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The Great Pearl Heist: London's Greatest Thief and Scotland Yard's Hunt for the World's Most Valuable Necklace
London, 1913. An exquisite strand of pale pink pearls, worth more than the Hope Diamond, has been bought by a Hatton Garden broker, capturing the attention of both jewelers and thieves. In transit to London from Paris, the necklace vanishes without a trace.
Joseph Grizzard, “the King of Fences,” is the leader of a vast gang of thieves in London’s East End. Having risen from the deadly streets to become a wealthy family man, Grizzard still cannot resist the sport of crime, and the pearl necklace proves an irresistible challenge.
Inspector Alfred Ward has joined the brand-new division of the Metropolitan Police known as “detectives.” Having caught some of the great murderers of Victorian London, Ward is now charged with finding the missing pearls and the thief who stole them.
In the spirit of The Great Train Robbery, this is the true story of a psychological cat-and-mouse game. Thoroughly researched and compellingly colorful, The Great Pearl Heist is a gripping narrative account of this little-known, yet extraordinary crime.
Joseph Grizzard, “the King of Fences,” is the leader of a vast gang of thieves in London’s East End. Having risen from the deadly streets to become a wealthy family man, Grizzard still cannot resist the sport of crime, and the pearl necklace proves an irresistible challenge.
Inspector Alfred Ward has joined the brand-new division of the Metropolitan Police known as “detectives.” Having caught some of the great murderers of Victorian London, Ward is now charged with finding the missing pearls and the thief who stole them.
In the spirit of The Great Train Robbery, this is the true story of a psychological cat-and-mouse game. Thoroughly researched and compellingly colorful, The Great Pearl Heist is a gripping narrative account of this little-known, yet extraordinary crime.
288 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2012
36 people are currently reading
1802 people want to read
About the author
Molly Caldwell Crosby
6 books90 followersMolly 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 Discover Great New Writers Award, Border’s Original Voices Award and Southern Independent Booksellers Award. It was also chosen as a New York Times Editor’s pick and a Book Sense pick.
Crosby's second book, Asleep: The Forgotten Epidemic that Remains One of Medicine’s Greatest Mysteries, was released March 2010. Oliver Sacks, author of Awakenings, called it a "brilliant and deeply moving account." Publishers Weekly wrote, "Here's medical curiosity combining history, mystery, and riveting storytelling...The remarkable human connection Crosby brings to this scientific oddity helps enlighten readers about a pandemic forgotten in the shadow of the contemporaneous Spanish flu...." Asleep was an April pick for Scientific American magazine and a May pick for Discover magazine.
Her third book, THE GREAT PEARL HEIST, has been chosen for the Indie Next List for December 2012 and as one of Barnes and Nobles Best Books of the Month. B&N called it, "one of the most engrossing true crime tales of all time." Booklist (starred review) described it as "thriller-style" and "compelling popular history." And Publishers Weekly called it a "winning true crime drama," adding, the author highlights the case's major influence on British crime detection...adding a dash of color and realism to a largely forgotten chapter of Edwardian London."
Crosby holds a Master of Arts degree in nonfiction and science writing from Johns Hopkins University's Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and spent several years working for National Geographic magazine in Washington, DC. Her writing has appeared in Newsweek, Health, and USA Today, among others. She has participated in interviews with NPR's "Morning Edition," The Diane Rehm Show, C-SPAN Book TV, John Seigenthaler's "A Word on Words" and Bloomberg Radio. Crosby has also served as a visiting professor in creative nonfiction in the Master of Fine Arts program at the University of Memphis, as well as giving talks around the country about her books.
Crosby lives in Memphis with her husband and two daughters.
Crosby's second book, Asleep: The Forgotten Epidemic that Remains One of Medicine’s Greatest Mysteries, was released March 2010. Oliver Sacks, author of Awakenings, called it a "brilliant and deeply moving account." Publishers Weekly wrote, "Here's medical curiosity combining history, mystery, and riveting storytelling...The remarkable human connection Crosby brings to this scientific oddity helps enlighten readers about a pandemic forgotten in the shadow of the contemporaneous Spanish flu...." Asleep was an April pick for Scientific American magazine and a May pick for Discover magazine.
