The Secret Supper: A Novel [Paperback]

This instantNew York Timesbestseller reveals the secrets embedded in Leonardo Da Vinci's best-known Christian piece The Last Supper.

Milan, 1497: Leonardo is completing The Last Supper. Pope Alexander VI is determined to execute him after realizing that the painting contains clues to a baffling—and blasphemous—message that he is driven to decode. The Holy Grail and the Eucharistic Bread are missing, there is no meat on the table, and the apostles, shockingly, are portraits of well-known heretics—and none of them are depicted with halos. And why has the artist painted himself into the scene with his back turned toward Jesus? The clues to Leonardo's greatest puzzle are right before your eyes...

Tightly paced and atmospheric,The Secret Supperis a dazzling historical thriller with a unique vision of both Leonardo da Vinci's genius and his masterpiece—which you will never look at in the same way again.Javier Sierra, whose works have been translated into forty languages, is the author ofThe Lost Angel,The Lady in Blue, and theNew York Timesbestselling novelThe Secret Supper. One of the most accomplished authors on the Spanish literary scene, Sierra studied journalism at the Complutense University of Madrid.El Maestro del Pradospent a year on the bestseller list in Spain, gaining the admiration of art experts, aficionados, and critics. A native of Teruel, Spain, he currently lives in Madrid with his wife and two children.PreambleDiscussion Questions

1. Aside from his skill at solving codes and puzzles, what other methods does Father Agostino use in his attempt to uncover the identity of the Soothsayer and decipher the enigma ofThe Last Supper?How much does he owe to chance? What is the significance of Leonardo da Vinci solving the riddle written by the SoothslS