetGalley for a copy of this book. This review is my own.

[Maureen Grigsby · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were a LOT of characters to keep track of. But the story was good!

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apparently this is a second book in a series. I did read the first book, but was long ago enough that I have forgotten the characters. No wonder I felt off-kilter with the characters and background. I didn't realize it until listening to the author's note at the end. Otherwise, the story was too much of spy-type book for my liking.

The gist of the story is Alexis Verde buys a painting at an antique store. Turns out underneath that painting is another, a Van Gogh self-portrait. The boyfriend Luke Perrone, also an artist and figures as the main character. Before Alexis can get someone to authenticate the painting it is stolen from her by some street thugs, on behest of someone that had been tracking the painting. Luke and Alexis go to his friend who was with INTERPOL to help track it down. There are more characters involved as well, but these are the main ones.

The odd thing about this book was the shifts in POV, some chapters were in first person, some in second, while most chapters being in third person. It was jarring, particularly when some of the characters were assumed the reader knew who they were with defined backstory.

The author’s note at the end discussed aspects that were based in facts, such as aspects of stolen/looted art being traded internationally is something that is not fiction. Also, the real rumor of a second self-portrait by Van Gogh, which is the basis of this book.

I listened to the audiobook, but the print version includes at the end of the book sketches the author did, as he is an artist himself. The pencil sketches relate to this book, such as places that are important in the book and some of Van Gogh, and Amsterdam.

Book rating: 2.75

[Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

FULL REVIEW WILL BE ON JANUARY 2.

And the chase is on. Who will end up with the van Gogh painting?

And is it worth the chase? Is it worth the danger? Is it real or a fake?

Excellent research and interesting information about Van Gogh.

Even though I am a fan of art history and historical fiction, this book was confusing, difficult to follow, and lost me, and I didn't enjoy the book that much. 3/5

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

[EpidermaS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Po takie właśnie powieści sięga się, kiedy Dan Brown przez dłuższy czas nie wydaje niczego nowego.

Poprawny, ten tekst był po prostu poprawny. Po nieco słabszym początku fabuła nabiera większej dynamiki. Warto więc dać książce szansę i nie skreślać jej od razu. Postacie - do zaakceptowania, chociaż zdarza się, że drażnią swoją irracjonalnością i brakiem instynktu samozachowawczego. Momentami bohaterowie są mocno "papierowi", ale da się uwierzyć w ich sylwetki i relacje, które tworzą. Sama historia niby się klei, ale nie jest nie wiadomo jak wciągająca. Zdecydowanie ciekawsza jest archiwalna płaszczyzna czasowa - może dlatego, że bazuje mocno na faktach. Ciekawostki z życia van Gogha stanowiły dla mnie najsilniejszy punkt powieści.

Lektura "Zaginionego van Gogha" zdecydowanie nie była zmarnowanym czasem, a sam autor zasługuje na uwagę. Podejrzewam jednak, że za tydzień, maksymalnie dwa, nie będę już pamiętała imion bohaterów, a fabuła rozmyje się i ulotni z mojej głowy po miesiącu. Nie jest to pozycja, do czytania której człowiek zabiera się z wypiekami na twarzy, a strony nie przewracają się same.

Czy jest dobrze? Jest dobrze. Czy jest wybitnie? Jest dobrze.

[Jeanette "Josie" Cook M.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am almost in the middle of this, it is intriguing how the writer weaves facts about his art to explain how this could be a lost treasure returning from the past.

Several characters are driving along the mystery surrounding the missing painting. They are often hiding secrets from each other while working together or watching each other from afar.

He is my favorite artist and I can not wait to see how this ends.

I have finished this one and rated it, 4.7 out of 5. The final parts of the book are the best. These chapters were the most interesting to me, almost like a different writing style from the rest of the book. Van Gogh has always kept me thinking about his life and what happened during it. His painting style, I admire and often use it in my paintings. The book makes the reader consider different scenarios about the artist's death. The loss of his true love to keep his relationship with his brother and his family seems to be where this missing painting may have gone on and traveled to different owners. However, this is something that is not proven. The book is fiction with facts weaved into the story. The writer leads the reader on a journey of what may have taken place. The reader has to draw their conclusions.