Her third book, THE GREAT PEARL HEIST, has been chosen for the Indie Next List for December 2012 and as one of Barnes and Nobles Best Books of the Month. B&N called it, "one of the most engrossing true crime tales of all time." Booklist (starred review) described it as "thriller-style" and "compelling popular history." And Publishers Weekly called it a "winning true crime drama," adding, the author highlights the case's major influence on British crime detection...adding a dash of color and realism to a largely forgotten chapter of Edwardian London."
Crosby holds a Master of Arts degree in nonfiction and science writing from Johns Hopkins University's Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and spent several years working for National Geographic magazine in Washington, DC. Her writing has appeared in Newsweek, Health, and USA Today, among others. She has participated in interviews with NPR's "Morning Edition," The Diane Rehm Show, C-SPAN Book TV, John Seigenthaler's "A Word on Words" and Bloomberg Radio. Crosby has also served as a visiting professor in creative nonfiction in the Master of Fine Arts program at the University of Memphis, as well as giving talks around the country about her books.
Crosby lives in Memphis with her husband and two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews
December 5, 2016
Ho-hum. Somehow I thought this book would offer more than it did. A priceless pearl necklace is stolen by a very organized gang of thieves in London and the book traces how they were finally caught. Sounds exciting but it wasn't. If I read one more thing about how they moved from one pub/hotel to another to have clandestine meetings where nothing much happened, I would have screamed. Additionally, there was much description of the buildings and their interior design in early 20th century London which absolutely had nothing to do with the story. Not much going on here although I did finish it.
March 29, 2016
It's not the author's fault that I was literally falling asleep while reading this book.
She does her best to make this fascinating, but in the end I just don't care.
I don't care that a pearl necklace was stolen in 1913, that the thieves tried to sell it, that the jewel thief was an alleged mastermind, that the police created a sting to bring the thieves down. I don't care that they went to trial and were punished.
I need a little excitement in my books. Or philosophy, some deep thoughts. Not a super-long newspaper article about a crime that took place over a hundred years ago.
I appreciate the effort Crosby puts forth here, but it's all for naught - at least with me as her audience. She tries to put the thieves in a sympathetic light - oh, they have families and are good fathers - but in the end they are thieves. They aren't even stealing because they are poor and hungry, instead they are stealing because they enjoy it. Also, she plays up "the mastermind jewel thief" and the "Sherlock Holmes-type" detective, but the sting was boring and the trial was boring. There were no shocking revelations or twists to hold my interest.
It's not badly written, but for me it is a topic that I have no interest in.
She does her best to make this fascinating, but in the end I just don't care.
I don't care that a pearl necklace was stolen in 1913, that the thieves tried to sell it, that the jewel thief was an alleged mastermind, that the police created a sting to bring the thieves down. I don't care that they went to trial and were punished.
I need a little excitement in my books. Or philosophy, some deep thoughts. Not a super-long newspaper article about a crime that took place over a hundred years ago.
I appreciate the effort Crosby puts forth here, but it's all for naught - at least with me as her audience. She tries to put the thieves in a sympathetic light - oh, they have families and are good fathers - but in the end they are thieves. They aren't even stealing because they are poor and hungry, instead they are stealing because they enjoy it. Also, she plays up "the mastermind jewel thief" and the "Sherlock Holmes-type" detective, but the sting was boring and the trial was boring. There were no shocking revelations or twists to hold my interest.
It's not badly written, but for me it is a topic that I have no interest in.
February 22, 2013
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 sufficiently detailed, but yet again, I just wasn't that interested in them.
Not a bad book by any means, but I sort of feel that I've dutifully checked off a "another non-fiction book" from the "got to have variety in my reading choices" list.
Not a bad book by any means, but I sort of feel that I've dutifully checked off a "another non-fiction book" from the "got to have variety in my reading choices" list.
April 28, 2013
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 theft of "The Mona Lisa of Pearls", This exquisite string of pearls contained 61 pink beauties and was purchased by Max Mayer at a cost of 18 million (today's dollar) and valued at 121 million. Can you imagine?
