The Last Mona Lisa Audiobook By Jonathan Santlofer cover art

The Last Mona Lisa

A Novel

Preview

Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Last Mona Lisa

By: Jonathan Santlofer
Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $20.00

Buy for $20.00

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

One of People Magazine's Best Books of Summer!

"Unstoppable what-happens-next momentum." (Michael Connelly, number-one New York Times best-selling author)

"A deliciously tense read." (Ruth Ware, number-one New York Times best-selling author)

From award-winning crime writer and celebrated artist Jonathan Santlofer comes an enthralling tale about the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre, the forgeries that appeared in its wake, and the present-day underbelly of the art world.

August, 1911: The Mona Lisa is stolen by Vincent Peruggia. Exactly what happens in the two years before its recovery is a mystery. Many replicas of the Mona Lisa exist, and more than one historian has wondered if the painting now returned to the Louvre is a fake, switched in 1911.

Present day: Art professor Luke Perrone digs for the truth behind his most famous ancestor: Peruggia. His search attracts an Interpol detective with something to prove and an unfamiliar but curiously helpful woman. Soon, Luke tumbles deep into the world of art and forgery, a land of obsession and danger.

The Last Mona Lisa is a suspenseful and seductive tale, perfect for fans of the Netflix documentaries This Is a Robbery and Made You Look and listeners obsessed with the world of art heists and forgeries.

©2021 by Jonathan Santlofer (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.
Historical Fiction Suspense Fiction Exciting Mystery
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Critic reviews

“Ballerini's smooth voice and lyrical use of linguistics transport the listener to Italy and France as he portrays the suspenseful search to uncover the secrets behind the world-famous smile.… Listeners will find themselves drawn into the intrigue in an attempt to solve this startling whodunit thriller.” Booklist

“Edoardo Ballerini's fast-paced narration amplifies the suspense in this fictionalized mystery about the very real controversy surrounding the authenticity of Leonardo da Vinci's MONA LISA.… Ballerini provides authentic voices and accents for the various Italians who aid Luke's research and switches to tough-guy New Yorker for Luke and the Interpol agent who is following him. Ballerini clearly distinguishes a cast of characters that include a dangerous hit man working for a collector of stolen art and a mysterious American woman who seduces Luke.” AudioFile Magazine

"Fabulous—instantly immersive, intriguing and suspenseful, and expert and authentic too ... only a writer who is also an artist—or an artist who is also a writer—could have pulled it off. This feels like the thriller Santlofer was born to write." - Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series

What listeners say about The Last Mona Lisa

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    187
  • 4 Stars
    114
  • 3 Stars
    60
  • 2 Stars
    20
  • 1 Stars
    5
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    233
  • 4 Stars
    55
  • 3 Stars
    17
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    161
  • 4 Stars
    88
  • 3 Stars
    48
  • 2 Stars
    10
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Ok mystery with typical bumbling hero

Not much different than a Dan Brown novel with an ok mystery , obviously hero who stumbles it no danger and a villain who seems to have Michael Myers’s ability to not die

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting thanks to history

I made it through this book but at times I was looking forward to finishing. I found the story a bit formulaic and the “romance“ was layered onto the recounting of historical events like too much shellac on a fine painting.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Compelling

Interesting story, although confusing at times. Narration was very good for all the different characters involved. Would recommend.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful, descriptive writing.

Loved this book so much! Actually finished it in two days on vacation. The performance was excellent! One of the best I’ve heard.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very good

Superbly written and quickly paced, I not only enjoyed this novel, but learned a good deal from it. an excellent read.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

An interesting old fashioned who done it revolving around art

It was refreshing to read a book that didn’t have a political agenda. It had a good and intriguing story line and was well performed.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A good tale beautifully read

As usual, Edoardo Ballerini does not disappoint. The story is a perfect summer listen while being educational enough, convoluted enough, and romantic enough. A bit too much violent for me but seldom on center stage.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very well done!

I flew through this story. Great writing and the perfect length. Not over done and long or overly condensed.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Would read again

Loved it, your suspension was palatable. It has twists and turns that keep you listening.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Pat Feeney

Great beach or long drive read. Very well done audible and it keeps your attention. Great description of European cities as I have been there. Very accurate.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful