The Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World's Largest Unsolved Art Theft

Wether you are interested in Art or Crime this book is a page turner!

Another reviewer of this book gave it four stars because he thought the ending was inconclusive - the paintings stolen in 1990 have never been found. Well, that is the fact, and if this book could only end with the recovery, then it wouldn't/couldn't have been written. Boser writes a very readable tale of art, both purchased and stolen, and the personalities who came together - over a period of about 150 years - to make the Gardner heist the world's largest theft. He writes about the paintings and their provenance and how Isabella Stewart Gardner - an outsized personality - came to collect her art and put together her highly idiosyncratic museum. He writes about the search - ongoing for the past 20 years - to recover the masterpieces and the men and women, who were both victims and perpetrators of the crime. I enjoyed the book.

I found The Gardner Heist by Ulrich Boser a fascinating mix of who done it, the Boston underword and the author's search for the missing art and himself. The uncontroverted facts of the Gardner robbery of a Vermeer, two Rembrandts and other priceless painting would only fill a chapter. What makes this book an interesting and provocative read is the author's speculations and his tour of the Boston underworld filled with colorful and lethal characters. Moreover, the author has a real talent for quickly sketching them in a way that brings them to life. Boser's own experience playing junior shamus for three years is fine, but not nearly as good as his frequent and highly insightful comments about art, crime and human nature. I highly recommend this book.

There are only a few books about true events which keep you on the edge of your seat. "All the President's Men" was one. This book is another. Beautifully written, excitingly paced, with a fascinating subject, this author has either narrowed the search for the thieves or done great investigative work that may lead to their identification and/or prosecution. The various characters' love for the artwork itself is a strong motivating force.

It's hard to put this book down. Through a bit of serendipity, Ulrich Boser inherited a famed art detective's files on the Gardner Heist. He plunged into this mysterious case, and brings us along for the ride as he explores not only what happened, but why the artwork meant so much to so many both before and after the heist. As the author treads ever closer to cracking the case, you remember that this isn't fiction and start to believe he might get the paintings back - but you also wonder if he might find trouble in this shady underworld. A fascinating read.