The author, Molly Crosby does a lot of research to try to fill in the gaps of what is known and what's not and delivers a plausible scenario of what happened. She uses courtroom testimony, police interviews, actual dialogue from a Holmes novel and by use of quotes, you know what is fact. She sets the scene as well as anyone could, not having lived it or been there.
I liked the book though I did find myself wandering at times. It it told in a straight forward manner and gives us the facts, ma'am.
Did they ever find The Necklace? Sorry, you'll have to read it yourself to find out.
One book leads to another. Early on, in describing this gang of thieves, Ms. Crosby introduces us to a female member. She states Thievery proved very egalitarian for the era. Women thieves could work alongside or even lead men in a time when that happened nowhere else in society. The Forty Thieves Gang of women exemplified that business world.". Of course I had to know more about these forty women. The book, Gangs of London by Brian McDonald promises to offer up more information about this gang, also known as The Forty Elephants.
Molly Crosby wrote two other books that I've got my eye on. Asleep: The forgotten Epidemic that remains one of medicine's greatest mysteries" and American Plague: The untold story of yellow fever, the epidemic that shaped our history For a woman just a bit over 40, she's certainly tackled some big subjects.
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 theft of "The Mona Lisa of Pearls", This exquisite string of pearls contained 61 pink beauties and was purchased by Max Mayer at a cost of 18 million (today's dollar) and valued at 121 million. Can you imagine?
The author, Molly Crosby does a lot of research to try to fill in the gaps of what is known and what's not and delivers a plausible scenario of what happened. She uses courtroom testimony, police interviews, actual dialogue from a Holmes novel and by use of quotes, you know what is fact. She sets the scene as well as anyone could, not having lived it or been there.
I liked the book though I did find myself wandering at times. It it told in a straight forward manner and gives us the facts, ma'am.
Did they ever find The Necklace? Sorry, you'll have to read it yourself to find out.
One book leads to another. Early on, in describing this gang of thieves, Ms. Crosby introduces us to a female member. She states Thievery proved very egalitarian for the era. Women thieves could work alongside or even lead men in a time when that happened nowhere else in society. The Forty Thieves Gang of women exemplified that business world.". Of course I had to know more about these forty women. The book, Gangs of London by Brian McDonald promises to offer up more information about this gang, also known as The Forty Elephants.
Molly Crosby wrote two other books that I've got my eye on. Asleep: The forgotten Epidemic that remains one of medicine's greatest mysteries" and American Plague: The untold story of yellow fever, the epidemic that shaped our history For a woman just a bit over 40, she's certainly tackled some big subjects.
October 23, 2017
”A pearl, no matter how exquisite, that once belonged to royalty, will bring only despare to those who keep it.”
A short, but interesting account, of the robbery of an extremely valuable pink pearl necklace. Prewar, pre Mikimoto, this necklace was worth almost 70% of the entire British GDP for 1913.
There were clever thieves and good police work. The crack was, as it often is, the man with “the long tongue.” You hate him for spoiling things but we would never have known the story without him.
There were no happy endings, life and war is messier than that. Three stars.
June 14, 2017
An interesting subject that is relatively stand-alone--no serious changes in police procedure or security were mentioned as a direct result of this heist--but the way the information was presented was very dry. Crosby tried to meld the facts about the case with scenes from what life was like at the time. This device typically works well, as it's not interfering too much with the facts, but in this case, it just seemed out of place and clunkily intertwined. Many parts seemed to be taken too much directly from the accounts and records about the heist--short sentences and brief quotes were used to try and create suspense, but it just created too much of a "and then this happened, and then this and then this" sequence.
Fortunately, the subject matter is quite interesting, and the book is relatively short, so I didn't ever feel the urge to DNF it. I wouldn't recommend it to many though, unless you're incredibly enamored with early 1900s crime fighting and jewel theft in London.
(Cross posted on my blog.)
Fortunately, the subject matter is quite interesting, and the book is relatively short, so I didn't ever feel the urge to DNF it. I wouldn't recommend it to many though, unless you're incredibly enamored with early 1900s crime fighting and jewel theft in London.
(Cross posted on my blog.)
