Tim Carpenter

A fabulous narrative—Tim Carpenter’s account of a seemingly average couple’s theft of thousands from graves around the world is told with such skill, you sometimes forget this is a true story. It’s a lyrical as any fictional story for much of this book. But there are parts I felt lagged a bit and the pacing was a little off—there’s a lot of “grunt work” here, and while it’s interesting to have this in depth look at behind the scenes FBI work, it bogs down the show more narrative.

Thanks to Harper Horizon for this free review copy through LibraryThing. show less

In 2013, the FBI received a tip that a 90-year-old man living on a farm near Indianapolis had a hidden collection of illegally looted artifacts and human remains. This tip led to a case that consumed more than ten years of time and effort by FBI Agent Tim Carpenter and his coworkers to set things right. In this book, the former FBI agent tells the story of the recovery of Miller's collection and the repatriation of the artifacts and remains to the tribes and countries from which they had show more been stolen.

This is a refreshing true crime story that features a tale of agents and consultants working hard not to punish the evildoers but simply to do the right thing. Along the way, former agent Carpenter provides an overview of the strengths and shortcomings of the laws regarding cultural artifacts, as well as an intriguing guide to the often convoluted and sometimes contentious internal politics of the FBI. It's like a CSI episode with a focus on dealing with the bureaucracy in the department. But Carpenter has quite a lot of knowledge and experience in navigating the problems that can crop up in coordinating an investigation that involves the US government, Native American tribes, and even international diplomacy. His motivation to make sure that the artifacts are treated with respect and returned to the people who value them keeps the narrative on track throughout. I only hope that the investigators of art crime today are as dedicated and skillful as the people in this book. show less

Exceptionally well-researched and written book supported by Tim Carpenter, author’s, professional & life experiences. This true story carries the reader through storytelling to support the organization(s) bureaucracy, FBI Art Crime Team, crime discoveries, repatriation of artifacts and remains, cultural properties, traditions, and layered meanings. At times, this book reads like a “Stephen King” thriller. I was continually surprised by what came, next. There were sections in the book show more that seemed similar to being inside an episode of “Criminal Minds”.
My heart ached for the shocking crime uncovered. I have a whole new appreciation for the planning, preparation, and execution for complex operations.
This book will inspire others to join in treating every culture(s) tradition and patrimony with respect care they deserve. Highly recommend reading! show less

On an Indiana farm, a man has accumulated a number of artifacts, collected over fifty years of playing amateur archaeologist. He amassed artifacts from many countries, but primarily from the US and much of those from the southwest. Now in his nineties, he happily shows friends and acquaintances around a curated selection and it's a few of those acquaintances who ratted him out to the FBI. Tim Carpenter, a bomb specialist, is the art crimes guy in the Indiana field office and so he gets one show more of the people who have visited his collection to take him over to the house and, indeed, the man is happy to show his around. And that leads to the largest case ever taken by the FBI in recovering illegally acquired artifacts and, more problematic, many human bones and full skeletons. 42,000 items were eventually seized and then the more difficult work began as Carpenter and his small staff had to find out where the items belonged and how and where to return the human remains.

This book begins with this one case and then moves to how the art crimes section of the FBI was formed and the challenges it faced, in the cases it dealt with, but more from institutional inertia and hostility within the bureau. And even as Carpenter is moved to Washington, he remains in charge of the one case that made his career, as it took decades to return the artifacts.

If you're interested in the subject matter, this book is fascinating. I'm not sure how well it would read for someone with just a passing interest as Carpenter writes with the thoroughness and eye for detail that made him good at his job. He gives the details of the struggles to convince the FBI that an art crimes division was even necessary, and this battle was bolstered by, of all things, Ammon Bundy's occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge. There's plenty of stuff about how the FBI is organized, a lot about how the return of the bones was handled, a bit about Carpenter's life, and even a bit about how a bad boss can make everything harder. show less