author BIO
C. Joan Baker spent the majority of her career leading marketing and communication initiatives for a global manufacturer. Since 2018, she has worked as a business/marketing consultant and author. Baker majored in journalism, communications, and marketing and minored in art, holding Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees.
Born and raised in North St. Louis City, MO. Her curiosity and willingness to dive deeply into new interests were the common denominators that launched a successful business career and her first book, Chasing Picasso: The True Story of a Daytime heist on Art Hill.
She broke the glass ceiling on more than one occasion in her business career and jokingly claimed she has the emotional scars to prove it. These days she enjoys researching new subjects, from historical mysteries to the esoteric. When she is not writing or researching, she enjoys golfing, hiking and binging mystery content. She hopes her latest book will help find the missing Picasso.
The Rabbit Hole Journey to Oprah's List
Becoming a best-selling writer isn't easy. Author C. Joan Baker searches for the perfect storyline to pen her next novel in a quest to hit the best-seller list. Specifically, Oprah's list. Her research often leads her down interesting rabbit holes, but not the kind that inspires O's readers. Still, stories of weird history, strange phenomena, and personal adventures of a newly published author make for interesting short stories.
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chasing picasso: The True story of a daytime heist on art hill
From Dictators to Dons, the story of the missing Picasso painting from the Saint Louis Art Museum in 1973 is a journey into the rise of art theft and how it stolen art became the third largest criminal trade in the world. Is it too late to find the missing art? See for yourself.
Learn More About the Missing picasso & the Book about its heist and history
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chasing picasso ~ BOOK REVIEWS
“Written like a detective novel, C. Joan Baker takes the reader on a rollicking ride through the high-stakes world of art theft. Chasing Picasso is a fast-paced and engrossing hunt for an art world masterpiece.”
—ROBERT K. WITTMAN, New York Times bestselling author of Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World’s Stolen Treasures and the international bestseller The Devil’s Diary: Alfred Rosenberg and the Stolen Secrets of the Third Reich
EXCELLENT Read!
The author connected the dots that was overlooked by the FBI while trying to recover the art in 1973.
New Douglas il (bARNES & nOBLE rEVIEW)
This book is a good read, it keeps your interest right away. There's actually a lot of history and information regarding Picasso and other aspects of the art. You can tell the author spent quality time doing research and with the information in this book, it's very possible this lost piece of art could be recovered one day.
SPRINGFIELD il (bOOKS-a-mILLION rEVIEW)
"Chasing Picasso" is a captivating and well-crafted novel that seamlessly merges art, history, and suspense.
The pacing of Chasing Picasso is well-maintained, with moments of intense action interspersed with quieter, reflective moments. The story maintains its grip on the reader, and the desire to unravel the mystery propels the pages forward. In conclusion, "Chasing Picasso" is a captivating and well-crafted novel that seamlessly merges art, history, and suspense. C. Joan Baker's impeccable research, compelling theories, and evocative descriptions make for an enthralling reading experience. An added benefit is C. Joan Baker writes from the perspective of a St. Louisan with love for the people and history of her hometown.
T.F. Lake St. Louis, MO
Highly Recommended! A Great Read!
Great details tied to history of WWII, JFK, MLK, mysterious or coincidental happenings all rolled into one true adventure of figuring out how a Picasso painting disappeared, who done it, and where is it today!
rAYMOND il (bARNES & nOBLE rEVIEW)
Fantastic book! Book tells a fascinating story and arrived in excellent condition!
Walter F. USA (AMAZON VERIFIED)
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! The author takes you on a who-done-it adventure and the adventures continue with you in the search! Well written, well researched book!
CHRISTINA I. usa (AMAZON VERIFIED)
I'm not normally a non fiction reader but this read like a crime novel and kept me interested thru the whole book. And the history of stolen art was fascinating!
Cheryl H. usa (aMAZON)
Fascinating and interesting read on a subject I knew little about. Kept me interested and engaged all the way to the end!
tom I. St. LoUIS, MO
Chasing Picasso © 2023 Strange Books, LLC