April 18, 2018
This was so much fun; a great audiobook! I love heist stories, and this one is very entertaining. It would make a fantastic film. Both well-written and well-researched, but it was the characters which caught my attention the most. This is the second audiobook I've listened to read by Michael Page--he's good.
April 21, 2013
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 the author's descriptions of England. I think it may be that before reading this book, I had read an amazing period piece, "Eighty Days", which was flawless in its descriptions of the late 1800's in America, Europe and Asia. So the writing here left me wanting more in the way of the flavor of the times. Still it is definitely worth reading.
Through this story, I now know how the detective tales of Poe, Doyle, and Bronte began. It's interesting to know that our own FBI was influenced by Scotland yard's CID. Also, outcomes from several other unusual crimes, especially the one involving Dr. Thomas Neill Cream, added excitement to this otherwise journalistic piece. I found it curious and appropriate that foreign-born criminals found guilty usually served their sentences in Britain's prisons, and were expelled from England upon their release. Even if they had lived in England for the majority of their lives, expulsion was commonplace. Insulin came into use in 1923 as a treatment for diabetes. This is one more tidbit I learned while reading this book. All in all, I will most likely read more by this author.
The book is easy to read and the writing is good. I was a little underwhelmed by the author's descriptions of England. I think it may be that before reading this book, I had read an amazing period piece, "Eighty Days", which was flawless in its descriptions of the late 1800's in America, Europe and Asia. So the writing here left me wanting more in the way of the flavor of the times. Still it is definitely worth reading.
Through this story, I now know how the detective tales of Poe, Doyle, and Bronte began. It's interesting to know that our own FBI was influenced by Scotland yard's CID. Also, outcomes from several other unusual crimes, especially the one involving Dr. Thomas Neill Cream, added excitement to this otherwise journalistic piece. I found it curious and appropriate that foreign-born criminals found guilty usually served their sentences in Britain's prisons, and were expelled from England upon their release. Even if they had lived in England for the majority of their lives, expulsion was commonplace. Insulin came into use in 1923 as a treatment for diabetes. This is one more tidbit I learned while reading this book. All in all, I will most likely read more by this author.
May 9, 2013
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 had children. I know the author made a conscious decision to stick to the facts, but I can't help but feeling this book would have been much richer with a little fictional embellishment.
January 13, 2013
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 the Metropolitan Police, in particular the growth of detectives. Giving me this much background also helped me keep all the players straight. One thing I'm terrible with when there's a lot of characters in a book is knowing who's who. I often think that 3 characters are all the same person, especially if they have similar names.
The rest of the book reminded me a little of a Law and Order episode. First she told the story of the sting - from both sides. You got to see the cat and mouse game between the detectives and the thieves. After the arrest she switched her focus to the trial. I finished reading this book in just a few hours because I wanted to find out how the jury ruled!
I admit, I liked this author's other books a little better, but that could just be because I tend to like medical non-fiction best, but I don't think I would've stayed interested in this story unless I had also just started watching the 3rd season of Downton Abbey. I don't know much about this time period (In school we pretty much skipped from the Civil War to World War II), so I'm loving learning more about Edwardian England.
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 the Metropolitan Police, in particular the growth of detectives. Giving me this much background also helped me keep all the players straight. One thing I'm terrible with when there's a lot of characters in a book is knowing who's who. I often think that 3 characters are all the same person, especially if they have similar names.
The rest of the book reminded me a little of a Law and Order episode. First she told the story of the sting - from both sides. You got to see the cat and mouse game between the detectives and the thieves. After the arrest she switched her focus to the trial. I finished reading this book in just a few hours because I wanted to find out how the jury ruled!
I admit, I liked this author's other books a little better, but that could just be because I tend to like medical non-fiction best, but I don't think I would've stayed interested in this story unless I had also just started watching the 3rd season of Downton Abbey. I don't know much about this time period (In school we pretty much skipped from the Civil War to World War II), so I'm loving learning more about Edwardian England.
