Among Thieves

Acknowledgments

This novel is, of course, a work of fiction. Many of the details regarding the robbery at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, however, are based in fact. Some of the specifics regarding the events of that night were obtained from police reports. Others were gleaned from numerous news articles and scholarly work regarding the robbery. The rest is fictional dramatization. The crime remains (as of the writing of this novel) unsolved, and this book is not intended to suggest the guilt of any individual. While some news articles and books that have speculated regarding the possibility of cooperation in the robbery by someone connected with the museum, I am aware of no proof that the robbery was an “inside job.” Further, while many have hypothesized that James “Whitey” Bulger was likely involved in the robbery either directly or indirectly based on his stranglehold on organized crime in Boston in the early 1990s, I am aware of no proof that this is the case. His inclusion in this novel is for dramatic purposes only.

I was aided in my research by innumerable third-party sources, including articles by Stephen Kurkjian in the Boston Globe, and by Tom Mashberg and Laura Crimaldi in the Boston Herald. The 2004 documentary Stolen, directed by Rebecca Dreyfus, is an excellent film and a very helpful resource, and the nonfiction book The Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World’s Largest Unsolved Art Theft by Ulrich Boser provided additional detail based on the notes of the renowned art theft investigator Harold Smith. I recommend both to anyone interested in learning more about the robbery.

For those seeking additional information regarding the Gardner museum itself, or the fascinating life of Isabella Stewart Gardner, I recommend The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: A Companion Guide and History by Hilliard T. Goldfarb and Mrs. Jack: A Biography of Isabella Stewart Gardner by Louise Hall Tharp. For additional information regarding art theft in general, and art theft investigation, the books Museum of the Missing: The High Stakes of Art Crime by Simon Houpt and Stolen Masterpiece Tracker by Thomas McShane and Dary Matera are very informative. I am also indebted to a number of individuals familiar with the specifics of the Gardner investigation and the general workings of the various groups of organized criminals in Boston over the years.

I owe an enormous debt to Mitch Hoffman, a wonderful editor who brought out the best in me and the manuscript: your suggestions and guidance were invaluable, and the book would not be nearly the work that it is without your help.

Thanks to David Young, Jamie Raab, Elly Weisenberg, Kim Hoffman, and all the wonderful folks at Grand Central Publishing who worked on the production end of the book, including Mari, S. B., Allene, George, and Anne. Your support and assistance are greatly appreciated.

My thanks also to the great people at Macmillan, including Maria Rejt and Trisha Jackson, as well as to Arabella Stein at the Abner Stein Agency in London. You have been a pleasure to work with.

For the gang at the Aaron Priest Agency-Lucy Childs, Frances Jalet-Miller, Nicole Kenealy, John Richmond, and Arlene Priest-and in particular for Aaron Priest and Lisa Erbach Vance: I thank the fates every day for bringing me into contact with you. Without your help and support none of this would have been possible.

Thanks to my wonderful family: my parents, Richard and Martha; my brother, Ted, and his wife, Betsy, and their family; and an extended family and cadre of loyal friends for keeping me grounded and focusing (when I take a deep breath) on the things that are most important in life.

For Reid and Samantha, protect your dreams as you get older. I love you more than you will ever understand.

For my wife and my love, Joanie: I couldn’t do any of this without you. You are a wonderful partner, the best mother any children could have, and my greatest source of support.

Finally, I would like to thank all of the teachers I have had over the years who nurtured my love of language, my appreciation for drama, my fascination in the law, and my curiosity in the world around me. There are too many to name them all, but I would like to mention James Godrey, Carey Fuller, Dick Pike, Bill Moore, Jim and Susan Wright, and Roger Schecter.