by Daniel Silva
Part of Gabriel Allon, book 25
First published 2025
Gabriel Allon arrives in Venice to restore one of the city's most iconic paintings. His mission takes a deadly turn when he discovers a woman's body floating in the lagoon waters. The corpse connects to the theft of a hidden Leonardo da Vinci portrait that no one knew existed. The stolen work depicts a beautiful young woman and was concealed beneath a worthless painting attributed to an unknown artist. For over a century, this forgotten canvas sat in Vatican Museums storage. Since no one realized Leonardo's masterwork lay hidden underneath, no one detected its disappearance. Only the criminals behind the heist and the dead woman Gabriel pulled from Venetian waters knew the truth. The victim remains nameless and faceless, her identity as mysterious as the stolen art. Gabriel races through Venice's shadowy art underworld to recover the lost Leonardo and solve the woman's murder. His investigation reveals the sophisticated network of thieves who orchestrated this inside job.
Genres: art, suspense, mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, investigation
Setting: Venice
Period: 21st-century
416 pages · Hardcover · Harper