November 16, 2016
The problem with historical recreations of this type is that the actions of historical individuals often don't match up with the "character" they are supposed to portray. The historical events/persons are molded and shaped by the author to fit into the molds cast by fiction genres. In this case, the detective/hard-boiled fiction genre. 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 necklace (today's dollars), and in at least one instance with the stolen necklace in his personal possession. Doesn't really fit. And the great caper that he masterminded? the intricate plan to steal this incredible item that only a wizard like him could accomplish? Basically he got someone to bribe the mailman who was delivering it in an ordinary package. There is a line or two toward the end of the book speculating that Grizzard's advanced diabetes was causing him to have mental lapses (the illness comes as news to the reader). Hmm, maybe. Or maybe he simply wasn't the great criminal mind matching wits with the great detective from Scotland Yard. But then the story wouldn't fit the archetype and where would be the the appeal?
August 8, 2013
It is an interesting story but for some reason the book did not hold my interest. One of the difficulties with this story the author acknowledges in the notes: none of the four thieves arrested for the theft of the necklace left any kind of written statement; they didn’t even testify in their defense at the trial. So the most compelling part of the story (how they planned the heist, what they were thinking and feeling) is not available to us.
January 5, 2013
I wanted to love this book... a mystery and ensuing legal case involving the true heist of a set of pearls which were valued at four times the value of the Hope Diamond. However, for me, the book fell flat. It is obvious Crosby did a huge amount of research for this book but maybe that's the problem? At times, it read like a research project. name, name, name, date, date, date...
January 17, 2013
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.
March 2, 2013
Zzzzzzzzz.
February 11, 2020
A perfectly matched string of sixty-one natural pearls, all with the a pinkish-golden hue that took over ten years to match. The centerpiece and largest purchased from Portuguese royalty. Insured with Lloyd's of London for £135,00 (or roughly $750,000 in 1912). Today would put it at approximately $18 million or as the author figured it as a corresponding share of what the British gross national product would have been in 1912 would in 2012 (publication date) be at a high of $121 million.
Crosby quickly covers the history of pearling, the criminal gang of Joseph Grizzard as well as a quick view of the Forty Thieves gang - all women, led by women and the most successful gang for the two hundred years it was estimated to exist. Back history of the major players as they are introduced into the narrative. The details of the actual theft were reconstructed from police interviews and court testimony since the four men convicted of the crime never discussed how exactly the crime was committed. But a brilliant criminal mind - with extensive contacts - watched and planned the heist while the necklace was in the possession of the postal service, having compromised a alcohol-addicted postal deliveryman.
On the other side, with a quick overview of Scotland Yard, the development of the detective unit and eventually the Criminal Investigation Unit, was Inspector Alfred Ward. Already renowned for the capture of Doctor Crippin, he managed to put everything together with the help of two young jewelers looking for the reward and willing to be decoys for Frank Price, of the Price and Globe Assurance Assessors. Grizzard and his team were captured and tried for not only the theft but - interesting enough - for receiving merchandise known to be stolen. All four were convicted.
As for the pearls, piano tuner Gus Horn was accustomed to the daily routines of his neighborhood and when he saw a couple drop a package, he tried to return it but lost them in the fog. Unwrapping it, he found a bunch of pink marbles. Eventually he brought them to the police who in turn contacted Scotland Yard. In the end, sixty of the pearls were found with the missing one being the slightly pear-shaped centerpiece.
As what happened afterward, everyone served their time, two were deported upon release. Grizzard died shortly after his release, likely from diabetes. Sadly, Inspector Ward was killed in a zeppelin-bombing of London in 1916.
Overall, a fast paced look into a crime story that is not well-known, taking place before the advent of cultured pearls. Massive amounts of details which don't seem to bog down the story-telling. The only negative which occasionally stood out was that the author repeated that both Gizzard and Ward came from the poorer sections of London and both rose 'above their circumstances'.
2020-030
Crosby quickly covers the history of pearling, the criminal gang of Joseph Grizzard as well as a quick view of the Forty Thieves gang - all women, led by women and the most successful gang for the two hundred years it was estimated to exist. Back history of the major players as they are introduced into the narrative. The details of the actual theft were reconstructed from police interviews and court testimony since the four men convicted of the crime never discussed how exactly the crime was committed. But a brilliant criminal mind - with extensive contacts - watched and planned the heist while the necklace was in the possession of the postal service, having compromised a alcohol-addicted postal deliveryman.
