Details
Synopsis
In April 1945, the Nazis, reeling and near defeat, frantically work to hide the huge store of art treasures that Hitler looted from Europe. Truck convoys loaded with the cultural wealth of the Western world pour in an unending stream into the compound of the vast Altaussee salt mine high in the Austrian Alps. But with the Allies closing in, the vaunted efficiency of the Nazis has broken down. At Altaussee, all is tumult and confusion. In the commotion a single truck, its driver, and its priceless load of masterpieces vanish into a mountain snowstorm.<BR>Half a century later, in a seedy Boston pawnshop, ex-curator Ben Revere makes a stunning discovery among the piles of junk: a Velazquez from the legendary lost truck. But with it comes decades of secrets, rancor, and lies, and the few who know of the painting's existence have their lives snuffed out by an unknown assassin. Revere must travel back to the grand cites of Europe to unravel the tangled history of the lost truck and its treasures before fifty years of hatred, greed, and retribution catch up with him.
| Size | | Length: | 354 pages | | Height: | 10.0 in | | Width: | 6.5 in | | Thickness: | 1.5 in | | Weight: | 23.2 oz |
Publisher's Notes
First Line: "Madness. For two days and nights the mud-spattered trucks with their bone-tired drivers and their canvas-covered payloads had flowed without pause up the mountain road..."
Industry Reviews
In a seedy pawnshop in Boston, sometime curator and art detective Benjamin Revere stumbles upon what he thinks may be a genuine Vel squez painting, part of a missing truckload of old masters stolen by the Nazis in April 1945. Meanwhile, the old pawnbroker is brutally murdered, so Revere must solve two mysteries. His pursuit takes him to the grand cities of Europe, where he interviews claimants of the great paintings and is chased by Mafia thugs. Many who have sought to reclaim the paintings have died, and Revere himself nearly does when an aged Mafia don lures him into a Swiss bank vault for a peek at the long-lost loot. Edgar Award winner Elkins (Twenty Blue Devils, Mysterious, 1997) uses his low-key narrative voice, personably erudite central characters, and historically intriguing plot to enthrall readers. Highly recommended. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/98.] Susan Clifford, Aerospace Corp., El Segundo, CA
Riley
April 1945: the German war machine is collapsing, and the Nazis are frantically crowding their stolen art treasures into a secret salt mine in Altaussee, Austria. In the chaos, a truck from one of the convoys disappears. The driver has deserted, hoping to negotiate asylum with the advancing American forces. But a blizzard sets him off course, and he and his loot are captured by a brutal Russian patrol instead. Boston, 50 years later: a gorgeous painting by the Spanish master Vel zquez turns up in the pawnshop ("CA$H IN A FLA$H") of the surprisingly prim Simeon Pawlovsky. Suspicious of the thug who brought it in ("a big scar here, half an ear missing, a busted nose"), Simeon calls his friend Ben Revere, a retired art historian and curator who likes baseball and occasionally moonlights for the police. The next day, Simeon is murdered during an attempt to steal the painting. Motivated by guilt and encouraged by Simeon's fiery niece, Revere goes on a whirlwind search for the provenance of the Vel zquez and the whereabouts of the rest of the art aboard the missing truck. In the process, Revere is hired by a wealthy, aging count in Vienna, implicated in the murder of an underworld figure in Budapest and chased by a Russian mafia assassin all over Europe. Revere's combination of high intellect and low pretense makes him an engaging sleuth, and Elkin's (Twenty Blue Devils, etc.) cultural and historical details add savor to this engaging, fast-paced novel. Rights: Karpfinger Agency. (Feb.)
