4 out of 4 stars
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Murder, suspense, thrilling romance, a paranormal aspect and adventures of extravagance.The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci has all this and more!
Angela, the main protagonist, is fresh out of college and has landed the gig of a lifetime. An internship at the renowned Gettysburg Museum. It’s a dream come true until that dream becomes a nightmare. She finds herself instantly caught in a battle between her career and her dignity. This due to a vile chauvinistic man who happens to be her boss. His unwanted advancements leave her feeling vulnerable and second guessing her entire career. Enter Alex Cain and a job offer from the private art detective. He makes a living retrieving stolen and lost art all over the world. Can she leave her dream job behind and take a risk with her career?
To top it off Angela begins having visions of the past. She must solve the riddles of what they mean, and Alex is the only one she can trust. Or can she? What is her connection to a painting 500 years old? A painting that may or may not even exist? Is Alex the key to helping Angela solve these riddles? She must decide fast what course she will take. They aren’t the only ones attempting to solve the mystery. What ensues is a story filled with mysterious suspense and the great lengths one will travel to keep safe those they love.
This book held a bit of a special interest for me within the first few pages. I grew up in LA and passed the famous Gettysburg daily on my commutes to and from work. The museum was a favorite of my grandmothers, and we would visit on special occasions. The museum is depicted well in the story. I imagine if I knew anything of Florence, the places and things described in that setting would be spot on as well. This author did an amazing job of creating an aesthetically pleasing experience for the reader with his descriptive accounts throughout. And while he described everything thoroughly, it was not too descriptive. It is a delicate balance I feel the author masters in The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci.
There was a unique paranormal nuance in the story that might normally have deterred me. Reincarnation is usually a subject of great debate. The author portrayed it in such a way that I was left feeling a powerful persuasion to believe in it. This is attributed to the great ease at which the author weaves us through the multiple lives of Angela and Alex. He kept the accounts within the realm of believability. Another delicate task that I feel he mastered.
The romance aspect is another part that at times can become overwhelmingly repetitive in its descriptions. One can only read about the same steaming anatomy for so long. The author, in this case, did an excellent job to expand at the proper moments. Likewise just cutting to the chase when needed to not pull you too far from the plot. I'm not a fan of romance novels in particular. Which, not to be confused, this one is not. I did however, enjoy the romantic aspect of this particular book immensely.
I would rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars. Either there was not a single error or I was too wrapped up in the story to notice one. This book is a must read for any mystery fan. I believe those drawn to a good romance novel would enjoy this one as well. While not totally a romance, it has all the elements for an exciting change of pace that I would encourage readers to indulge in. As stated before this book has it all! I recommend it as a must read for lovers of any genre as I feel it would appeal to all.
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The Girl Who Knew da Vinci
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