The Lost Panel

For six centuries, the world has worshipped Jan van Eyck’s Ghent altarpiece. Few know that the painter hid something inside it. Fewer still know he killed to protect it.

When a fragment of a lost Nazi diary surfaces in Ghent, young art historian Sophia Rossi stumbles onto a trail long dismissed as myth—a trail leading to the missing panel of the altarpiece, stolen in 1934 and never recovered. The diary hints at something far older buried within the painting’s creation: a relic smuggled out of the Holy Land, encoded into van Eyck’s brushwork and protected by murder, theft, and centuries of silence. As Sophia follows clues hidden in monastic archives, cathedral blueprints, and the pigment chemistry of fifteenth-century oil paint, someone else is following her. Mr. W—reclusive billionaire, obsessive collector, and master of secrets—has spent decades building a private empire of stolen beauty. Now he wants van Eyck’s masterpiece, and he never loses. Some artworks are stolen for money, some for power, and some because the truth painted into them was never meant to be found.

"Double the trouble, thrice the action and quadruple the enjoyment. A masterful debut filled with unexpected nuances and dire exploits. This one holds you tight and never lets go, until all is reveals." — Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of the Cotton Malone series

"A riveting blend of art, history, and high-stakes intrigue. The Lost Panel pulls you in from the first page and never lets go. The twists are sharp, the mystery is layered, and the ending is as clever as it is satisfying. Fans of Dan Brown and Steve Berry will devour it." — Dr. Noah Charney, Art Historian and Best-Selling Author of The Art Thief

Mark Steven Hammond, a serial tech entrepreneur and native San Diegan, divides his time between Laguna Beach and Las Vegas. He grew up riding his dirt bike on canyon trails, then racing vintage motocross nationally, chasing thrilling adventure and calculated risks—traits he shares with the protagonist of his debut novel, The Lost Panel.