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272nd out of 565 books
—
835 voters
The Great Pearl Heist: London's Greatest Thief and Scotland Yard's Hunt for the World's Most Valuable Necklace
by
Molly Caldwell Crosby (Goodreads Author)
Molly Caldwell Crosby once again brings forgotten history to vivid life in an absorbing account of crime and deduction in the early days of the twentieth century....
In the summer of 1913, under the cover of London’s perpetual smoggy dusk, two brilliant minds are pitted against each other—a celebrated gentleman thief and a talented Scotland Yard detective—in the greatest j...more
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published
November 27th 2012
by Berkley Hardcover
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3.5
When I heard the title and the subject of The Great Pearl Heist I knew it was on my list. Along with the subtitle London's Greatest Thief and Scotland Yard's Hunt for the World's Most Valuable Necklace clearly tells what this book is about and not much more is needed from me. If you're one of those people like me who like to see how thieves make their master plan then you'll probably enjoy this book. Just so you know this heist takes place in 1913 and deals with a gang that master plans the t...more
When I heard the title and the subject of The Great Pearl Heist I knew it was on my list. Along with the subtitle London's Greatest Thief and Scotland Yard's Hunt for the World's Most Valuable Necklace clearly tells what this book is about and not much more is needed from me. If you're one of those people like me who like to see how thieves make their master plan then you'll probably enjoy this book. Just so you know this heist takes place in 1913 and deals with a gang that master plans the t...more
This book came on my radar as soon as it came out because I've read both of Molly Caldwell Crosby's other books: "The American Plague" and "Asleep". In "The Great Pearl Heist", rather than focusing on medical mysteries, she tells the story of a jewelry heist in Edwardian London.
I really liked how the book was set up. In the first section, she introduced all the characters: the thieves, the detectives, even the necklace itself. All this detail made for a much richer story. I loved the history of...more
I really liked how the book was set up. In the first section, she introduced all the characters: the thieves, the detectives, even the necklace itself. All this detail made for a much richer story. I loved the history of...more
Apr 21, 2013
Doreen
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Sara
Recommended to Doreen by:
Saw it at the library
I surely enjoyed this tale about a band of thieves who stole a magnificent pearl necklace worth more than the Hope diamond! The book covers the details of the theft, as well as the workings of Scotland Yard in the early years of the twentieth century. The story progresses to an interesting trial in Great Britain and then wraps up with an epilogue that tells of each participant's life after trial; until their deaths.
The book is easy to read and the writing is good. I was a little underwhelmed by...more
The book is easy to read and the writing is good. I was a little underwhelmed by...more
The problem with historical fiction of this type is that the actions of historical individuals often don't match up with the fictional character they are supposed to portray. Joseph Grizzard is supposed to be the top man in a vast underworld of crime, so cagey and intelligent that although he is known by everyone to be a criminal mastermind, nobody can touch him. Yet he meets, personally, and on multiple occasions, with two low-level hacks posing as potential buyers of a multi-million dollar nec...more
Sorry, I just didn't like it. The book was very well-researched, and there are some extremely interesting historical details, such as the development of Scotland Yard and the new role of detectives in the early 20th century. The people in the book just weren't multi-dimensional, because there are few historical documents available about their personal thoughts and feelings; therefore, I was left wanting to know more about them beyond where they grew up and whether or not they were married and ha...more
Very vivid writing for non-fiction. The author creates the environment and era so effectively, it engages reader and keeps their interest. The story of the theft is also told with swiftness, not lingering on boring details at any point.
I especially enjoyed reading about the history of pearls, the Victorian/Edwardian crime eras and famous English writers from the period. I still don't understand why you would send a valueable necklace (worth more than England's GDP) by mail, but I guess that is...more
I especially enjoyed reading about the history of pearls, the Victorian/Edwardian crime eras and famous English writers from the period. I still don't understand why you would send a valueable necklace (worth more than England's GDP) by mail, but I guess that is...more
I think I had greater expectations for more gripping story telling, just based on the title, since I had no knowledge of "the great pearl heist" before seeing this book on the short-loan shelf at my library. Ms. Crosby does a good job of picking through the Grizzard Gang's meticulous planning of this 1913 theft, but is still fell a bit flat as I perceived it. I guess the scurrying around the streets of the jewelers' district in London just is not that engrossing to me. The personalities were suf...more
I won The Great Pearl Heist from a firstreads giveaway, and I really enjoyed reading it. It was a well-constructed narrative account of a group of slippery jewel thieves who stole the worlds most valuable pearl necklace, and the Scotland Yard detectives who caught them.
Molly Caldwell Crosby begins her tale with a teaser heist of lesser jewels to set the scene. The main figures are a criminal and a detective. John Grizzard is the mastermind, and the only thing he is better at than planning a rob...more
Molly Caldwell Crosby begins her tale with a teaser heist of lesser jewels to set the scene. The main figures are a criminal and a detective. John Grizzard is the mastermind, and the only thing he is better at than planning a rob...more
Molly Caldwell Crosby in her new book, “The Great Pearl Heist” published by Berkley Books gives us an account of London’s Greatest Thief and Scotland Yard’s Hunt for the World’s Most Valuable Necklace.
From the back cover: Molly Caldwell Crosby once again brings forgotten history to vivid life in an absorbing account of crime and deduction in the early days of the twentieth century. . . .
In the summer of 1913, under the cover of London’s perpetual smoggy dusk, two brilliant minds are pitted agai...more
From the back cover: Molly Caldwell Crosby once again brings forgotten history to vivid life in an absorbing account of crime and deduction in the early days of the twentieth century. . . .
