The Lost Van Gogh

This debut from husband-and-wife team Al and Jean Zerries contains the promise of an innovative, topical thriller, but descends into familiar turf. The action starts with a daring art burglary-turned-homicide at a Park Avenue apartment. The crime soon reaches the desk of NYPD detective Clay Ryder, art specialist for the Special Investigations Division, but his nascent inquiry is sidelined when the Metropolitan Museum of Art receives what purports to be a long-lost original Van Gogh. Ryder soon identifies NYU film professor Rachel Meredith as the painting's heir. Meredith, the granddaughter of the painting's former French owner, opts to reclaim the portrait, a decision that leads to numerous attempts on her life-which shadowy Mossad figures tell the detective are linked to a wanted Nazi war criminal. The concluding section's abductions, gunfights and rescues don't match the originality of the novel's premise, which offers hope for more consistent quality in future books.