Among Thieves

This is standard detective/mystery novel fare, but very well written and constructed. The writing is smooth and easy to read, and I only had to wince a couple of times from what seemed to me to be forced prose. It was a quick read; I found it difficult to put down.

Scott Finn is a Boston attorney who is retained by a small time, mob-connected thief who is arrested during a clothing store robbery that was supposed to be a sure thing because the owner of the store set it up for the insurance money. He tells Finn that he was set up, that someone called the cops on him, and sends him to contact two upper level mob characters to investigate, both of whom are soon murdered in horrific fashion, being tortured first. Two Boston PD detectives are show more investigating and the FBI is following the investigation in the background because of an apparent connection to a 20 year old art heist from a Boston museum that was never solved, and the stolen art never recovered. It is now valued at $500 million. The story moves quickly as the murderer now sets his sights on Finn's client. show less

Synopsis: Portion from the front jacket...In the early morning hours of March 18, 1990, two men dressed as police officers entered Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, tied up the guards, and escaped with 500 million dollars' worth of paintings. The heist provoked a massive search for both the thieves and the lost masterpieces. But the paintings never surfaced and the mystery remained unsolved. Now, almost twenty years later, there case threatens to break wide open.
My thoughts: Scott Finn, who has known the streets of Boston and the foster care system as a child, but was able to turn his life around and become an attorney. He is asked to take on a theft case from a former acquaintance of his earlier years. And accepting to defend show more Devon Malley, it thrusts Finn into a situation that is far from easy. Enter Boston's "mob" associates, murders, having to become care taker to Malley's 14 year old daughter, and a kidnapping. And how does this all tie into an unsolved 20 year cold case art heist?
My opinion and rating: (Rating 5) Once again, I was given the opportunity to read an extraordinary book. It was Grisham meets Parker. From the first chapter to the last page, the fast paced action never stopped, at times the reader forgets to breathe. The ending is a total surprise, one that this reader never saw coming. I could not put this one down. Bravo!!!!! show less

The Gardner Museum art theft is the largest unsolved art theft ever perpetrated. The thieves got away with priceless pieces of art and a few incidental tokens. The mixture of the items taken has baffled investigators since it occurred in 1990. There are many factual books written about this theft. This one is an excellent fictionalized version of the story. Mr. Hosp takes the facts of the case and weaves a plausible account which reads as a good story. Enough intrigue and bloodshed to keep action fans interested and, enough art history to keep art fans happy. The characters are interesting and the reader starts to get involved in their lives as well as the action in which they are involved. To me it even seems one of Mr. Hosp's FBI show more agents bears a striking resemblance to renowned art theft investigator Harold Smith. Overall an interesting, well researched and, well written book. show less

An interesting take on the Isabella Stewart Gardner Heist from the 1990's. Because it hasn't actually been solved, there are many different possibilities for writing, and this one didn't disappoint. Full of intrigue, mystery, and suspense. Good read.

In March of 1990, the largest art theft in history took place in Boston, Massachusetts. None of the stolen art has been recoverd after more than 20 years. Among Thieves is clearly fiction, yet the novel incorporates many details about the actual event, and using the writer's eternal option - What if... - to create an intense and suspenseful thriller. Among Thieves begins with a string of murders which eventually tie in to Mr. Hosp's version of what happened to the stolen art.

The opening of this novel is a bit confusing because it doesn't seem to be about the art theft at all, but provides the reason why one of the men is later involved in the heist. This character background could be better tied to the main part of the story. The novel show more recovers from this weak opening though and provides a mostly interesting tale about the art heist. One other disconcerting thing happens in this book. The point of view switches between decades as facts about the actual theft 20 years ago are revealed, and the current-day investigation which has gone cold, but has not been closed. In the middle of the story, which also represents the time between the heist and today, the tale sags a bit. In some ways, the dullness of this part of the story is accurate. Nothing is known about what actually happened after the thieves escaped with their bounty. The author provides a satisfactory, appropriate, believable and entertaining ending to the story, recovering from the brief bout of dullness near the middle of the book.

Although, for the reasons previously stated, I down-grade the rating of this book from the perfect 5 to a very interesting 4 stars, I do recommed it to those who love to read mystery/thriller/suspense type novels and those who may be looking for something different. The usual caviat about violence and inappropriateness for those under 17 applies here.

This review has been simultaneously published on LibraryThing and Dragon Views. show less

One of the few "mystery"/"crime" novels that I have found difficult to read. The art heist premise sounded interesting, as did some of the other reviews, however I could not connect with any of the characters. The language and construction is good.

Good detective work by the lawyer