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The Icon Thief
by
Alec Nevala-Lee (Goodreads Author)
A controversial masterpiece resurfaces in Budapest. A headless ballerina is found beneath the boardwalk at Brighton Beach. And New York’s Russian mafia is about to collide with the equally ruthless art world...
Maddy Blume, an ambitious young art buyer for a Manhattan hedge fund, is desperate to track down a priceless painting by Marcel Duchamp, the most influential artist...more
Maddy Blume, an ambitious young art buyer for a Manhattan hedge fund, is desperate to track down a priceless painting by Marcel Duchamp, the most influential artist...more
Paperback, 416 pages
Published
March 6th 2012
by Signet
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Nothing is better than winning a book in a contest than winning a really good book in a contest! I scored when I was chosen to receive a copy of Alec Nevala-Lee's thriller The Icon Thief. Mostly I don't even bother to enter contests but 1) I love thrillers and 2) I love the Philadelphia Art Museum. Some people might not find those compelling reasons but as a 'random reader' they make me happy.
Nevala-Lee's first foray into fiction takes the thriller concept to a higher, more sophisticated level....more
Nevala-Lee's first foray into fiction takes the thriller concept to a higher, more sophisticated level....more
2012/ Gripping tale. Very well written.
Gift from Carolyn.
Intriguing glimpse into the world of art dealers, my word.
Frightening look at Russian mob activities in the West. I prefer to pretend it's not that bad in the real world, but it probably is.
Learned [at least temporarily] what a "Chekist" is.
"Ilya's mistake, he saw now, was to believe that the world's restoration required another system, the tzaddikim, which he had blindly identified with Vasylenko [his mentor in the Mob]. The truth was tha...more
Gift from Carolyn.
Intriguing glimpse into the world of art dealers, my word.
Frightening look at Russian mob activities in the West. I prefer to pretend it's not that bad in the real world, but it probably is.
Learned [at least temporarily] what a "Chekist" is.
"Ilya's mistake, he saw now, was to believe that the world's restoration required another system, the tzaddikim, which he had blindly identified with Vasylenko [his mentor in the Mob]. The truth was tha...more
This book has it's pros and cons. It had an interesting premise, but sometimes took itself too seriously (like it was trying to be another DaVinci Code). One of the detectives in the novel was "mormon," which served absolutely no purpose to the story. Cliches were thrown around such as, "maybe she learned her skills on her mission" and she liked to eat green jello. It actually gave less credibility to the book. What was the point? Was the other detective a protestant, Catholic? Why did the autho...more
Disclaimer: I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
This is a very well written book. It's really two books, a straight forward police procedural married to a more challenging narrative relating to a painting and its origins. Either part alone would be a nice 3-star book, however the two combined with Nevala-Lee's skill make this a 4-star book. And when you add the wonderful ending, it's definitely 5-star.
The book begins by setting up the two parts with an art auction at Sotheby's for a r...more
This is a very well written book. It's really two books, a straight forward police procedural married to a more challenging narrative relating to a painting and its origins. Either part alone would be a nice 3-star book, however the two combined with Nevala-Lee's skill make this a 4-star book. And when you add the wonderful ending, it's definitely 5-star.
The book begins by setting up the two parts with an art auction at Sotheby's for a r...more
I am a very undisciplined reader and this is an example because I literally have stacks of books I am planning to read, BUT I saw this one in the Supermarket a few days ago and bought it on an impulse.
I am pretty much reviewing it just to note that I actually read something. The story held my interest and the characters have some charm. But that is about it. A fun and fast read, although I doubt I'll read any sequel.
I wasn't expecting much but I was a little disappointing that it wasn't about st...more
I am pretty much reviewing it just to note that I actually read something. The story held my interest and the characters have some charm. But that is about it. A fun and fast read, although I doubt I'll read any sequel.
I wasn't expecting much but I was a little disappointing that it wasn't about st...more
This fast-moving story will sweep you into the worlds of art investment and Russian mafia. Fans of modern art (Duchamp) will enjoy learning more art history, and for the non-art-fan the plot moves fast and it won't be a distraction.
I found some parts with detailed speculation about Rosecrutians a bit tiring but it's worth plowing through those sections.
Note that there is a short glossary of the Russian terms at the end of the book. I didn't discover this till I was done and it would have been...more
I found some parts with detailed speculation about Rosecrutians a bit tiring but it's worth plowing through those sections.
Note that there is a short glossary of the Russian terms at the end of the book. I didn't discover this till I was done and it would have been...more
I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway and I have to admit it was the first book in a long time that truly kept my attention from beginning to end. Several books I've read recently have bored me to tears or have been so difficult to get through I've felt like gouging my eyes out with a spoon, but not with Nevala-Lee's The Icon Thief.
I was hooked right from the Prologue. Nevala-Lee built the tension right from the beginning. With Andrey and the so-called border guards and the introduction o...more
I was hooked right from the Prologue. Nevala-Lee built the tension right from the beginning. With Andrey and the so-called border guards and the introduction o...more
The smartest thriller you'll find this year, and an impeccable debut. That might sound like hyperbole, but this book nails it, employing just enough convention to be a great "genre" pleasure, while running circles around the others in said genre. When you think you have started to figure out, the story is just getting started. By the last pages, you'll be simultaneously googling works of art and ancient cults you've never heard of, and pre-ordering Nevala-Lee's next book.
