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luckycharmedlovesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I loved reading about all of the research put into this book. The story is a fascinating one. I loved how I could picture some of the places the author mentions since I lived on Palace road. But then the story just... Ends. I mean I know it hasn't been solved but I just thought there would be a better ending.
gmd316's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Solid overview but hard on audio bc of how many names there are to keep track of
dev921's review against another edition
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Trafficking, Death, Drug use, Cursing, and Grief
bigpaw's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
3.0
Definitely informative. There's something frustrating about reading an unsolved case, knowing you won't get a clear plot line and a nice wrap up solution at the end like a mystery novel. Not frustrating in a bad way, of course, just part of the reality. This is an interesting case and has captured the imagination of Bostonians for decades. I think at times, the reality kind of dampens these fights of fancy, like... oh it's not a romantic heist pulled off by some dashing master thief, it's just Boston underworld.
Maybe an unfair complaint about nonfiction that, by its nature, is going to be focused on certain people, but this book sorely lacked the perspective of women. Isabella Stewart Gardner herself obviously features at the center of the mystery, but beyond that, every lead pursued is one man after another. I understand that may be how this underworld works, but it seems either the author missed potential leads by not investigating and interviewing the women involved with these men, or he did investigate them and was remiss in not including that in the book.
There are occasional references to women as commodity that stood out to me and felt dehumanizing. Things like mentions of someone selling a painting for "a night with a prostitute" or how they'd be able to buy weapons, drugs, women, etc. and like... that's sex trafficking! That's rape! I didn't love how women were rarely featured as anyone important to the case, but victims of trafficking were dehumanized and referenced so casually. Not sure if I'm expressing this well, but it just felt very thoughtless.
Despite these complaints, I did find the book really interesting, and it's always cool to take a deeper look at something that I don't have a lot of knowledge about. Art is fascinating and money is so so fake.
Maybe an unfair complaint about nonfiction that, by its nature, is going to be focused on certain people, but this book sorely lacked the perspective of women. Isabella Stewart Gardner herself obviously features at the center of the mystery, but beyond that, every lead pursued is one man after another. I understand that may be how this underworld works, but it seems either the author missed potential leads by not investigating and interviewing the women involved with these men, or he did investigate them and was remiss in not including that in the book.
There are occasional references to women as commodity that stood out to me and felt dehumanizing. Things like mentions of someone selling a painting for "a night with a prostitute" or how they'd be able to buy weapons, drugs, women, etc. and like... that's sex trafficking! That's rape! I didn't love how women were rarely featured as anyone important to the case, but victims of trafficking were dehumanized and referenced so casually. Not sure if I'm expressing this well, but it just felt very thoughtless.
Despite these complaints, I did find the book really interesting, and it's always cool to take a deeper look at something that I don't have a lot of knowledge about. Art is fascinating and money is so so fake.
rangersarah's review against another edition
2.0
Do you every read a book, and the whole time you're saying to yourself in your head, "Uggghhhhhhhh I hate reading this ahhhhhhh", but then finish it anyway? This book is an example of how not to write nonfiction. I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more if Boser had just taken a step back and not framed the whole book around the idea that he, personally, was conducting an investigation and uncovering new information.
So, in 1990 thieves stole a bunch of art from the Gardner Museum in Boston. This case has not yet been solved, and despite Boser "investigating" the crime further, he has absolutely nothing to add to the case. He keeps referring to a big clue that he discovered, but I never figured out what he was talking about. He claims to be investigating the case, but it seemed like all he did was read the case files others had already prepared, and rehashed theories that ultimately went nowhere. At one point he decided to search for a gangster currently on the FBI's Most Wanted list; he does this by sitting on a bench in Ireland and looking at random old guys.
I guess if you are really interested in failed police theories or gangsters in Boston, read this book. Otherwise, it didn't add much to my understanding of the case.
Sidenote: Please note that Boser rated his own book 5 stars on Goodreads. Not cool, dude.
So, in 1990 thieves stole a bunch of art from the Gardner Museum in Boston. This case has not yet been solved, and despite Boser "investigating" the crime further, he has absolutely nothing to add to the case. He keeps referring to a big clue that he discovered, but I never figured out what he was talking about. He claims to be investigating the case, but it seemed like all he did was read the case files others had already prepared, and rehashed theories that ultimately went nowhere. At one point he decided to search for a gangster currently on the FBI's Most Wanted list; he does this by sitting on a bench in Ireland and looking at random old guys.
I guess if you are really interested in failed police theories or gangsters in Boston, read this book. Otherwise, it didn't add much to my understanding of the case.
Sidenote: Please note that Boser rated his own book 5 stars on Goodreads. Not cool, dude.
milesss's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
one part account and biography of various figures and organizations potentially connected to the case, one part autobiographical account of an obsession. takes the standard prose vis a vis cops and the criminal legal system's approach to the heist - one part gushing, one part eyeroll, 0 parts criticism.
kaileyma's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.5