On the other side, with a quick overview of Scotland Yard, the development of the detective unit and eventually the Criminal Investigation Unit, was Inspector Alfred Ward. Already renowned for the capture of Doctor Crippin, he managed to put everything together with the help of two young jewelers looking for the reward and willing to be decoys for Frank Price, of the Price and Globe Assurance Assessors. Grizzard and his team were captured and tried for not only the theft but - interesting enough - for receiving merchandise known to be stolen. All four were convicted.
As for the pearls, piano tuner Gus Horn was accustomed to the daily routines of his neighborhood and when he saw a couple drop a package, he tried to return it but lost them in the fog. Unwrapping it, he found a bunch of pink marbles. Eventually he brought them to the police who in turn contacted Scotland Yard. In the end, sixty of the pearls were found with the missing one being the slightly pear-shaped centerpiece.
As what happened afterward, everyone served their time, two were deported upon release. Grizzard died shortly after his release, likely from diabetes. Sadly, Inspector Ward was killed in a zeppelin-bombing of London in 1916.
Overall, a fast paced look into a crime story that is not well-known, taking place before the advent of cultured pearls. Massive amounts of details which don't seem to bog down the story-telling. The only negative which occasionally stood out was that the author repeated that both Gizzard and Ward came from the poorer sections of London and both rose 'above their circumstances'.
2020-030
April 4, 2023
I just didn't find this one fun to read. The story was interesting--a pearl necklace stolen in London right before World War I breaks out. I liked how the author made the city of that time period come alive. I didn't find the people all that interesting. The characters even though they were real people felt flat and uninteresting. I wanted a lot more on Scotland Yard.
November 28, 2017
This book is an interesting look at a high profile robbery in London in 1913. It has all the sterotypes we associate with 'clever' crime today - the intelligent, cunning planner and financer of the crime, the shady and organised criminals and the equally clever detective and lawyer. However, the difference is that all these people were real. Sterotypes have their origin in real events. This is not the 'crime of the century', but its an interesting look at how fiction is mirrored in reality and I thought this an interesting read that evoked the characters and 1913 London very well.
August 23, 2018
Molly Caldwell Crosby’s, The Great Pearl Heist, is a great combination of true history and realistic detail to make an entertaining story revolving around a thrilling heist story. True crime fans would love this story thanks to Crosby’s, clearly evident extensive research on the topic. The realism of the story is impressive based on the relative lack of popularity this London necklace heist has compared to other famous crimes. With pretty simple comprehension, Crosby does a great job of flowing between the two main characters, Joseph Grizzard and Alfred Ward, and providing the reader with great understanding of both sides of the crime scene and the investigation. Through the portrayal of the event, Crosby also provides an overlying repeating theme assessing the public vision of Grizzard, the criminal mastermind behind the heist. Despite his generous public appearance, Grizzard was a private criminal genius and made his riches through an assortment of heists, trading, and other black market strategies. He appeared as another rich, yet surprisingly generous person to the public and was known for this. Crosby also often compares the heist to the most similar, and only occurring a few months after, the heist of the Mona Lisa. She implies that the Mona Lisa heist undeservingly takes the attention away from the, equally as impressive, pearl necklace heist. The story is split into three sections of “The Heist”, “The Sting”, and “Justice”. The sections are very self-explanatory, regarding the crime, public reaction, and trial. The heist itself gets started sooner than I expected it to start, being a pleasant surprise. However, the excitement definitely takes a drop in the third section with thirty-five pages being dedicated to the relatively boring trial. This drop, though difficult to get through, does not take from the overall great story. I am more than glad I read the book.
January 7, 2014
My fiance bought me this book for Christmas. That is our deal, every Christmas he buys me a book that I wouldn't typically check out or buy myself. It helps me branch out, which is one of the things I love most about him in general. This year it was the Great Pearl Heist.
