When I saw this book on NetGalley the title stood out to me. I will admit that, yes I do oftentimes judge a book by its cover. Although I usually don’t read very many thrillers, the chance to read about a high stakes art heist that involved Van Gogh’s paintings made me hit the “request” button and I am glad I did.
Tyler Sears had other plans for his life, but one thing led to another and now he is an art thief. Not only does it pay the bills, but it gives him an adrenaline rush and allows him to meet some “interesting” people. But when a heist goes bad in Madrid, he finds himself on the wrong side of a jail cell and he vows to get out of the thieving business once he is released.
As Tyler is trying to keep a low profile and get his life back on track after his 18 month stint in prison, he is approached by a wealthy Japanese business man who wants him to pull off the greatest art heist of all time, which of course, involves stealing the self-portrait of Van Gogh which famously has a curse attached to it. Although Tyler has sworn off the art heist business, Mr. Imasu will not take no for an answer and is threatening not just Tyler’s life, but also those of his family and friends. Imasu’s thugs are an entertaining part of the book and are your typical gun toting, trigger happy gangsters.
And in the midst of all of this we need an interesting love story, so Tyler meets and falls head-over-heals for Lucy, who is a marketing director for the Guggenheim. I liked her involvement in the plot and as the story evolves we are left wondering if she will embrace Tyler’s lifestyle or if their relationship is doomed from the start.
THE CURSE OF VAN GOGH is a fast-paced, high-octane read that is perfect when you want something entertaining to read on the beach. As we follow Tyler through shootouts, car chases, and encounters with Interpol agents we are left wondering if he will end up doing 20 to life or dead. Will he also become a victim of Van Gogh’s famous curse?
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thebookbindersdaughter.com 
I definitely judge books by their covers! It’s hard not to, at least until you’ve read the blurb and some reviews, since you’ve got nothing else to go on. I can see why this one jumped out at you. Very pretty!
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When I scan NetGalley I always look at the cover first! I can see why authors and publishers spend so much time/money perfecting the right cover to capture the reader’s attention. Thanks for stopping by and reading my review 🙂
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