Tom Kirk was once one of the world's foremost art thieves. Now he is part of a firm of chartered loss adjusters, the first port of call for Lloyds of London whenever they have a high insurance claim to investigate. Tom is working with his old fence, Archie Connelly, both of them having set themselves up on the right side of the law.

When Kirk learns of the death of an old friend, Rafael, a retired art forger, he goes to Seville to learn the manner of his brutal death. He discovers that Rafael hadn't retired and was back in the business of forging masterpieces. Rafael left clues for Kirk, which lead him to the discovery of a plot by his arch-enemy, Milo, to steal the Mona Lisa from the Louvre in Paris.

Meanwhile in New York, FBI agent Jennifer Browne ( Double Eagle) is investigating art fraud uncovered in the New York art world. She is sent to Europe where she joins forces with Kirk to find the culprits and to thwart the theft. They find themselves searching back in the past for answers; even in the tunnels under the streets of Paris. Their path is filled with danger and death to those connected with the theft.

Gilded Seal is an intriguing story filled with action and suspense. The battle between the police and culprits in the mountain road tunnel is vividly described. The trip through the tunnels under Paris streets is very realistic. The characters are well-defined, and especially horrifying is Japanese collector Takeshi (don't cross him!). The picture of the art world and the auction world is very revealing. The history of the Mona Lisa and the many copies lead the reader to wonder whether the Mona Lisa on the wall in the Louvre is the one painted by daVinci.

Highly recommended both for enjoyment of the mystery and for the wealth of history.