In the summer of 1913, under the cover of London’s perpetual smoggy dusk, two brilliant minds are pitted agai...more
A non-fiction account of thieves posing as jewelers and jewelers posing as thieves. It's set in London right after Jack the Ripper and before World War I, when Scotland Yard was just beginning to use forensics and fingerprints and had only recently established the CID and promoted some policemen to "detectives". The story flows well, and shows lots and lots of research. I found it quite interesting.
If you're interested in this subject, I would also recommend "The Yard" by Alex Grecian.
If you're interested in this subject, I would also recommend "The Yard" by Alex Grecian.
This is a great book. The descriptions of Victorian and Edwardian London are most interesting. The author tends to wander off topic now and then but only to enter historical information about the life and times of the city. It is very timely considering the popularity right now of Downton Abbey. The amount of research Ms Crosby must have done to produce this fairly authentic tale is daunting
This is a true story about the theft of a very expensive pearl necklace. This happened during the Edwardian era in London and it amazed me how easy it was to steal this necklace. After the crime the thieves had a much harder time selling it. Scotland Yard was starting to use more modern investigating tools like finger printing. But it was just the old reliable stake out plan that caught the guilty men.
The Great Pearl Heist is a great read. The heist itself is an incredible story that was, as the author explained, lost in history with the advent of the World War I. But the book does much more than tell that story; it also develops the story of pearls, the rise of detectives, and life in England at the turn of the century. The "trial of the century" was a bit of an anticlimax with a little too much treatment given the actual content. But this is a fascinating story, quite well told.
Interesting little book. Great information about the inner workings of Scotland Yard and its history as well as the criminal element in nineteenth century England. Lots of historical information in such a little book. It was a bit difficult to keep up with so many characters but the outline of the main people in the front of the book was helpful. A good and easy read and a nice break after reading a huge book.
The title advertised something that the book simply could not deliver. The story of the theft of a very valuable pearl necklace and the subsequent apprehension and prosecution of the people responsible has its interesting points but nothing which would take it outside the realm of a New Yorker article. Not going to be putting this author on my watch list.
Fun read and a good nonfiction companion to the Downtown Abbey series. Same time period, but a very different class of people. This case illustrates the rise of the modern-day detective and lets us time-travel to the days when jewel thieves shuttled between Paris and London on boats. Great idea, great research, fun photos, good writing.
Loved the writing, but the story line didn't keep me interested. I wish Crosby had spent more time with some of the other cool things happening during this time period. I get she specifically researched this heist, but Scotland Yard, women thieves, and several other things she touches on would have made for a more interesting read.
This is an absolutely fantastic book! It reads like a movie, and it's all true! That's what made it so much fun to me, and why I favor narrative non-fiction. I read it in just two sittings. Crosby is a gifted writer, hitting on all cylinders with The Heist - I've read, and liked, all her books and highly recommend this to just about any reader's list.
Very interesting material and story but the telling is a tad unexciting. Partly this is due to the time period and the capability of the "authorities" to investigate crimes. Things like fingerprint analysis were embryonic, no recording devices and just a lot of footwork (literally). Not a page turner but I'm glad I read it.
Jan 17, 2013
Gail
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Nobody
Recommended to Gail by:
Book reviews
The subtitle of this book makes you think that it's a fast-paced thriller. Nope. It's more like a slow-witted borer. After sloughing through seventy-three pages, I gave up. I felt like I was reading a history report and what was written was flat.
What a disappointment.
What a disappointment.
Quick and interesting book about a case handled by Scotland Yard. It would make a great movie in my opinion. The cast of characters are a motley bunch. The author gives great insight to the Edwardian era of England. It is amazing how people in the time period dressed daily. Top hats, coats, vest, watch chains are the norm.
This was an interesting peak into London society at the time, plus an intriguing glance into the beginnings of criminal investigation at New Scotland Yard. Tracking the theft of a very expensive pearl necklace, as well as the investigation of the crime, Crosby's book reads more like a work of fiction than non-fiction. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in historical crime solving.
You've got to love history that reads like a good whodunit (OK, maybe you don't; but I do!), bad this is a good yarn and a very different perspective on Edwardian England than you'll get from Ken Follett's great trilogy in progress or Downton Abbey.
This interesting true story narrated the details of a gang of jewel thieves and the Scotland Yard detective who eventually caught them. It was a fairly quick read with lots of interesting tidbits about life in 1913 London.
Feb 22, 2013
Caroline
added it
A fascinating story filled with larger-than-life characters and fabulous jewels ... And all of it absolutely true. The author paints a vivid picture, giving you all the details while pulling you into the story. This is non-fiction at its best.
Jan 30, 2013
Christine
added it
I liked it a lot, and it fit in well with 'Thunderstruck', with a few of the same detectives trying to crack this case who worked on solving the Crippen case. It was a quick read as well.
Nonfiction written with pace and style of a novel. Love it when historic events are retold in a way that captures your imagination and keeps you up reading late into the night!
good book and a true story!
.."the infamous thief, the brilliant detective, and the Crown's best prosecutor..this was a true Sherlock Holmes case being played out.."
.."the infamous thief, the brilliant detective, and the Crown's best prosecutor..this was a true Sherlock Holmes case being played out.."
Interesting read about a crime In London right before WWII . Enjoyed the insights into the underworld and the beginnings of detective work. If you like historical mysteries you'll enjoy this.
Not the most thrilling of true crime books, but interesting and well researched. A reliable account and engaging story.
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Molly Crosby is a best-selling author and journalist. Her first book The American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever, the Epidemic That Shaped Our History was published in November 2006 by Berkley Books, an imprint of Penguin, USA. The New York Times hailed it as a “first-rate medical detective drama,” and Newsweek called it “gripping.” The book has been nominated for the Barnes & Noble...more
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Apr 29, 2013 03:26pm
Apr 29, 2013 03:51pm