The Rescue Artist: A True Story of Art, Thieves, and the Hunt for a Missing Masterpiece (P.S.)

From Publishers Weekly The little-known world of art theft is compellingly portrayed in Dolnick's account of the 1994 theft and recovery of Edvard Munch's iconic painting The Scream. The theft was carried out with almost comical ease at Norway's National Gallery in Oslo on the very morning that the Winter Olympics began in that city. Despite the low-tech nature of the crime, the local police were baffled, and Dolnick (_Down the Great Unknown_;_ Madness on the Couch_) makes a convincing case that the fortunate resolution of the investigation was almost exclusively due to the expertise, ingenuity and daring of the "rescue artist" of the title: Charley Hill, a Scotland Yard undercover officer and former Fulbright scholar who has made recovering stolen art treasures his life's work. Hill is a larger-than-life figure who seems lifted from the pages of Elmore Leonard, although his adversaries in this inquiry are fairly pedestrian. While the path to the painting's retrieval is relatively straightforward once some shady characters put the word out that they can get their hands on it, the narrative's frequent detours to other crimes and engaging escapades from Hill's past elevate this work above last year's similar The Irish Game by Matthew Hart. 16 pages of b&w and 8 pages of color photos not seen by PW . Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From School Library Journal Adult/High School–A compelling account of the 1994 theft of one of the world's most famous paintings, The Scream . Dolnick focuses on the hero of the case, Scotland Yard's Art Squad specialist Charley Hill. Because of Hill's earlier success in retrieving stolen art treasures, he was charged with the difficult job of locating the painting and successfully retrieving it in its original condition. While the author keeps readers in suspense as he digresses frequently to tell the story of other notorious art thefts and art thieves, diligent readers will be treated to a nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat account of the painting's rescue. Along the way, Dolnick imparts a great deal of information not only about Edvard Munch, but also about the art world's surprisingly lax security measures and the lack of motivation on the part of authorities charged with retrieving art treasures. In spite of the asides, this is a tightly woven, fast-paced story. Teens interested in art and/or investigative journalism will enjoy this real-life whodunit._–Catherine Gilbride, Farifax County Public Library, VA_ Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Publishers Weekly The little-known world of art theft is compellingly portrayed in Dolnick's account of the 1994 theft and recovery of Edvard Munch's iconic painting The Scream. The theft was carried out with almost comical ease at Norway's National Gallery in Oslo on the very morning that the Winter Olympics began in that city. Despite the low-tech nature of the crime, the local police were baffled, and Dolnick (_Down the Great Unknown_;_ Madness on the Couch_) makes a convincing case that the fortunate resolution of the investigation was almost exclusively due to the expertise, ingenuity and daring of the "rescue artist" of the title: Charley Hill, a Scotland Yard undercover officer and former Fulbright scholar who has made recovering stolen art treasures his life's work. Hill is a larger-than-life figure who seems lifted from the pages of Elmore Leonard, although his adversaries in this inquiry are fairly pedestrian. While the path to the painting's retrieval is relatively straightforward once some shady characters put the word out that they can get their hands on it, the narrative's frequent detours to other crimes and engaging escapades from Hill's past elevate this work above last year's similar The Irish Game by Matthew Hart. 16 pages of b&w and 8 pages of color photos not seen by PW . Copyright 漏 Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From School Library Journal Adult/High School鈥揂 compelling account of the 1994 theft of one of the world's most famous paintings, The Scream . Dolnick focuses on the hero of the case, Scotland Yard's Art Squad specialist Charley Hill. Because of Hill's earlier success in retrieving stolen art treasures, he was charged with the difficult job of locating the painting and successfully retrieving it in its original condition. While the author keeps readers in suspense as he digresses frequently to tell the story of other notorious art thefts and art thieves, diligent readers will be treated to a nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat account of the painting's rescue. Along the way, Dolnick imparts a great deal of information not only about Edvard Munch, but also about the art world's surprisingly lax security measures and the lack of motivation on the part of authorities charged with retrieving art treasures. In spite of the asides, this is a tightly woven, fast-paced story. Teens interested in art and/or investigative journalism will enjoy this real-life whodunit._鈥揅atherine Gilbride, Farifax County Public Library, VA_ Copyright 漏 Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Fiction,History,True Crime,General,Murder,Modern,Investigation,Law,Individual Artists,Art,Organized Crime,Art thefts - Investigation - Norway,Theft from museums - Norway,Munch; Edvard,Art thefts - Investigation,Contemporary (1945-),Art thefts,Norway,Theft from museums