I did not care for some of the scenes involving the agent and his escape. They did not ring true to me and seemed weak in design. There are many characters in this novel and sometimes it is difficult to follow all of them as this crime unfolds. There are loose ends at the conclusion. I admired the artwork included by the author.

[Elysa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was so excited to read "The Lost Van Gogh" because Van Gogh is my favorite artist, and I've been loving thrillers/mysteries lately. Sadly, this book didn't work for me. The sexualization/objection of the female characters was too much. Every single time a woman appeared, her appearance was talked about, and the author felt the need to mention the couples having sex several times even though it added literally nothing to the story and didn't even show the couples had chemistry.

Additionally, the perspective shifts didn't make sense. I didn't understand why we were reading from Luke's perspective at all because he's not important to the plot. Alex is the focus of the story, so why isn't she the narrator? The second-person chapters didn't make sense or affect the story. Then there was another third-person set; why wasn't the whole book written that way?

There were too many characters, and they were all underdeveloped. The book read like a sequel because it kept referring to past events; I have no idea what that was about. This one was a flop for me, and I wouldn't read from this author again.

[Cheryl Sokoloff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I followed Jonathan S. On Instagram, as the book progressed, and was ecstatic to receive an eARC for review. I had recently finished reading Louise and Vincent, by,Diane Byington, so many of the facts surrounding Vincent’s last days were fresh in my mind, as I was reading. But The Lost Van Gogh took Vincent’s story in a different direction, tying it in with Nazi looted/ degenerate art. The story alternates between past and present, unfolding the story of the lost Van Gogh painting 🖼️, unspooling its story. Once I was 50% in I was hooked.

Thank you NetGalley for my eARC, in return for my honest review. I was so glad to get a copy because I followed J Santlofer on Instagram as he wrote it (his wonderful sketches etc about Van Gogh etc). 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Auzin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book on the plane and it was an absolute fever dream. A historical thriller about art and i’m there every time. I miss it.

[Esrin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alex (female) finds a Van Gogh painting underneath an abstract painting. She wants to identify it, sadly gets mugged. Now she and her boyfriend are on a journey to find the painting. A lot of people (including her father) stab their backs and there is a bit of danger involved.

The story itself was interesting and the chapters weren’t long. However (there always is one) there were many filler chapters it unnecessary conversations that shouldn’t have made the cut. The story itself is like 3 NCIS episodes. When it finally ends, you know what happened but whatever.

Can someone please tell my WHY the book is written in the POV of the boyfriend when it all is about Alex?
unless I mixed the characters up. who the hell gives a couple who have similar personalities, masculine names.

Only in the last chapters a random guy called Baine was involved. Turns out he was the father. did we have to guess that part?

If you are not familiar with art, european history or Van Gogh you’ll definitely be interested in this as it could teach you a few things. Not for me though this is european general knowledge lol

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read The Lost Mona Lisa, I was very excited to be given an ARC of this by NetGalley. Fast paced with many twists and turns, we follow artist Luke Perrone and his girlfriend Alex as they search for a lost painting that Alex bought at a garage sale and then discovering it may be a lost Van Gogh, only to have it stolen from them. Likewise, there are more individuals, some good and some sinister, looking for this painting reported to have disappeared at Van Gogh's funeral at least a hundred years before. It seemed as if every character had a secret, which made it interesting to unravel, with some mysteries that will surprise you. As an art lover, I enjoyed all the references to many impressionist artists and their works. But I also felt that this story fell short where The Lost Mona Lisa shone in the storyline. However, It did make me think about Van Gogh's demise, whether there was truth in how he died. But overall, I enjoyed it. I do love stories about lost art, and the redemption of art finding its home. Many thanks to #netgalley #thelostvangogh #jonathansantlofer for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Susanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book sounded great, but unfortunately the execution is lacking. There are so.so.many.different POVs and no way to keep them straight, various timelines, lots of jumping back and forth - not to mention the rampant sexualisation of all the female characters. Has to be a male writer who can produce this particular type of trashy take. At the same time, all the (many, many) characters were underdeveloped and there were too many references to happenings in a previous book, while not making it clear from the get-go that this is a book in a series.

