"It wasn't often that a newly discovered painting by one of the most sought after impressionists came on the market. And then, there was more; so much more"...

The Forgotten Painting by Gabriel Farago

3.5 Stars.

First things first. Why is this book labeled as a thriller? That is way off.

This book is not a thriller. It is an Historical Mystery about a painting. It is not a thriller/horror novel. It is about a Monet Painting that is being auctioned off. We, the readers, are taken back in time to WW2 where the story of the painting is told.

This was captivating in several ways. Yet towards the middle I had to skim a bit. This is not a very long book. It is not a short story but it is not full length either. It is a Novella.

I found the beginning to be good, the middle a little dull and as it crept toward the end, it suddenly got fascinating. I will use a spoiler to explain why that is.

SPOILERS:

I really was floored to find there were two paintings..suddenly all I could think about was which one is the real Monet. That was super interesting and reminded me of a book I read many years ago, "The Art Forger".

I did have a tough time with the middle because of the format. It kept going from the Art Auction back into the past and just when we think the story is winding down, there is another twist and we go back in time again. It was hard to hold my interest with that aspect.

I like that style of writing sometimes and actually just read another book this week that uses the same format but in that book, it made more sense. The constant going back and forth in this book was a bit jarring.

I hate the Nazis with a passion and frankly do not read many books dealing with this period in time. But this dealt more with the painting and how it came to be. There was a nice little side romance and all in all it was a good read but to call it a THRILLER? I mean.. that is doing the book a disservice as those who like Historical Fiction might pass it by and those who like thrillers maybe let down. I think of John Saul and Stephen King with that label. This is a Historical Novella about a Hauntingly beautiful painting.

As for the good..there is quite a bit..I do like the story of how this painting came to be and I loved the richly textured descriptions of the painting. The book is also touching and poignant and will appeal to art fans I have no doubt. ( )

Jack Rogan after discovering a diary detailing a hidden treasure follows the clue to the discovery of the forgotten painting.
Unfortunately the story or the style of writing didn't really catch my interest. ( )

The most riveting and gripping novella I have ever read! A stand-alone novella that also intrigues the reader from cover-to-cover, chapter-to-chapter, page-to-page. For me, an introduction to the Jack Rogan Mysteries. Highlights one of many atrocities by the Nazis during WWII in stealing valuable art from Jewish families as the story unfolds of the heartbreaking decision a father makes to try to save his family and the incredible path the painting had that the son learns many years after the war. I won't say why but it certainly only heightened my interest in the storyline since Monet is my favorite painter.

If you skipped the "Author's Note" at the beginning of the novella I'd encourage you to enjoy it or if you haven't read this novella yet, I'll encourage you not to miss it at the beginning of the novella. All readers owe a special thanks to the author's publicist. She asked for, "Something exciting, a page-turner to showcase your writing." In this reader's opinion, Gabriel Farago delivered! ( )

I downloaded this to my Kindle Fire. I sounded interesting and it was. It is a novella: longer than a short story but shorter than a true novel.

A Monet painting is up for auction...one with an interesting back story. Prior to the auction, its history/provenance is revealed. The chapters bounce between the current and the past time periods, revealing the history of the painting, the people involved and the era all happened in.

Claude Monet paints a painting of a garden scene. As a tribute to his friend, the violinist Berenger Krakowski, Monet paints a person playing the violin into a corner of the painting. It becomes a treasure to the family. The title given the painting is "Little Sparrow in the Garden."

When the Warsaw Ghetto becomes a waiting ground for the Jews that the Nazi have given a death sentence to, Krakowski finds out that the Nazi are buying up, if not stealing, as much original art as possible and that there is a particular person who is willing to buy this particular painting. Krakowski hopes that by selling it he will save his family from being killed. He sells it, but it does not save his family. They are shipped off to Auschwitz. The painting is then secreted away by the buyer to help distance himself from this brutal time in history and his involvement.

When Jack Rogan comes upon a diary telling of this painting, and the request of a dying friend to find it, the story starts to come to light. Not only does he find out the full story behind the painting, he finds that there is deception also.

I enjoyed moving between current and past eras to learn of the history and what was happening to the work and the people. This is a taste of what Farago writes of and part of a series of Jack Rogan stories. ( )

This is another superb book by Gabriel Fargo. With unexpected twists and turns, you'll find yourself trying (and failing!) to guess what will happen next.

Thoroughly researched, and very well written, this is a story that will entertain you and let you wanting more. A fantastic choice. ( )