1. What is John Washington Smith’s relationship to his job? What does he want from his career? What is he willing to do to get that?

2. Many valuable works of art were coerced from Jewish collectors, though they are recorded as legitimate sales by the Nazi party. When evaluating provenance and assessing rightful ownership, how should museums and auction houses accommodate these dubious sales?

3. Many characters in the book have secrets, conceal the truth or lie. Do you think it is sometimes necessary to misrepresent the truth? What are the consequences of lying or evading the truth?

4. Most art dealers avoid looted art entirely, but some are willing to buy and sell it from a remove. How do you feel about this? Should art dealers be allowed to buy and sell works with dubious provenance?

5. The three main characters --- Luke, Alex and Smith --- take great risks to attain what they are after. How are their aims and attitudes toward risk different?

6. Why would Alex continue to have a relationship with her father, and how does it benefit either of them?

7. What power does Jennifer hold throughout the book? Does her eventual outcome change the way you relate to her story?

8. How do the various theories about Van Gogh’s death affect your interpretation of his art?

9. Luke makes a moral decision that seriously affects his art career and his future. Would you have done the same in his position?

10. The path of the lost painting in this story is just one explanation of how a Nazi-looted artwork survived. Do you think many works of art took similar routes to be recovered?