Hot art : : Chasing Thieves and Detectives Through the Secret World of Stolen art

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Originally published: Vancouver : Douglas & McIntyre, 2011.
"Hot Art traces Joshua Knelman's five-year immersion in the shadowy world of art theft, which takes him from Egypt to Los Angeles, New York to London, and back again, through a web of deceit, violence, and corruption. With a cool, knowing eye, Knelman delves into the lives of professionals such as Paul, a brilliant working-class kid who charmed his way into a thriving career organizing art thefts and running loot across the United Kingdom and beyond, and LAPD detective Donald Hrycyk, one of the few special investigators worldwide who struggle to keep pace with the evolving industry of stolen art. As he becomes more and more immersed in this world, Knelman learns that art theft is no fringe activity--it has evolved into one of the largest black markets inthe world, which even Interpol and the FBI cannot contain. Sweeping and fast-paced, Hot Art is a major work of investigative journalism and a thrilling joyride into a mysterious criminal world"-- Provided by publisher.

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The Wide World of Art Theft submitted by Meginator on August 22, 2020, 10:37pm This true crime book is part reportage, part thriller as Joshua Knelman recounts his encounters with thieves, detectives, and lawyers wrapped up in the global fine art market. The individual stories are often quite captivating, particularly when a detective is hot on a case and Knelman focuses on the story rather than his conversations about it, but Knelmen never quite gets around to pulling these pieces together into a larger story. As a result, despite some occasional tantalizing hints, the book feels incomplete, more a series of tales than a true investigation into art theft wrought large. Nonetheless, this book is easy to read, is generally enjoyable, and offers insight into different aspects of the seedy side(s) of high art.