To be fair, I did enjoy the historical aspect of the story, but unfortunately it got lost in all the build-up to suspense and spy stuff, which got tiresome and way beyond my limits of credulity.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a big fan of The Last Mona Lisa, I was delighted to get the opportunity to read an advance copy of The Lost Van Gogh thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. This book was equally exciting. The book taught me a lot about both Van Gogh and what happened to art stolen by the Germans or hidden from them to prevent the thefts. Both books are very cinematic; one can imagine exciting movies based on them. I appreciated the ethical issues related to stolen art and what should be done when it's discovered after all this time, including when the artwork has been acquired by museums. Despite the book being something of a thriller, I think it would make a great choice for book discussion groups. I highly recommend it.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book better than the Last Mona Lisa. I found the story captivating and there were so many twists and turns. I didn’t know who was telling the truth.

There are rumours that Van Gogh painted a self portrait that was subsequently stolen at his funeral. This painting is the subject of this story.

It’s a fascinating fictional story, but at the same time, there is a lot of factual information about Van Gogh and art that was looted by the Nazi’s in WWII. If you are a fan of Van Gogh, this is definitely a book to pick up. Of course, anyone who enjoys thrillers and puzzles will enjoy this also.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing, mysterious, and fast-paced!

The Lost Van Gogh is a rich, ominous tale that takes us into the life of Alex Verde and her boyfriend Luke Perrone who, after purchasing a seemingly unknown painting at a nearby market, find their lives turned upside down when it’s quickly discovered that it may actually be a lost Van Gogh that more than one person is willing to do whatever it takes, even kill, to get their hands on it.

The writing is smooth and fluid. The characters are relentless, driven, and clever. And the plot, told in alternating POVs, is a menacing tale full of life, loss, secrets, deception, lies, greed, peril, intrigue, and the complex world of art.

Overall, The Lost Van Gogh is an absorbing, pacey, dramatic tale by Santlofer with just the right amount of suspense, well-drawn characterization, and creative storyline to make it another satisfying, highly entertaining read for lovers of both art and this genre.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with a copy in an exchange for an honest review.

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have liked to have given this one a higher review, but it just has too many weak plot points and doesn’t really work as an art theft thriller. In spite of these deficiencies, I did like the place settings and descriptions of Amsterdam and Auvers-sur-Oise and the speculation on his last paintings.

[Madeline Elsinga]

DNF at 45 pages

First DNF of 2024 woooo! Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the eARC.

Little too descriptive for my taste; more telling than showing. I picked this up because I was Intrigued by the concept as I love art history, Van Gogh, and art theft during WW2 so I should have loved this 😭 It sounded like Da Vinci Code but with WW2 plus art history. I’m so disappointed because I want a book like this, I want to read this type of novel but not with this character writing.

I kept seeing reviews that this is a follow up to another book but no where on goodreads, Storygraph, or Netgalley does it say it’s part of a series.

In the most derogatory way possible, you can tell this was written by a man 🤦🏻‍♀️ First the main character, who is an artist, talks about how his fave artist is a notorious anti semite but hey if you picked a fave artist based on their personal lives there’d be few left…um okay? Not a flex, PICK ONE OF THE FEW LEFT THEN you’re basically saying “yeah who cares if he was anti semitic I just love his work/vibes and ✨separate the art from the artist✨” and this book is about Van Gogh why not make the guy a fan of Van Gogh?!

Second, he describes the MC’s girlfriend and says and I quote “no makeup, wet hair in a ponytail she looked sixteen” WTF IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!

