I can’t believe Thanksgiving has come and gone. Last newsletter it seemed like my novel was so far from pub date. Now, it’s just around the corner, January 2.
There are a couple of opportunities as we near the book launch to win artwork I made for The Lost Van Gogh. The first, a contest to win one of the original pencil drawings (example at the top of the page). To be eligible all you have to do is pre-order the book HERE and submit an image of your receipt or proof of purchase to my website.
Click here to enter the drawing contest
The second is a limited-edition signed print made from one of my drawings which will go to anyone kind enough to post my book cover on their social media on its pub date, January 2. To receive a print just visit my website and fill out the form. Make sure to use the hashtag #thelostvangogh in your social media post.
Click here to enter the print contest
A couple of advance reviews for THE LOST VAN GOGH that sum it up nicely:
“The latest art thriller from Santlofer (The Last Mona Lisa) has historic European locations and appealing characters chasing down art stolen by horrible people. Rumors of a final self-portrait made by Vincent van Gogh on his deathbed have tantalized art historians and collectors since the artist’s death, but the painting is widely believed to be lost forever. Luke Perrone is an artist and great-grandson of the man who stole the Mona Lisa; his girlfriend Alexis Verde is the daughter of an art thief. Together, they discover a portrait that might be the missing van Gogh, but then it disappears from their hands. Reuniting with INTERPOL agent John Washington Smith, the trio set off to Europe to recover the missing painting in the hopes of answering questions about van Gogh’s final days. Soon they’re ensnared in the secrets of masterpieces stolen by the Nazis and protected by members of the French Resistance during World War II. VERDICT Give this novel to art enthusiasts, mystery lovers, and fans of Daniel Silva and Dan Brown.”
– LIBRARY JOURNAL
“Writer and artist Santlofer assembled a trio of unlikely art sleuths in The Last Mona Lisa (2021), and now, much to their surprise, they’re thrown together once again. Art historian Alexis Verde (also known as Alexandra Green) acquires a painting that she and her honey, artist and art history teacher Luke Perrone, discover is concealing what just might be a long-lost self-portrait by Van Gogh. Tully, a down-and-out PI, has been hired to secure this work, which is promptly stolen from Alexis when she attempts to have it appraised. Luke reconnects with former INTERPOL analyst John Washington Smith for help, but, like many others, he’s not who he claims to be. As the action shifts to Amsterdam, the levels of deceit and danger escalate precipitously. Amidst the chaos and terror, Santlofer offers sympathetic glimpses into Van Gogh’s life and puzzling death and the French Resistance’s valiant efforts to save Paris’ treasures as the Nazis’ systematically looted art belonging to Jewish collectors, stolen works still found in world-class museums. Illustrated with Santlofer’s drawings, this is a wholly engrossing, historically illuminating, and thought-provoking art thriller.”
– BOOKLIST
As promised last time, some notes and pictures from my travel research for “The Lost Van Gogh.”
Van Gogh spent his last 70 days at the Auberge Ravoux in Auvers-sur-Oise, France, about an hour’s train ride from Paris via the Gare du Nord. The hotel and restaurant have been restored beautifully (now known as Maison de Van Gogh). The table where he ate his meals is tucked into a corner of the restaurant, always set for one but never used.
Vincent’s attic room is up a winding staircase, spare and beautiful. It’s hard to imagine one of the most well-known artists of all time lived in such monk-like austerity.
The cemetery at the edge of town where Vincent, who died in 1890 at the age of 37, is buried beside his beloved brother Theo, who died six months later at only 33.
Auvers-sur-Oise cathedral made famous in Vincent’s painting.
Vincent made an astonishing 76 paintings in his last 70 days. He died on a hot July day in 1890. The events leading up to his death are still mysterious but I’ve done a lot of research and lay out the various scenarios—suicide, accident, or murder—for readers to contemplate at the end of my novel.
Happy & Peaceful Holidays to all!