The Last Mona Lisa

A Novel

By: Jonathan Santlofer

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini

One of People Magazine's Best Books of Summer!

"Unstoppable what-happens-next momentum." (Michael Connelly, number-one New York Times best-selling author)

"A deliciously tense read." (Ruth Ware, number-one New York Times best-selling author)

From award-winning crime writer and celebrated artist Jonathan Santlofer comes an enthralling tale about the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre, the forgeries that appeared in its wake, and the present-day underbelly of the art world.

August, 1911: The Mona Lisa is stolen by Vincent Peruggia. Exactly what happens in the two years before its recovery is a mystery. Many replicas of the Mona Lisa exist, and more than one historian has wondered if the painting now returned to the Louvre is a fake, switched in 1911.

Present day: Art professor Luke Perrone digs for the truth behind his most famous ancestor: Peruggia. His search attracts an Interpol detective with something to prove and an unfamiliar but curiously helpful woman. Soon, Luke tumbles deep into the world of art and forgery, a land of obsession and danger.

The Last Mona Lisa is a suspenseful and seductive tale, perfect for fans of the Netflix documentaries This Is a Robbery and Made You Look and listeners obsessed with the world of art heists and forgeries.

©2021 by Jonathan Santlofer (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Ballerini's smooth voice and lyrical use of linguistics transport the listener to Italy and France as he portrays the suspenseful search to uncover the secrets behind the world-famous smile.… Listeners will find themselves drawn into the intrigue in an attempt to solve this startling whodunit thriller.” —Booklist

“Edoardo Ballerini's fast-paced narration amplifies the suspense in this fictionalized mystery about the very real controversy surrounding the authenticity of Leonardo da Vinci's MONA LISA.… Ballerini provides authentic voices and accents for the various Italians who aid Luke's research and switches to tough-guy New Yorker for Luke and the Interpol agent who is following him. Ballerini clearly distinguishes a cast of characters that include a dangerous hit man working for a collector of stolen art and a mysterious American woman who seduces Luke.” –AudioFile Magazine

"Fabulous—instantly immersive, intriguing and suspenseful, and expert and authentic too ... only a writer who is also an artist—or an artist who is also a writer—could have pulled it off. This feels like the thriller Santlofer was born to write." - Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series

Ok mystery with typical bumbling hero

Not much different than a Dan Brown novel with an ok mystery , obviously hero who stumbles it no danger and a villain who seems to have Michael Myers’s ability to not die

Interesting thanks to history

I made it through this book but at times I was looking forward to finishing. I found the story a bit formulaic and the “romance“ was layered onto the recounting of historical events like too much shellac on a fine painting.

Compelling

Interesting story, although confusing at times. Narration was very good for all the different characters involved. Would recommend.

Wonderful, descriptive writing.

Loved this book so much! Actually finished it in two days on vacation. The performance was excellent! One of the best I’ve heard.

Implausible, but based on a fascinating incident

The author has built a fictional story around the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre. I wasn't aware of this incident, and was prompted by this book to do some historical research to learn more about this fascinating part of the painting's history. The book has two threads --- 1911 (the time of the theft), and "present day". I would have preferred more emphasis on 1911; the author touches on famous artists contemporary with the thief (e.g., Picasso), Louvre politics, and economic conditions in Paris, but the details that could have enriched the story are not developed. The present-day story is implausible (are the French and the Italian police really going to let a potential murder suspect just walk away?), the protagonist is rather insipid, and I could have lived without the hit man, but the story kept my interest. The narration was fine though some might quibble about the accents.