Alex is the main focus of the book and yet it’s not from her POV but her boyfriends? Absolutely pointless and makes no sense but given the way the author writes (sexualizes/objectifies) female characters maybe it was a blessing. Also after looking at other reviews the female characters don’t get better and the author offers some racist remarks and fetishizes a lesbian couple 🙃 hard DNF

[razan · Rating 2 out of 5]

damn what a disappointment. i was super excited to read this book because I love books about art but this was just a whole mess. i think it was supposed to be a mix of agatha christie & NCIS but the plot was all over the place and some parts didn't really make sense.

similar to other reviewers, I found the writing style also a bit weird. why this was written in luke's pov I will never understand since he is irrelevant. however, what really bugged me was the second person pov...like what was the point of that?? LOL.

want to know what kind of infuriated me though? the sexualization/objectification of women throughout the entire book. i swear if you gave this book to someone without telling them the gender of the author they would 110% know it was a man. let's take alex for example. yes, it's mentioned that she's intelligent but her attractiveness and sexiness is mentioned more plus in more detail. luke talks about her attractiveness more than any other feature of hers & finn sexualizes her even more. then let's talk about jennifer and anika. almost the entire time that they're together in this book, they are making out or having sex which the author describes in vivid detail. their scenes seem to be written for men who have lesbian fetishes. i just found it funny how none of the men are ever described in the same way that the women were.

AND let's not forget alex's racist comment when she referred to people as "illegal aliens." is that how we refer to other human beings nowadays? wtf

[Richard Stuhan · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was a time when art was the province of effete snobs — the kind of people with whom I like to mingle. The typical museum couple was a well-dressed elderly widow and her mother. But then Dan Brown’s “Da Vinci Code” and the “Indiana Jones” movie series made art fashionable. Instead of trick-or-treating as politically incorrect cowboys and Indians — Oops, I mean Native Americans — kids (and adults not dressing as French maids) roamed the neighborhoods costumed as a fedora-wearing, whip-yielding Ivy League art professor (and who among us would deny treats to a kid who came to the door armed with a whip?). Worse yet, we now have to share art museums with the Plebeians. But I digress.

As part of this movement, a new genre of literature has emerged — focused on the high stakes art world of theft, forgery, international intrigue, and murder. A particularly popular sub-genre consists of books about recovering precious art looted by the Nazis. One of the authors to capitalize on this trend is Jonathan Santolofer — himself an artist and art teacher. His debut novel, “The Dutch Artist,” was an international bestseller, and his “Anatomy” of Fear” won the Nero Award for Best Crime Novel of the year. Santlofer’s recently released “The Lost Van Gogh” falls squarely within this new tradition. Regrettably, the book does not measure up to the art it describes.

The plot of “The Lost Van Gogh” is partially invented, but based on a real-life rumor. Contemporary accounts of Van Gogh’s funeral report that, at his wake, the artist’s casket was surrounded by some of his paintings, including two self-portraits. According to legend, one of the self-portraits — reputedly the last such portrait that Van Gogh ever painted — mysteriously disappeared. Santlofer’s novel includes a postscript speculating on how that painting disappeared, but that episode is tangential to the novel.

The novel is set in the present, but develops through a series of flashbacks. The flashbacks take us to occupied Paris during the Second World War. The author signals that we are in a different era by presenting those scenes in italics rather than regular typeface — because how else would we know that we have traveled back in time? In Paris, we encounter members of the French underground, who smuggle famous paintings out of the city by gluing tracing paper over them and painting nondescript scenes on the overlay to disguise what is underneath. This is how Van Gogh’s last portrait was treated.

Through a series of wildly improbably coincidences, the lost self-portraits finds its way to an antiques barn in rural New York, where it is purchased for $25 by one of the novel’s protagonists, Alex, who is working on her doctorate in art history. She brings the painting home to her boyfriend, Luke, an aspiring painter and recovering alcoholic (for whom the author cruelly arranges several meetings in chic bars). Noticing that some of the paint is pealing, Luke surreptitiously chips away the rest of the overlay — totally oblivious to the fact that Alexa paid good money for this picture — and, voila, discovers what appears to be a Van Gogh self-portrait underneath. Of course, Luke and Alex are not certain that the painting is authentic, and so they decide to consult an expert. Alex’s best friend from art school, Jennifer, recommends taking the painting to a curator named Anika van Straten.