dolnick's Account Of The 1994 Theft Of Edvard Munch's the Scream Is Populated With Characters Much Stranger Than Fiction: Lord Bath, An Aristocrat Fond Of Velvet Jackets, David Duddin, A Fence Who Once Tried To Sell A Stolen Rembrandt, Charley Hill, A World-famous Detective, And Munch Himself. Dolnick Focuses On The 1994 Theft But Along The Way Visits Other Art Thefts And Recoveries. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, Or

publishers Weekly

the Little-known World Of Art Theft Is Compellingly Portrayed In Dolnick's Account Of The 1994 Theft And Recovery Of Edvard Munch's Iconic Painting The Scream. The Theft Was Carried Out With Almost Comical Ease At Norway's National Gallery In Oslo On The Very Morning That The Winter Olympics Began In That City. Despite The Low-tech Nature Of The Crime, The Local Police Were Baffled, And Dolnick (down The Great Unknown; Madness On The Couch) Makes A Convincing Case That The Fortunate Resolution Of The Investigation Was Almost Exclusively Due To The Expertise, Ingenuity And Daring Of The Rescue Artist Of The Title: Charley Hill, A Scotland Yard Undercover Officer And Former Fulbright Scholar Who Has Made Recovering Stolen Art Treasures His Life's Work. Hill Is A Larger-than-life Figure Who Seems Lifted From The Pages Of Elmore Leonard, Although His Adversaries In This Inquiry Are Fairly Pedestrian. While The Path To The Painting's Retrieval Is Relatively Straightforward Once Some Shady Characters Put The Word Out That They Can Get Their Hands On It, The Narrative's Frequent Detours To Other Crimes And Engaging Escapades From Hill's Past Elevate This Work Above Last Year's Similar The Irish Game By Matthew Hart. 16 Pages Of B&w And 8 Pages Of Color Photos Not Seen By Pw. Agent, Rafe Sagalyn. (july 1) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

In the predawn hours of a gloomy February day in 1994, two thieves entered the National Gallery in Oslo and made off with one of the world's most famous paintings, Edvard Munch's Scream. It was a brazen crime committed while the whole world was watching the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. Baffled and humiliated, the Norwegian police turned to the one man they believed could help: a half English, half American undercover cop named Charley Hill, the world's greatest art detective.The Rescue Artist is a rollicking narrative that carries readers deep inside the art underworld -- and introduces them to a large and colorful cast of titled aristocrats, intrepid investigators, and thick-necked thugs. But most compelling of all is Charley Hill himself, a complicated mix of brilliance, foolhardiness, and charm whose hunt for a purloined treasure would either cap an illustrious career or be the fiasco that would haunt him forever. In the predawn hours of a gloomy February day in 1994, two thieves entered the National Gallery in Oslo and made off with one of the world's most famous paintings, Edvard Munch's Scream ... Baffled and humiliated, the Norwegian police turned to the one man they believed could help: a half English, half American undercover cop named Charley Hill, the world's greatest art detective. The Rescue Artist is a rollicking narrative that carries readers deep inside the art underworld--and introduces them to a large and colorful cast of titled aristocrats, intrepid investigators, and thick-necked thugs. But most compelling of all is Charley Hill himself, a complicated mix of brilliance, foolhardiness, and charm whose hunt for a purloined treasure would either cap an illustrious career or be the fiasco that would haunt him forever.--From publisher description Traces the theft of Edvard Munch's "The Scream" from Oslo's National Gallery in 1994, recounting the efforts of art detective Charley Hill to recover the painting in an investigation ranging from the estates of aristocrats to the art underworld.