Art Theft

  Stealing Rembrandts: The Untold Stories of Notorious Art Heists by Anthony M. Amore and Tom Mashberg. Palgrave Macmillan, 2011. Adult nonfiction.

Amore has been the head of security at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston since 2005. Mashberg, a journalist by trade, has investigated the 1990 art theft at the Gardner for many years. Two of the paintings stolen were by Rembrandt. In this interesting nonfiction book, they look at the works by the famous artist and discuss the thefts and recovery of many of his works over the years.

For more about the Gardner:
         




  The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill,
                            a division of Workman Publishing. Adult fiction.
                            (October, 2012 publication date)

About as improbable as reading on a rainy July Sunday afternoon in Houston, I actually commented to my husband that I was reading one of my favorite books ever. Now that I have finished this well-wrought mystery, bit of historical fiction, and, yet, a thoroughly contemporary espionage thriller, I stand by that assessment. I got the galley at ALA in Anaheim, but watch for this one's publication in October, 2012.

B. A. Shapiro writes so smoothly that readers will swear they could go the window and see Boston. From Sam beer to the fictional Beverly Arms to the descriptions of the Mandarin Oriental hotel, the authentic touches ring true. Handsome art dealer Aiden Markel and artist Claire Roth find themselves wrapped in a plot with twists, turns, and lots of paintings. Especially fun are the descriptions of two older women, Beatrice Cormier and Sandra Stoneham, who deffy the stereotypes of the elderly and femininely weak. An example of the seamlessness of Shapiro's writing is the last scene on page 217 which foreshadows Claire's problems yet to come.

Written in the first person, the narrative switches back and forth from the present to three years ago when Claire had some difficulties with another love and colleague. Gradually, readers discover what happened and how very much all that affected Claire and her work. Interspersed are (fictional) letters from Isabel Stewart Gardner herself, information on modern forgers and their mediums and aging techniques, history about the Gardner art thefts, and Gardner family lore. Keen-eyed historians will spot a few cracks in the veneer, but Shapiro includes notes on the research which set all aright in the end.

Degas, Gardner, an intriguing modern artist, mystery, love...what more could anyone wish on a summer afternoon?  Well, other than  perhaps a visit to the Isabel Stewart Gardner Museum itself...

Ken Follett's Historical Fiction

    Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

This novel of cathedral building, lords and serfs, and medieval life is a surprise if you only know the author's spy/suspense thrillers. The characters are well developed and the plot has twists and turns that keep you reading. A mini-series has been made so read the book first and get your popcorn ready!

   World Without End by Ken Follett

Another massive historical fiction with descendants of some of the characters in the first book, this one gets well into the 1350's with church hierarchy, guild vs. priory feuds, and intricate plotting. I especially appreciate the details like how much a bag of wool weighed (Remember Baa Baa Black Sheep?) and how madder was ground to make dye. The end is a long time coming, but you'll enjoy every detail.

  Fall of Giants by Ken Follett


Billed as #1 in The Century Trilogy, this novel focuses on World War I era.  If you are having Downton Abbey withdrawal, it may just be the book for you! Lord Fitzherbert is married to Russian Princess Bea. His sister, Lady Maud, falls in love with Walter, a German. Ethel the maid's family works in the Welsh coal mines. American Gus Dewar is an aide in the Wilson White House. Russian brothers Lev and Grigorio long to escape peasant life and come to America. All of their stories mesh with the war. The end sets readers up for Volume 2, but get ready to wait for publication!