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Crime/Scene: Jonathan Santlofer on The Last Mona Lisa with Alison Gaylin

September 9, 2021 at The Center for Fiction

Jonathan Santlofer (Inherit the Dead) opened a new Center for Fiction series on crime fiction with his latest release, The Last Mona Lisa (also available in hardcover), a gripping story that dives into the world of art and forgery. The book imagines where the world’s most famous piece of art, the Mona Lisa, went in the two years between its 1911 disappearance and its recovery. Santlofer discussed the book and the crime fiction genre with Alison Gaylin, an Edgar Award-winning author of twelve thriller and mystery novels including her latest, The Collective.

In Conversation

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    Jonathan Santlofer

    Jonathan Santlofer

    Jonathan Santlofer is a writer and artist. His debut novel, The Death Artist, was an international bestseller translated into 17 languages, a People magazine “Page-Turner of the Week” and is currently in development at Fox, along with his second and third novels. His fourth novel, Anatomy of Fear, won the Nero Award for best crime novel of 2009. Jonathan created the Crime Fiction Academy at The Center for Fiction. As an artist, Jonathan has been making replications of famous paintings for wealthy clients for more than 20 years.

    Photo Credit: Clarke Tolton

  • _Alison Gaylin Author Photo 2 - Zach Cihlar

    Alison Gaylin

    Alison Gaylin

    USA Today and international bestselling author Alison Gaylin has won the Edgar and Shamus awards. Her work has been published in the US, UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Japan, Germany, Romania, and Denmark, and she has been nominated for numerous awards, including the Macavity, Anthony, ITW Thriller and Strand Book Award. In addition to her novels, she has published many short stories and collaborated with Megan Abbott on the graphic novel Normandy Gold (Titan/Hard Case Crime, 2018). Her twelfth book, The Collective, will be out from William Morrow in November 2021.

    Photo Credit: Michael Gaylin