Fox
In a seedy pawnshop in Boston, sometime curator and art detective Benjamin Revere stumbles upon what he thinks may be a genuine Vel squez painting, part of a missing truckload of old masters stolen by the Nazis in April 1945. Meanwhile, the old pawnbroker is brutally murdered, so Revere must solve two mysteries. His pursuit takes him to the grand cities of Europe, where he interviews claimants of the great paintings and is chased by Mafia thugs. Many who have sought to reclaim the paintings have died, and Revere himself nearly does when an aged Mafia don lures him into a Swiss bank vault for a peek at the long-lost loot. Edgar Award winner Elkins (Twenty Blue Devils, Mysterious, 1997) uses his low-key narrative voice, personably erudite central characters, and historically intriguing plot to enthrall readers. Highly recommended. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/98.] Susan Clifford, Aerospace Corp., El Segundo, CA
Library Journal (01/01/1999)
April 1945: the German war machine is collapsing, and the Nazis are frantically crowding their stolen art treasures into a secret salt mine in Altaussee, Austria. In the chaos, a truck from one of the convoys disappears. The driver has deserted, hoping to negotiate asylum with the advancing American forces. But a blizzard sets him off course, and he and his loot are captured by a brutal Russian patrol instead. Boston, 50 years later: a gorgeous painting by the Spanish master Vel zquez turns up in the pawnshop ("CA$H IN A FLA$H") of the surprisingly prim Simeon Pawlovsky. Suspicious of the thug who brought it in ("a big scar here, half an ear missing, a busted nose"), Simeon calls his friend Ben Revere, a retired art historian and curator who likes baseball and occasionally moonlights for the police. The next day, Simeon is murdered during an attempt to steal the painting. Motivated by guilt and encouraged by Simeon's fiery niece, Revere goes on a whirlwind search for the provenance of the Vel zquez and the whereabouts of the rest of the art aboard the missing truck. In the process, Revere is hired by a wealthy, aging count in Vienna, implicated in the murder of an underworld figure in Budapest and chased by a Russian mafia assassin all over Europe. Revere's combination of high intellect and low pretense makes him an engaging sleuth, and Elkin's (Twenty Blue Devils, etc.) cultural and historical details add savor to this engaging, fast-paced novel. Rights: Karpfinger Agency. (Feb.)
Publishers Weekly (01/04/1999)
In a seedy pawnshop in Boston, sometime curator and art detective Benjamin Revere stumbles upon what he thinks may be a genuine Vel?squez painting, part of a missing truckload of old masters stolen by the Nazis in April 1945. Meanwhile, the old pawnbroker is brutally murdered, so Revere must solve two mysteries. His pursuit takes him to the grand cities of Europe, where he interviews claimants of the great paintings and is chased by Mafia thugs. Many who have sought to reclaim the paintings have died, and Revere himself nearly does when an aged Mafia don lures him into a Swiss bank vault for a peek at the long-lost loot. Edgar Award winner Elkins (Twenty Blue Devils, Mysterious, 1997) uses his low-key narrative voice, personably erudite central characters, and historically intriguing plot to enthrall readers. Highly recommended. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/98.] Susan Clifford, Aerospace Corp., El Segundo, CA
Library Journal (01/01/1999)
April 1945: the German war machine is collapsing, and the Nazis are frantically crowding their stolen art treasures into a secret salt mine in Altaussee, Austria. In the chaos, a truck from one of the convoys disappears. The driver has deserted, hoping to negotiate asylum with the advancing American forces. But a blizzard sets him off course, and he and his loot are captured by a brutal Russian patrol instead. Boston, 50 years later: a gorgeous painting by the Spanish master Vel?zquez turns up in the pawnshop ("CA$H IN A FLA$H") of the surprisingly prim Simeon Pawlovsky. Suspicious of the thug who brought it in ("a big scar here, half an ear missing, a busted nose"), Simeon calls his friend Ben Revere, a retired art historian and curator who likes baseball and occasionally moonlights for the police. The next day, Simeon is murdered during an attempt to steal the painting. Motivated by guilt and encouraged by Simeon's fiery niece, Revere goes on a whirlwind search for the provenance of the Vel?zquez and the whereabouts of the rest of the art aboard the missing truck. In the process, Revere is hired by a wealthy, aging count in Vienna, implicated in the murder of an underworld figure in Budapest and chased by a Russian mafia assassin all over Europe. Revere's combination of high intellect and low pretense makes him an engaging sleuth, and Elkin's (Twenty Blue Devils, etc.) cultural and historical details add savor to this engaging, fast-paced novel. Rights: Karpfinger Agency. (Feb.)
Publishers Weekly (01/04/1999)
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