A.J. Zerries

A.J. Zerries is the pen name for the husband-and-wife writing team of Al (1942–2009) and Jean (est. birth 1944 in Newark, NJ) Zerries. The duo worked on the creative side of the advertising industry for 20 years before becoming novelists. Al Zerries was also an award-winning portrait artist. They are best known for their international thrillers, including Stealing from the Dead (2012) and The Lost Van Gogh.

The plot of Stealing from the Dead revolves around a present-day conspiracy to steal millions of dollars in restitution funds intended for Holocaust survivors from Swiss bank accounts that had initially denied their existence decades ago. The novel is heavily focused on the historical and contemporary fallout of financial crimes against Jewish victims of the Holocaust. NYPD Detective Greta Strasser investigates the suspicious death of an elderly Jewish woman, a survivor, which leads her to uncover the vast international plot and a network of murders targeting people on a claims resolution list. The book directly addresses the real-world issue of unclaimed Jewish assets in Swiss banks and weaves it into a modern- day terrorist conspiracy, making the Holocaust and its aftermath a foundational element of the narrative. 

Key themes of The Lost Van Gogh Jewish cultural property and the history of art theft during World War II. The mystery is triggered by the reappearance of a long-lost Vincent van Gogh painting, which was stolen from a Jewish family in Paris in 1944 by a German SS officer. The main heir to the painting is Rachel Meredith, an NYU professor and the grandchild of the original Jewish owners. The Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, also becomes involved in the investigation, hunting for the Nazi officer who may still be alive. [Google/AI]

Zerries, A. J., (The Lost Van Gogh [hc, Forge Books, 2006] 978-0765312501

Zerries, A.J., (Stealing from the Dead [hc, Forge Books, 2012]) 978-0765327178 [pb, Forge Books, 2013] 978-0765365743