If Dan Brown had gone to college and learned how to write, this is the story he would have written. On the surface it's a great, medium-paced crime thriller. Underneath, however, as the characters struggle to understand the meaning of the events around them, one finds satisfyingly perplexing themes of finding order in the apparent chaos.
I eagerly await the sequel.
I eagerly await the sequel.
This book was just okay. There seemed to be too many things going on, perhaps I was too distracted while reading. There were characters that came and went, and I did not feel attached to them, then they would disappear only to reappear after I had forgotten about them. I found the plot to have too many elements... Russian mob, art thieves, FBI, romance, etc. It tried too be too big. It was okay, but I didn't love it.
A pretty good thriller, sort of in the vein of The Da Vinci Code, but the writing is better and there is less of what I suppose you would have to call the supernatural element. In some ways I didn't feel as though all of the strands quite pulled together, but overall a fast and satisfying story.
A debut thriller which includes all the usual ingredients, plus the Russian mafia, an enigmatic art collector, and assorted other characters invoved in the acquisition of art some by legitimate means, some not. This new author shows promise. Some of his tricks are quite clever, others rely heavily on serendipity, the latter being not so desirable.
Very nice debut. This was an international thriller, somewhat in the vein of The DaVinci Code, that mixed Russian mafia and art history. I figured it out long before the climax, but still a good read. I'll pick up the author's new book when it comes out in December.
The fact that Dan Brown's success made the "art-historical mystery thriller" a sub-genre of interest to publishers will always be a source of great wonder to this art history major. Clearly an attempt to cash in on the lucrative beach reading market this was nothing more than what it purported to be, a fast beach read with enough genuine trope subversion to keep my interest.
WAY too much mafia, not enough story. WAY too gruesome and not enough story. WAY too wordy and not enough story. Getting my drift here....?
The only mystery to this book is why the publisher wasted so many trees to print it! Not a good story - skip it.
The only mystery to this book is why the publisher wasted so many trees to print it! Not a good story - skip it.
Another First Reads win! Thanks, Goodreads!
Russians, Armenians, stolen art, murder, intrigue, and... Marcel Duchamp. What a recipe! This is a well-researched book with plenty of action. I found the art history and facts about some of the art and artists particularly fascinating.
Russians, Armenians, stolen art, murder, intrigue, and... Marcel Duchamp. What a recipe! This is a well-researched book with plenty of action. I found the art history and facts about some of the art and artists particularly fascinating.
A very hard to put down book. It reminded me of "The Da Vinci Code" with art and secret societies, spies and mobsters, and of course the art experts are the heroes. There's even a Mormon agent.
Thrilling! This is a stunning debut novel -- it is a gripping thrill-ride that keeps you guessing. Nevala-Lee takes readers into the dark underworld of art smuggling, secret societies and Russian mobs. This book sucks you in and is hard to put down. A thrilling read with a satisfying conclusion. I'm eager to read more from Alec Nevala-Lee!
Mar 11, 2012
Bri
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People who want a mystry to the last chapter,
Recommended to Bri by:
Fist-reads
wow! I did not see the ending coming - Probably bc I don't really think too much on what is to come but let the book take me along it's path. Part of me was shocked how Maddy actually did her "work" in the museum but also made me a little proud that she was able to stand up and do something on her own without a boss or someone telling her to make the moves. She was the chess player not the pawn itself. This book was about a topic I was not very familiar with and was an enjoyable read!
I enjoyed the book immensely. The description of the art and auction world was entertaining. The plot twists were very well done.
Perhaps one needs to have an interest in art history or Marcel Duchamp to appreciate this debut novel by Alec Nevala-Lee, but it did nothing for me. The pace was slow, the characters were dull, and the plot was not intriguing, leaving me disinterested from start to finish. I can say one good thing about The Icon Thief though. My complete disappointment in this book will save from purchasing anything further by this author.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I'm usually not a fan of mystery/thrillers ... but I found this novel interesting and entertaining.
Felt a little too similar to the DaVinci Code at times but it was still a decent book overall...
This was a pretty good mystery about mobsters. Not bad for a blind pick off the library shelf.
Ok book, but really more violent then needed.
An enjoyable crime/suspense novel.
meh
A great idea, just a bit clunky and disjointed. There is too much going on and not enough clarification.
There was A LOT going on with this book. I'd go as far as saying that there was too much going on. The best thing I can say is that the end of the book was pretty good. There's another book coming out by A. Nevala-Lee at the end of this year. I'm not sure if I want to read it, but I'll wait until later to decide.
I wouldn't run out and read this right away, but there are worse books to read.
I wouldn't run out and read this right away, but there are worse books to read.
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I'm a novelist and freelance writer whose debut novel, The Icon Thief, was published by Penguin Books in March. A sequel, City of Exiles, was released in December, with a third and final installment, Eternal Empire, to appear in 2013. I'm also an occasional author of short fiction, most of which has appeared in the magazine Analog Science Fiction and Fact, and my nonfiction has been featured in su...more
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