I liked the idea that this was based on an actual Heist, an actual event. I am not one to read non-fiction, but this was so easy to read and follow. It was like I was sitting with the author and she was telling me what actually happened because she was a part of it! I like authors like that. No complications, no trickery or high climaxes, just straight talking.
The way Crosby told this story, she had me rooting for the thieves. For all of them, not just Lockett and Grizzard! I loved learning from this book, how the criminals were patient and planned and put up their own money in order to make money. They didn't get greedy, they understood that sometimes slow and steady wins the race. I liked that.
I also enjoyed that the Crosby went right into the Heist. She didn't give a ton of background that was irrelevant to the theme, she just told it out right, but in a way that you felt like you knew the characters. I feel like this book is good for young adults and adults.
I would recommend this to my friends, for sure, but more likely my male friend readers, as most of my girlfriends wouldn't be into this. Or would they? :)
I liked the idea that this was based on an actual Heist, an actual event. I am not one to read non-fiction, but this was so easy to read and follow. It was like I was sitting with the author and she was telling me what actually happened because she was a part of it! I like authors like that. No complications, no trickery or high climaxes, just straight talking.
The way Crosby told this story, she had me rooting for the thieves. For all of them, not just Lockett and Grizzard! I loved learning from this book, how the criminals were patient and planned and put up their own money in order to make money. They didn't get greedy, they understood that sometimes slow and steady wins the race. I liked that.
I also enjoyed that the Crosby went right into the Heist. She didn't give a ton of background that was irrelevant to the theme, she just told it out right, but in a way that you felt like you knew the characters. I feel like this book is good for young adults and adults.
I would recommend this to my friends, for sure, but more likely my male friend readers, as most of my girlfriends wouldn't be into this. Or would they? :)
May 9, 2015
I enjoyed this book a great deal. I especially like period true crime, and this one was a cut about many I've read over the years.
In this book you have the lovely combination of an intricate plot to steal what was the most beautiful and expensive necklace in the world at the time. I have to admit I drooled at the thought of natural pearl necklace (this was before cultured pearls) which was made of soft pink pearls both precisely matched in color and lustre, and tapered from large at the center and small at the nape. But I digress.
The players in the drama are interesting, and range from the high to the low in English society. The mastermind of the plot is particularly fascinating, I'll let you discover him for yourself.
Check this one out, it is truly worth reading.
In this book you have the lovely combination of an intricate plot to steal what was the most beautiful and expensive necklace in the world at the time. I have to admit I drooled at the thought of natural pearl necklace (this was before cultured pearls) which was made of soft pink pearls both precisely matched in color and lustre, and tapered from large at the center and small at the nape. But I digress.
The players in the drama are interesting, and range from the high to the low in English society. The mastermind of the plot is particularly fascinating, I'll let you discover him for yourself.
Check this one out, it is truly worth reading.
June 26, 2013
A fun read, told in true crime style, about a real jewel heist that took place in London in 1913. The author profiles the times, the neighborhoods that were the settings for the action, the major characters and the events in the story in highly readable style. Lest you be tempted to think she was making up the details she includes (such as quoted conversations), there are notes for each chapter, an impressive bibliography, and an index. There is also a poignant epilogue which tells what happened to many of the characters after the main events of the story were over. If you enjoy Sherlock Holmes or other detective fiction, you'll enjoy this book.
March 7, 2013
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.
August 27, 2013
An interesting book. Probably because it is a factual story rather than fiction, some parts were a bit confusing and disappointing. Learning about the history of New Scotland Yard detectives and crime fighting methods used 100 years ago was fascinating, as were the background stories of the various individuals involved. The "heist" itself and the search for the criminals afterwards seemed rather flat.
March 15, 2013
This book was very well researched and very interesting. The number of facts however weighed the action down way too much.
February 11, 2014
The time period and the crime were interesting. It was well researched and the writing wasn't bad. But the book just didn't grab me like I thought it would.
October 24, 2013
The subject was fascinating but I found the writing a bit labored
September 24, 2015
An interesting & well written true story narrated by Michael Page.
April 18, 2013
Just okay. Reasonably interesting story, original writing style but a bit dry.
August 20, 2013
Great story that suffers from immature writing and a tendency to pad.
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