A fascinating true crime book on one of the most prolific art thieves in history – and surprisingly the events in this book happened relatively recently.
First, the book is written really well. The writer is careful to keep himself out of it and put you right there as a sort of invisible witness to what happened. You feel the thrill and the risk, and even the surge of relief at escaping without being caught.
Thanks to the access that the writer had to most of the people involved, including the main art thief himself, the story is well-researched and full of interesting cross links and background info. It is no surprise that it took ten years to assemble this work.
I really enjoyed this book, probably because I enjoy heist stories/movies so much. Because this one takes place in contemporary Europe it feels a little more tangible, and reminds the reader that similar things could be happening right now, right where you live.
This book is why I prefer reading in long form – you can appreciate the attention to detail and the setup of the story. It is just something you’d never experience reading online clips or Wikipedia articles. Extremely well-done.
Next I am reading The Perfect Guests by Emma Rous.
