Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Rembrandt Heist:
When in a jam, make a bigger jam.
Quick synopsis:
The life and crimes of art thief Myles Connor.
Fact for Non-History People:
The largest art heist on record is the 1990 heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston with 13 works valued at $500 million stolen.
Fact for History Nerds:
The Mona Lisa was stolen in 1911 but recovered in 1913.
My Take on The Rembrandt Heist:
Good news art heist movie lovers! There are real life friendships where people stick by each other through thick, thin, and jail time. However, basically everything else you know about art heists in media is wrong.
Anthony Amore tells the story of Myles Connor in his extremely fun The Rembrandt Heist. I think it is important to point out right away that Amore himself admits in the book that everything in the narrative sounds made up. Myles Connor was a well-known Massachusetts rock’n’roll leading man who was also a prolific thief. Not just art, either. He also robbed banks and did some “light” drug dealing (that didn’t last long). It sounds crazy, but it is all true.
Now, I am not one to glorify criminals. However, Connor does have some redeeming qualities which just barely compensate enough to allow the reader to enjoy his exploits. Connor has a code which doesn’t allow him to steal from friends or the downtrodden, he never snitches, and he is unfailingly loyal, especially to his best friend Al Dotoli. Poor, put upon Dotoli is not a criminal, but is consistently stuck bailing out Connor both literally and figuratively.
All of this culminates in the aforementioned Rembrandt heist of the title. I will leave the details of that completely behind the curtain. I will tell readers that specific heist happens late in the narrative. Don’t worry, there are plenty of criminal hijinks to keep you entertained while the author gives all the background you need for the big score.
(This book was provided as a review copy by Pegasus Books.)
Verdict:
A fun read. Buy it here!
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