Paris is the backdrop for Jo Piazza's new novel, 'The Parisian Heist,' which takes readers from the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower and beyond.gettySome people plan a trip to Paris—the world’s best city to visit—around Michelin-starred restaurants. Others build their itineraries around museums. This summer, many are starting with a novel.Bestselling author Jo Piazza began writing The Parisian Heist in a used bookstore in the Marais neighborhood of Paris and finished it during a research trip to Auvers-sur-Oise, where Vincent van Gogh spent the final months of his life and painted many of his iconic paintings. The novel was released on Bastille Day and is already flying off shelves as the book to read before going to Europe.Why Travelers Are Packing The Parisian Heist For EuropeBluebird & Co., an independent bookstore in Crozet, Virginia, where Piazza will appear on July 17, has already sold out of The Parisian Heist once and had to reorder copies just days after its release. “Everybody has been asking for it to take on their travels, especially anyone heading to Europe,” owner Flannery Buchanan told me in an interview. “It has everything you want in a perfect summer read: drama, friendship, fierce women and, of course, Paris.”The cover of Jo Piazza's new novel, 'The Parisian Heist.'Courtesy of Jo PiazzaThe novel takes readers from the stalls of the iconic Marché aux Puces flea market to the Louvre, Sotheby’s auction house and the private dining room at Jules Verne restaurant inside the Eiffel Tower. Along the way, it wanders through some of Paris’s most iconic neighborhoods. Set in 1996, the novel offers a kind of nostalgia that feels especially appealing today.“I set it in the nineties because mysteries were more fun to solve before everyone had the answer in their pocket,” Piazza told me in an interview. “Paris was also a different city then. You had no choice but to wander, and I wanted my readers to experience that same feeling of serendipity.”The Parisian Heist follows an all-female crew planning an art heist at the Musée d’Orsay on Paris’s Left Bank while weaving together the remarkable true story of Jo van Gogh-Bonger, Vincent’s sister-in-law. After the deaths of both Vincent and his brother Theo, Jo inherited hundreds of paintings that were considered nearly worthless. Through years of carefully orchestrated exhibitions, loans, and strategic sales, she transformed Vincent van Gogh into one of the most celebrated artists in history. The novel also travels to Amsterdam, where readers wander the city’s canals and the Rijksmuseum.Why Paris Is More Than A Backdrop“Readers are always looking for the perfect beach read, but especially this summer season, they’re also itching for novels that let them experience a destination before they arrive,” Kate Czyzewski, the manager and events coordinator for New Jersey’s Thunder Road Books, told me in an interview. “The Parisian Heist is that read, transporting readers to the charming streets and hidden corners of Paris. It’s an irresistible escape that belongs in every suitcase.”Bestselling author Jo Piazza, whose latest novel, The Parisian Heist, was released on Bastille Day.ANDREA CIPRIANI MECCHIPiazza, a former travel journalist who turned to writing fiction a decade ago, has built a career around immersive destinations.“I think about place as another character in every book,” she says. “I want readers to smell the air, taste the perfect steak au poivre and feel transported to a smoky nightclub. A great summer novel should let you disappear somewhere else for a while. And even though this is a story about art and artists, I also focused a lot on the food, eating absolutely every dish I included in the book during my research.”Piazza’s novels often include travel guides inspired by their settings. The Sicilian Inheritance features an itinerary in the back of the paperback along with an expanded digital version on the Saltete platform. A companion guide for The Parisian Heist is also in the works.In September, Piazza will celebrate the novel in Paris with the luxury literary travel platform EDGE Escapes. The experience will include private literary events, author conversations, and curated tours of many of the locations featured in the novel, allowing readers to step directly into its world.MORE FROM FORBES:ForbesMeet The Fourth-Generation Leader Reinventing One Of France’s Most Iconic Hotel CompaniesBy Laura Begley BloomForbesAn Insider’s Guide To Lyon, The Culinary Capital Of FranceBy Laura Begley BloomForbesThe 36 Best Places For Solo Female Travel, Chosen By ExpertsBy Laura Begley Bloom