A fascinating story compellingly told (if you like thrillers and crime novels, you will, I can say with the confidence of experience, that this is a book for you). Mr. Boser is an able stylist and an outstanding investigator. I commend him for his obsession with this crime and his thorough telling of its myriad details, as well as his brief and effective explanation of his decision to allow that obsession to cool but not lapse: he continues to seek information about the Gardner Heist by way of a website and toll-free numbers—listed at the narrative’s end, right before the sources.

And I wish him Godspeed in his efforts to restore these treasures to the Gardner Museum.

I purchased the Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World’s Largest Unsolved Art Theft by Ulrich Boser through one of Audible’s 2 for 1 sales. I love art and was curious to learn about the infamous, unsolved art heist that took place in Boston in 1990. Shortly after I purchased the book, the television show, History’s Greatest Heist aired an episode dedicated to the Gardner Heist. It was a great episode and left me feeling eager to read the book. A trailer of that television show is below to generate your curiosity.

*HGH video*

The book, The Gardner Heist, provides a foundation of knowledge about the heist, the museum, and an extensive look into the thieves. Ulrich opens the book with the details of the art heist; how the thieves entered the museum and the artwork that was stolen. The next chapter is devoted to Harold Smith, the art sleuth, who dedicated decades of his life to investigating the heist. Ulrich talked about the pieces of art that were stolen. I’m a fan of Manet, Degas, and Rembrandt so I was interested to learn more about these pieces of art. I was unfamiliar with Vermeer, and what I learned about this piece of art and the artist was fascinating. I especially enjoyed the portion of the book about Isabella Stewart Gardner. Her autobiographical information was quite interesting. The remaining chapters of the book focus on the heist, those who investigated the theft, and the suspects.

As Ulrich shares in his book, he became obsessed and consumed with picking up the investigation where...

I have photos, videos, and additional information that I'm unable to include here. It can all be found on my blog, in the link below.
A Book And A Dog ( )

I very much enjoyed the details of this book, how so much of the mystery of what happened to these works of art is truly, tantalizingly unsolved. It's heartbreaking to imagine the works damaged or destroyed. Not so much to imagine that they are in the hands of appreciative criminals. Author has a very curious way of inserting himself, and his obsession with the case, into the story in surprising spots. He was most definitely obsessed, and reveals some very odd behavior that stemmed from this driving need to crack the case...which never happens. Though he does not neatly lay out his clear theory it does become fairly obvious who he thinks the mystery began with. I hope that in my lifetime this one is solved to satisfaction. Meanwhile, I will visit the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum again with even more appreciation. ( )

Do not bother. This is a book about nothing really. But the Gardner is a great museum. ( )

Confession: I love a good heist story. This book has a successful heist that seems to have less to do with good planning than a combo of luck and inside help (allegedly). As a result, the disappearance of some amazing art, pales compared to the story of those obsessed with finding it, including the author. The colorful crew that surround this saga, on both sides of the law, proved more interesting than blank wall in Boston. ( )