The Art Thief by Noah Charney

The Art Thief by Noah Charney is a promising book about duplicity and double-crossing in the art world, but it's let down by a disappointing ending. Three paintings are stolen: in Rome a Caravaggio altarpiece, in Paris Malevich's White on White, and in London another copy of that same painting. Or are they the same painting stolen twice for unknown reasons. Gabriel Coffin, an expert on art theft, is called in to investigate the crimes, and others are quickly drawn into the intricate plot. I've read other reviewers complaining about the thick art history in the book, but I think that's the only place it shined. When Charney expostulates on iconoclasm, modern art, and symbolism, the book is fascinating, and the pages fly by. But the story gets bogged down by overly quirky police officers in Paris and London. The cops are just a bit too precious, and the amount of backstory given to the Wickenden seems overdone considering his small role in the story. I went along with the story and even enjoyed myself until the final chapters when Charney pulls a double-cross on his readers and lost my loyalty. Characters who appeared to be on the up-and-up are the bad guys with all sorts of connections to each other that the reader couldn't be aware of. In the end, the plot fails when all of the players become known, and the theft was so complicated as to be confusing and pointless. I wanted so much more for this book, and if Charney stuck to the art at which he is an expert, I'd read more; just skip the suspense.