Van Gogh's Lover

Jane Ward was sure of three things. . .
Her painting was a Van Gogh.
Only one man would believe her.
That man was a killer.

From the acclaimed author of The Forbidden Zone comes a soaring adventure of two women, separated by time, but united by a mysterious masterpiece and an appalling injustice that will shake the art world to the core. Meticulously researched and inspired by the true story of Vincent Van Gogh's years in France.

Twelve years have passed since a high school accident derailed Jane's once-promising future. When the owners of the powerful Firth Gallery invite Jane to bring her beloved family painting, The Lover, to Switzerland, it looks like a second chance. But on her first night in Geneva, the painting goes missing, and she suspects the Firths.

Determined to recover her painting, Jane is led to a dying village in the high Alps where an enigmatic man living in a châ teau is waiting for her. Within the châ teau's walls, she uncovers a history of lies, murder, and, at its heart, an appalling injustice that will shake the art world to its core.

But not everyone wants these facts brought to light. Jane will need to find the strength she lost in her accident and face the shocking truth about her past, her painting, and, finally, an epic love affair between a destitute painter named Vincent Van Gogh and a mysterious woman who inspired a portrait that may be his greatest work.

Praise for Michael Hetzer's The Forbidden Zone
". . . unforgettable story of love, deceit, and redemption. . . extraordinary." -Library Journal (starred review)

"Intriguing and entertaining. . . compulsively readable." -Daniel Silva, author of The Unlikely Spy

". . . a first-rate thriller. This book caught my imagination from the first page to the very last." -Robert Strauss, last U. S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union, first Ambassador to the Russian Federation

"Well-paced and exciting, with crisp dialogue, believable setups, and first-rate atmosphere." -Kirkus Reviews

"Well-written, attentive. . . full of compassion for the Russian people, and of pleasure of American readers." -Publisher's Weekly