The novel is set in the Paris during the WWII. Fearing the rapacious German army, the curators of the Louvre secure the Monalisa in an undisclosed location. The colonel and the Marshall of the retreating German army plan to waylay the painting and intend to use it as a bargaining chip. Apart from the Germans,various political fractions of France (communists and De Guallians) are at logger heads to restore the painting and win the acclaim. The plot is well-thought of and has nice a O.Henry-like twist. ( )

Very interesting story and good pacing. A very quick read. ( )

This fast paced novel is set at the close of World War II in German occupied France just as France gains it's freedom. Four people are racing to save the beloved French artwork - the Mona Lisa while German Reichmarschall Hermann Goring sets out to claim it for himself.

From the first page the action and intrigue is non-stop. I was surprised at the depth of the characters since there were so many in the novel. Just as the reader thinks they have it all figured out - and have chosen the character they want to see win - things change. As it is in war time there are so many dynamics that the reader is torn between loyalty for certain characters and the greater cause.

What is it about this mysterious lady that makes her the most sought after piece of art - she truly is the most wanted lady in the world? Yet as each character takes their first look at this beloved piece of art they are captivated by her smile and poise.

I am forever amazed at the this particular period of history. Those living in this time were forced to make choices that I would never want be forced to make. Loyalty is constantly tested as black and white shifts to a hazy color of grey. Which side is the right side to belong to - and how should one serve to benefit the whole?

In this story you are invited into an exciting, life altering race that will forever change the lives of four individuals. ( )

Decent read and has some momentum but lacks intensity. Good use of historical events around the liberation of Paris during the Second World War. ( )

If you don’t know much about the Second World War, or even if you do, Chasing Mona Lisa will present to you a different slant on how things were. Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey take the reader into the drama and danger of the time when Nazi Germany was overpowering Europe and laying claim to all the wealth they wanted.

Hitler’s Germany had overrun France, and some over-zealous prominent military officials were determined to add to their private collections as much valued artwork as they could.

We meet the famous Louvre’s curator who is responsible for priceless art treasures sought by the above-mentioned officials. We also meet spies, a few members of the Resistance group determined to get their country – and their country’s art treasures – back, some other interesting characters who round out the story, and a convincing glimpse into World War II.

Chasing Mona Lisa holds the reader’s interest from the beginning to the end. It is impossible to tell who of the two authors, Tricia Goyer or Mike Yorkey, wrote which part. It is a well-delivered story, full of tension, excitement, faith, hope, drama, intrigue, suspense, and there are history lessons to be learned amid the fiction built around the facts. The reader gets drawn into a time of war, and introduced to situations where there is theft, kidnapping, a little romance, deception, blackmail, and more.

I found Chasing Mona Lisa to be a fast-paced book, one I was eager to pick up again after short periods away from my reading. I had to know what was going to happen next! And my guess is you will, too. ( )