R. A. Scotti is the author of Vanished Smile, a 2010 Edgar Award nominee, as well as three previous works of nonfiction, including Basilica: The Splendor and the Scandal—Building St. Peter’s and Sudden Sea: The Great Hurricane of 1938, and four novels. She lives in New York City.
“R.A. Scotti’s pen is as deft as Leonardo’s brush. . . . Sublime.”
—The Washington Times
“Luminous…. Scotti narrates the investigation with gusto and
grace.” —The Washington Post Book World
“A story that La Gioconda herself would have smiled
at—enigmatically, of course.” —Time
“Beguiling…. An absence of clues meant an abundance of theories,
and Scotti advances them all in an arresting…narrative.” —The New
York Times Book Review
“Elegant and erudite…. Scotti follows the trail of the missing
masterpiece with the same zestful sense of adventure that she
brought to Basilica…. An unabashed literary diva, Scotti commands
attention from page one.” —The Boston Globe
“The painting was missing for more than two years, and the names of
the prime suspects in the case—Pablo Picasso and his friend, the
poet and art critic Guillaume Apollinaire—push this story past
something even Dan Brown could concoct. . . . A rolling . . . piece
of entertainment. . . . Reminds us of the bedrock appeal of the
Mona Lisa’s gaze.” —The New York Times
“Captivating. . . . Scotti’s sophistication, wit, style, and
illuminating research makes this a delightfully suspenseful read.”
—Providence Journal
“A charming [book] that delves deeper into the mystique of the Mona
Lisa herself. . . . Readers hankering for more of da Vinci and his
enigmatic sitter, whose smooth smile has been bewitching men for
centuries . . . should reach for Vanished Smile.” —St. Petersburg
Times
“Equal parts art history and crime caper. . . . This rollicking
tale makes for fascinating reading.” —The Christian Science Monitor
“Reads like a prose poem with narrative gallop.” —Time
“Superb. . . . An art-heist page-turner that will delight art
enthusiasts as well as true-crime buffs. (Note to Hollywood: This
may be your best hope for a caper starring Brad Pitt and George
Clooney as Picasso and Apollinaire.)” —Richmond Times-Dispatch
“As full of twists, turns and suspense as any mystery novel. . . .
Makes the Mona Lisa's story even more significant—and her smile
even more alluring.” —BookPage
“Remarkable. . . . R.A. Scott combines her skills as a historian
and novelist to recreate this sensational crime, which has all the
twists and turns of a mystery novel, except that it’s true.”
—Florida Weekly
“A book that nonfiction lovers, true-crime lovers, and especially
art lovers will thoroughly enjoy.” —Curled Up With a Good Book
“Who needs The Da Vinci Code when you can have the real thing?”
—The Daily Beast
“An apt tribute to Leonardo da Vinci’s mysterious muse. . . . In
Vanished Smile, R.A. Scotti deftly uncovers the mysterious theft of
the art world’s prima donna. . . . Thanks to Scotti’s meticulous
research and atmospheric writing, a crime that had all the
trappings of insanity, national prestige and obsession is brought
to light marvelously.” —The Business Standard
“A crime caper . . . that convey[s] l’air du temps. . . .
Enthralling.” —Financial Times
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