I was drawn into this one by the mention of the Monuments Men in the blurb. What can I say? This ol' history major is a sucker for anything historical and the whole concept of the work of that group still astonishes and impresses. While I can't say that this was the book for me, I enjoyed the idea behind it. A former member of that Monuments Men team leaves his mansion to Sydney Fisher, a former neighbor and art lover who'd been mentored in a way by him. That isn't all he left. He left behind a bewildering puzzle of clues and art with the reminder that sometimes what you see isn't what's important. It's what has been hidden. Fortunately, he also left behind a superbly trained support team and notes. Now, if only Sydney and Elena Rodriguez, another student, let's say, of Marcus Vale, with the important tie that her grandmother was one of his vital helpers during the wartime recovery efforts, can pull together that team and figure out the message he so cleverly and carefully left for them and it's meaning. Not just to them but the world, especially the art world.
The technology/computer aspects of the story quickly went right over my head, unfortunately. Not quite enough to leave me totally confused, but enough to leave me wondering if I'd fallen into the secrets of the old mansion myself. While I know about the art and the verification of authenticity methods, I was lost with the codes and numbers and coordinates that became such a big part of the story. Oddly enough, this may be where those seriously into technology and computers may be seriously sucked into the story as they try to stay one step ahead of Sydney and Elena, not to mention the shadowy figures who seem to be trying to stop them. You'll definitely learn quite a bit about not just painting but even framing, right down to the connectors holding the frame sides together. It was all rather intriguing. You could definitely see Sydney and Elena growing closer, learning to trust each other, not to mention Sydney's trusty dog Wolfgang, he of the slightly crooked ears and sensitive hearing and distinctive warning barks/sounds. I was definitely glad to see him earn his place on the expanding team as the story goes along.
Bottom line, while slow paced not quite pulling me in, many will find this an intriguing story. I did wish a bit more space had been given to the goals and workmanship of the Monuments Men early on although this takes it a step beyond, into the much more technical, modern world. A world where secrets abound and you're not quite sure who to trust. Thanks to #BookSirens and the author for allowing me this early look at a book that pulled together, however haphazardly, my love of history and intrigue. The quote that stuck with me was something to the extent of the search for the right ending to an old story. That's an apt description.
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