Chasing Mona Lisa

It is certain that there is no lack of action and events taking place in this novel. [b:Chasing Mona Lisa: A Novel 11745238 Chasing Mona Lisa A Novel Tricia Goyer http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51t5zWlc49L.SL75.jpg 16694795] is the second novel co-authored by [a:Tricia Goyer 162726 Tricia Goyer http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1200289641p2/162726.jpg] and [a:Mike Yorkey 27548 Mike Yorkey http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg] and is the sequel to their first novel [b:The Swiss Courier 6375048 The Swiss Courier Tricia Goyer http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266665524s/6375048.jpg 6562681], yet this novel could stand alone. Chasing Mona Lisa just happens to be a continuation of a few characters from The Swiss Courier. Much in the way that a Davis Bunn novel can be a sequel and also stand on it's own pages. While coming into this, my knowledge of German occupied Paris pretty much consists of the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles during Henri Defense's espionage years. Yet reading the emotions and feelings that come through in the different characters lives it's amazing how Revolutionary France can resurface again and again (you'd think history would make one learn!). So while reading, I'm not sure that I can say that my opinions of the liberation of Paris changed much after reading this novel, however it does make me think a lot about the time of Madame Tussaud and then other fiction such as the film V for Vendetta. When I was a young child I thought that World War II was about a man's vendetta against his own mistreatment of a portion of his heritage that with a mix of psychological madness went onto ethnic cleansing and genocide. It was not until years later that I learned there was even anything to do with oil in that war. To think on another level about what role art played during the war it would not have been my first thought. Although I do love Renoir, Degas and others of my favorite artists are of French decent; however the thought of these stolen artifacts do not impress upon me so much. But the thought of the art from the time of Alexander the Great and the Library of Alexandria amazes me - so I assume it just has to be a matter of taste in art and wonder. Yet during the time, when the artists were real and even more palpable to the persons in power and the country as a whole, I do see how a theft could stun, especially when things are so tenuous at best anyway. I wouldn't hesitate to believe that it is possible that in some back ways art impacted military decisions during the war, because after all wasn't that one of Alexander's goal back in his day of conquest? Why should it be any different for the Nazi regime. But then once again, I mention Indiana Jones - he knows plenty about Nazi's and Commi's stealing art... My favorite character in reading Chasing Mona Lisa bounced around a bit, but in the end I think I keep finding myself coming back to Gabi Mueller the Swiss-American OSS spy. One thing this novel is definitely not lacking in is characters with various backgrounds and purposes in their beliefs and actions. Truly there is not one main character in this novel, there are many and each one is pulled in a different direction! Mona Lisa. I have plenty of opinions there, but usually get ugly looks when I express them, so I'll skip that. But I was unaware that she was painted on poplar wood. That is a very cool fact and one of many that obviously presents the array of research that went into writing this novel. Poplar wood is one of my Enginerd's favorite. We have quite a few things he has made around the house from poplar wood. It is a very beautiful wood natural or stained and I'm sure it's features did interesting things to enhance or perhaps make a part of the allure for the Mona Lisa. Not my normal reach-for in CHF, but if you're looking for a Christian Historical Fiction built upon the descend of World War II with German Nazi's, Swiss and American Agents, Communist agendas and the parts of history with more detail that you ever learned in class... then indeed you may in fact enjoy this novel. It has an undertone of romance and an overtone of intrigue. Where do your loyalties lie?

2.5 stars
I liked this even less than the first book. Again there's quite a lot of violence, described in vivid terms–blood dripping, heads exploding, etc. But we really didn't even get the characters around described, except for perhaps a word or two, generally in terms of hair color. There were still six POVs, which was better than book one but still too many. A lot of the narration was in the abstract, so it was hard to sort between actual clues and assumptions. I spent a great deal of my journey through this book hopelessly confused. Even one guy from the last book showed up out of nowhere without any sort of logical explanation.

Content: Two French profanities, one coarse joke, and violence

Since I have enjoyed so many of Goyer's books in the past, this means I will be avoiding Mike Yorkey's writing in the future. It just didn't work for me.