A. J. Zerries

A Van Gogh, missing since WWII, resurfaces when it is sent to the Museum of Modern Art via UPS from a mysterious address in Argentina. The book opens with a string of art couriers being attacked and NYPD detective Clay Ryder stepping in to solve the crime. From the flap, I thought it was going to be more mystery than thriller; I couldn't have been more wrong! Once I figured out it was a thriller, I was sold. Tight story, lots of twists, turns, shoot-outs, car chases, Mossad agents, old South American Nazis, boat chases, hostages, forgeries, and evil art dealers...and it's only 346 pages long. Museums, auction houses, art dealers, forgers and Nazi history create the backdrop for the story, but its plot is action-driven.

This is an older book (2006), but I was recently reminded of it while reading another; thus this review!… (más)

Detective Clay Ryder doesn't get much respect from his buddies in the Major Case Squad of the NYPD. After all, none of them think it kosher for a former SEAL to be interested in art. But art is Clay's passion and he has just gotten a spectacular case. Two Van Goghs, a matched set, are at stake. And at the end of a trail of black-market thieves and art movers might just be the catch of a lifetime - a bona fide Nazi.

I found this book at a library book sale and was curious enough to give it a try. It has several things that should have made it right up my alley - a tough-guy who has an intelligent side, art (specifically Van Gogh) and Nazis. Oh yes, I should have loved it. But I didn't. It took weeks to slog through. I stuck with it because I liked Clay... most of the time... but I didn't like anything else. Not the other cops, not the locales, there wasn't even a really good toady, just nothing. Some scenes seemed to have promise and then the whole next chapter was a bust. And then it hit me - two authors wrote this novel and published under one name. No wonder it felt uneven. So, I can't really recommend it for reading but I still hold out hope that some Hollywood script doctor could do something with it...… (más)

I can’t resist pulling something out of the bargain bins at my local bookstores. You know the really cheap remainders, usually books that never made a splash or by authors that have yet to establish themselves. Usually they turn out to be worth no more than what I paid. When one of these unknown works turns out to be worth the original full price, I am very happy. Such turned out to be the case for The Lost Van Gogh by a husband and wife team writing under the name of A J Zerries.

The book is about a New York detective, Clay Ryder, who works as the “art guy” for the Major Case Squad. Ryder becomes involved with a case involving art stolen by the Nazis being sold at black market auctions and the return of one painting in particular to the descendant of the original owner. Once returned, the story gets deeper, involving deceptions going back many years and surviving Nazis trying to regain the picture.

Make no mistake, this story is no Maltese Falcon, and the authors do not compare to Dashiell Hammett. There are a number of plot twists that, while entertaining, were not as subtle as they could have been. The action is well paced, the characters fairly well developed and the plot holes are minimal. This is written well enough, I could see someone optioning this for the big screen.

Hardly a classic detective story, it is quite good for a contemporary police novel. If you enjoy that genre, you should appreciate this book. The Lost Van Gogh should also appeal to action / adventure readers. All around good escapist reading and deserving a solid four stars.… (más)