But less than a day after acquiring the painting, Alex is mugged and the painting is stolen. Unbeknownst to our heroes, there are other eyes on the painting. One pair belongs to a notorious black market dealer in stolen art who has adopted the nickname “Trader.” Maybe I’m missing something, but if you were engaged in a criminal enterprise buying and selling art looted by the Nazis and you wanted to maintain your anonymity, could you possibly have chosen a worse nom de plume than “Trader”? It was Trader — working through a network of sleazy operatives — who stole the painting from Alex, and Interpol aims to get it back. Oddly, the novel never explains how either Trader or Interpol learned that a painting missing for nearly 80 years ended up in a second hand goods store in upstate New York.

In an effort to recover the lost self-portrait, Alex and Luke and the Interpol team travel independently to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. What our lovers hoped to accomplish there isn’t clear. Interpol, at least, had a plan. Working through an undercover agent posing as a dealer, Interpol seeks to draw Trader into the open by offering to trade a Matisse and a Monet for the Van Gogh. How Interpol just happened to have a Matisse and a Monet on hand is never explained, but those are just details.

As the plot unfolds, we learn that no one is who he or she appears to be. For example, Anika, the curator to whom Alex planned to take her painting, is actually the head of Interpol’s art recovery division. Alex’s art school friend, Jennifer, is sleeping with both Trader and Anika (but only because Trader made her do so to gain information). Various gallerists with whom Luke visited to gather clues about the missing painting (and to market his own paintings) turn out to be part of Trader’s criminal network. Interpol draws into the plot a convicted art thief who just happens to be Alex’s estranged father. That makes sense. If you can’t trust a convicted swindler, who can you trust?

Trader and his henchmen leave Amsterdam, kidnap Iterpol’s undercover agent (whom they have unmasked), and travel to Auvers-sur-Oise in France, where Van Gogh spent his last days and is now buried. There, they plan to make one more score. Unbeknownst to the rest of the art world, the great-grandson of a guy who did menial chores for Van Gogh just happens to have a sketch of what later became Van Gogh’s last self-portrait. Trader and his cronies plan to murder Alex, the undercover agent, and the great grandson and abscond with the Van Gogh, the Matisse, the Monet, and the sketch when Interpol swoops in at the last minute to save the day. Who saw that coming?

Although the very existence of the Van Gogh was in question and no one had seen it for a quarter century, Interpol manages to track down the rightful heir in just a few hours. This noble fellow agrees to donate the painting to the Van Gogh Museum. Happy ending? Not quite. Alex’s scoundrel father somehow manages to escape the authorities in Auvers-sur-Oise and absconds with the sketch. Am I the only reader who sees a sequel in progress?

Beyond the needlessly convoluted plot, the novel is interesting in a couple of other respects. First, the book’s 311 pages are divided into 94 chapters — an average of 3 pages per chapter. So, the book is perfect for reading during commercial breaks in the sporting events you are watching on TV. Second, the novel is written in both the first person (with Luke as the narrator) and the third person. Try as I might, I cannot think of any reason why the author adopted that convention.

The bottom line is that, if you are willing to suspend disbelief and if plausibility does not matter to you, run to your nearest bookstore or library and secure “The Lost Van Gogh.” It’s a fun ride through the world of lost art. But even if you are a dedicated art crimes enthusiast — as I am — you are likely to find the book just a tad disappointing.

[Bella Azam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was actually not bad, a pretty decent read in my opinion. The whole adventure fiasco revolving stolen art, history, high class arts, mystery, underground shady dealings was enjoyable despite of the many changing narratives and POV.

