The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci

Three destinies are forever intertwined through one remarkable painting, in this chilling mystery that is reminiscent of “The DaVinci Code” by Dan Brown, but is arguably even more nail biting. 

Angela Renatus is an art historian who is haunted by nightmares about a particular painting: created by Leonardo daVinci, it supposedly pictures Giuliano Medici and his mistress. There is only one problem: the painting doesn’t exist. At least, it’s not supposed to exist. When Angela is contacted by Alex Caine, an art detective who is also looking for the mysterious painting, she starts to believe the painting of her dreams could be real, after all. Angela and Alex team up to find the painting and journey to Florence, where they locate the last known clue to the painting’s whereabouts. Unbeknown to them, another player is determined to get his hands on the painting, and their seemingly innocent quest for a missing masterpiece could potentially turn deadly… 

The description of settings like Florence and Rome is spot-on. Having visited these locations, it’s easy to recognize some of the places described in the book, and the vivid descriptions allow the reader to be transported there. However, the book also has some downsides. The romance makes a reader roll their eyes sometimes; it is exaggerated and not very realistic. Angela is a passive protagonist who lacks personality. The villains are as exaggerated as the romance, and seem to come straight out of a children’s movie: over-the-top, obvious, their plans too easily thwarted. Despite these flaws, the mystery itself is entertaining and has a few unexpected twists. 

Majanka Verstraete