Stealing the Scream: The Hunt for a Missing Masterpiece

One morning in 1994, two men in a stolen car skid to a halt in front of Norway s National Gallery. Minutes later, they roar off with Edvard Munch's iconic, tortured, best-known work. In desperation, Norwegian police call on the world s greatest art detective Scotland Yard s enigmatic, irascible, brilliant Charley Hill. The hunt for The Scream will either cap his career or end in a fiasco that will dog him forever An utterly captivating read (City AM), Stealing the Scream is a thrilling tale of the hunt to recover a $72 million masterpiece. [Protagonist] Hill regards art crime as serious farce and that s just how Dolnick plays it, with journalistic verve, in this enjoyable book. Guardian.

About the Author :
Edward Dolnick, a former chief science writer at the Boston Globe, has written for the Atlantic Monthly, the New York Times Magazine and more. His interest in art thieves was triggered by the 1990 Gardner Museum robbery. He has two grown sons and lives with his wife near Washington, DC.

Review :
'A masterpiece. Engrossing, entertaining, often surreally hilarious.' 'Much more than an outstanding detective story that happens to be taken from real life. Dolnick has provided us with an insider's view of the hidden world of art theft, where paintings by old masters are used to settle gambling debts and priceless canvases are rolled up in the trunk. This is a fascinating tale, expertly told, with characters as crisply drawn as any Rembrandt and the sort of intrigue generally found only in a thriller.' 'An entertaining account of the eternal struggle between high art and low cunning.' 'There has never been a better book on art crime.' ‘[Edward Dolnick’s] His highly readable and informative caper follows Charley Hill, Scotland Yard's undercover man in the art world, on the missing painting's trail.’ ‘People steal art because they want to and they can. Edward Dolnick's breathless journey through the often absurd world of international art theft explores this idea through a cast of real-life characters straight from a pulp detective novel.’ ‘’Stealing the Scream’ sometimes feels like a bad Guy Ritchie film script, but is saved by Dolnick's enthusiasm and Hill's charisma. Engaging and at times thrilling.’ ‘This rollicking tale of the art underworld revels in the sheer audacity of the theft and cheers on the eccentric Scotland Yard detective who was determined to get the painting back. Dolnick is a great storyteller, and ‘Stealing the Scream’ is crammed with a colourful cast…’