Vincent Van Gogh was no stranger to all of us, an incredible artist that sadly didnt get recognition only after his death, a devastating but also a hopeful story of a struggling man that still love life even in his hardships and these emotions are reflected in his portraits and arts. Following an unexpected hidden painting of the rumored long lost Van Gogh's self potrait that went missing after his funeral and Alexis Verde, an art graduate student found the painting in a thrifted market. The lost painting was hidden behind another portrait of a woman and when she and her boyfriend, Luke, a burgeoning artist himself on a way to have his own exhibition, tore off the painting of the woman, they found face to face with the Van Gogh's self portrait. To verify the authenticity, they tried contact with the art historian but Alexis was mugged and there seems to be other people that are looking for this exact painting. With involvement of Interpol, this sets out for an adventure/heist of arts and Van Gogh.

I have to say this was a decent read to me. As someone who adore Van Gogh's arts, i think this was a treat to read the mystery adventure of both fictional and history behind Van Gogh's life and his artistic flairs. This makes a compelling read even if towards the end, the plot start to drag as we are reaching the climax yet I dont hate it. I actually think its a pretty enjoyable read. There are many narratives mixed in this book, mostly on Luke's POV in first person, then the mixed 3rd POV and there is also a second POV which is the most unique and can be jarring to read at times. The writing was easy to get through and having different POV can be a bit overwhelming at times. Overall, i do enjoy the book for the adventurous part and the mystery behind the Van Gogh's portraits.

Thank you to Times Reads for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Chrisje Stultiens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een mustread voor kunst-thriller-lovers

De vermiste Van Gogh laat je een duik nemen in (kunst)geschiedenis én heeft een zeer pittig thrillertempo.

Auteur
De Amerikaanse Jonathan Santlofer heeft niet alleen een bataljon boeken geschreven en prijzen ontvangen, maar is zelf ook kunstenaar. Hoe talentvol kan je zijn?

Cover
Geniale omslag, waarbij je een zelfportret van Van Gogh deels kan zien. Knap!

Het verhaal
Alexis koopt een vaas en een melancholisch schilderijtje in een rommelwinkel om het appartementje, dat ze deelt met jonge kunstenaar Luke, op te fleuren. Als het kunstwerk valt, merkt Luke dat onderliggend een mogelijk vermist zelfportret van Van Gogh tevoorschijn komt.

In alle opwinding laten ze betrouwbare experten een onderzoek doen en meteen verdwijnt het schilderij. In hun zoektocht komen ze terecht in de geschiedenis van de nazirooftochten.

Mijn gedacht
Als je houdt van snelle ‘Jack Reacher’-achtige thriller, een passie hebt voor geschiedenis en een hart voor kunst, mag je dit boek niet missen.

De karaktervolle personages spelen een krachtige kunstroof-crimi, waarbij je waargebeurde historiek als extra bonus cadeau krijgt. De prima onderzochte feiten geven je meteen zin om nog meer te weten over de vreselijke nazi kunstdiefstal én goesting naar (nog) een expositie of boek over Van Gogh.

Enorm fijn dat je het onderliggend verhaal in het verleden meekrijgt én de diepgaande kennis van de auteur over de kunstwerken.

Smaakt naar meer over deze schrijver/kunstenaar!

The question of who should own great art is different but also important. Should private collectors have an important piece of art locked away for their eyes only, or should it belong to the public? It’s a question I ponder and wonder what other people think. (Jonathan Santlofer (uit een interview ’the hard word’)

[Lori Leaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

What it’s about: This book is a mix of action & mystery with historical fiction revolving around a self portrait of Vincent Van Gogh, the result of Nazi art looting in WWII and the struggle to return them to their rightful owner.

What I liked:
🎨Great historical detail. I loved learning more about Van Gogh’s life & the history of Nazi looted art.
🎨Strong sense of place across several countries.
🎨The author is an artist himself which gave the topics a strong sense of authenticity.
🎨The authors sketches in the back of the book.

Final thoughts: I really enjoyed this book and the focus on art history and art crimes. I studied art history in college so mixing that with action and mystery made this right up my alley.

ARC was provided by the publisher and Thoughts From A Page in exchange for an honest review.