The Medici Conspiracy: The Illicit Journey of Looted Antiquities--From Italy's Tomb Raiders to the World's Greatest Museums

by Peter Watson, Cecilia Todeschini

The story begins, as stories do in all good thrillers, with a botched robbery and a police chase. Eight Apuleian vases of the fourth century B.C. are discovered in the swimming pool of a German-based art smuggler. More valuable than the recovery of the vases, however, is the discovery of the smuggler's card index detailing his deals and dealers. It reveals the existence of a web of tombaroli —tomb raiders— who steal classical artifacts, and a network of dealers and smugglers who spirit them out of Italy and into the hands of wealthy collectors and museums. Peter Watson, a former investigative journalist for the London Sunday Times and author of two previous exposés of art world scandals, names the key figures in this network that has depleted Europe's classical artifacts. Among the loot are the irreplaceable and highly collectable vases of Euphronius, the equivalent in their field of the sculpture of Bernini or the painting of Michelangelo. The narrative leads to the doors of some major Sothebys, the Getty Museum in L.A., the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York among them. Filled with great characters and human drama, The Medici Conspiracy authoritatively exposes another shameful round in one of the oldest games in the theft, smuggling and duplicitous dealing, all in the name of art.

Genres: Art, History, Nonfiction, Art History, Crime, True Crime, Archaeology

408 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Peter Watson was educated at the universities of Durham, London and Rome, and was awarded scholarships in Italy and the United States.

After a stint as Deputy Editor of New Society magazine, he was for four years part of the Sunday Times ‘Insight’ team of investigative journalists. He wrote the daily Diary column of the London Times before becoming that paper’s New York correspondent. He returned to London to write a column about the art world for the Observer and then at The Sunday Times.

He has published three exposes in the world of art and antiquities and from 1997 to 2007 was a Research Associate at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge. He has published twelve books of non-fiction and seven novels, some under the pen name of Mackenzie Ford. He lives in London where his interests include theatre, opera and fishing.

Awards, Etc.

Psychology Prize
Durham University, 1961

Italian Government Music Scholarship
Rome University, 1965

United States Government Bursary “for future world leaders”
To study the psychiatric profession and its links to the administration of justice

Books of the Year

Psychology Today Magazine, 1978, for War on the Mind
Daily Mail, 1990, for Wisdom and Strength
Independent on Sunday, for A Terrible Beauty, 2000
Times Literary Supplement, for Ideas, 2005
Time Magazine, for The Medici Conspiracy, 2006
Queen’s Pardon
Copy from Patrick Meehan after I had written a series of articles which brought about his release from prison after he had been wrongly convicted of murder, 1976.

Gold Dagger – Crime Writers’ Association of Great Britain
For The Caravaggio Conspiracy, 1983

Beacon Award – SAFE Award – Saving Antiquities for Everyone
For The Medici Conspiracy, 2006

US Library Association
The Great Divide.

Emmy Nomination
‘The Caravaggio Conspiracy, 1984.

Best sellers

The Caravaggio Conspiracy
Crusade
Landscape of Lies
Sotheby’s: The Inside Story
Nureyev
Lectures

Peter Watson has lectured at the following venues:

Universities

Cambridge
Berkeley
London
UCLA
Birmingham
Georgia
Georgia
Chicago
Birmingham
Santiago de Chile
York
Madrid
Harvard
Tufts
Military Bases

Fort Bragg
Private Institutions in

Cleveland
Berlin
Chicago
Belfast
Los Angeles
New York
Washington
Boston
Palm Beach
Other venues

Smithsonian Institution
National Museum, Copenhagen
Royal Society of Arts
Rugby School
Royal Library, Copenhagen
Festivals

Edinburgh
Oxford
Dartington
York

Reviews

[Zin Chiang · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book burst all my rose tinted bubbles about "Gentlemen Art Thieves". There are no Thomas Crowns or Indiana Joneses but a cartel of nasty mafioso more in line with "The Sopranos" or "James Bond" circa 1970's. But that is the reality because this book is a Non-Fiction.
A non-fiction that reads like an epic crime novel with all your eccentric cast of characters from the paranoid crime boss who obsessively documents his loot and stores ancient artifacts in a giant pool filled with chemical solutions in his lavish villa, to the determined Interpol/Callibinieri detective who lead the sting that would change European customs policy. Let's not forget the undercover American FBI agent with a bad attitude racing down Miami highways in a super sports car carrying priceless paintings. Annnnd, your old museum expert who spent his career blowing the whistle and being persecuted for telling the truth! (Cue trailer for "The International")

My god crime/art/history buffs ! You're in for a treat. Best of all? Being an art or history geek has never felt this cool!
Most shocking revelation : The Met & The Getty are scumbag grave robbers!

[Clioidae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book intrigued me from page one and at times left me angry, sad, hopeful and furious. In the end, my heart was broken by both the scale and the currency of major looting across Italy and I have never thought of museum collections the same way.

For art and archaeology enthusiasts, this is a must-read.
For students of art history, this is a must-read.
For those interested in true crime and the thrill of the hunt, this is a must-read.

However for all those parties, I would be surprised if anyone came away unaffected by the story, and the facts, of this book.

[Telesilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would make a great movie or novel, but even as a work of non-fiction it's a fascinating read. Between this book and Chasing Aphrodite you'll never look at the Getty (and several other museums) the same way.

[David Dinaburg · Rating 3 out of 5]

It often feels that the modern non-fiction book has eschewed the staid reserve of information transfer to weave narratives that blend author and subject into a cohesive whole. The fly-on-the-wall “Grand Narratives” of Game Change and Too Big to Fail, both late 2010, had the vox populi appeal, their commercial success harbinging a sea change in non-fiction that led to a surfeit of dialogue reconstruction, memoir-esque retrospection, and direct appeals to reader-as-fellow-traveler.

The Medici Conspiracy: The Illicit Journey of Looted Antiquities From Italy’s Tomb Raiders to the World’s Greatest Museums was published and written without concern for approachability; niche writing for an esoteric audience. Its antediluvian sensibility—before the flood of mass market demands forced nonfiction authors to be screenwriters rather than professors—is almost refreshing. The Medici Conspiracy wants you to know every last detail of the trial of Giacomo Medici, true; more important is the context. To even approach Giacomo Medici, you have to be brought into the world of antiquities smuggling.

Essentially, it is a book in two parts—first a catechism that informs the laity while casting reproach amongst the clergy:

Renfrew [a respected archaeologist], Elia said, had written about the collection as a jewel, as a wonderful aspect of Cycladic art—and yet, archaeologically speaking, it had no meaning. Because these objects had been looted, no one could have any real idea which island they had come from, what age they were, what their function was, what their relationship was to one another, whether they had been painted over in antiquity, and so on. For Elia, the Goulandris Collection barely deserved the name: It was booty rather than a proper collection, which ought to tell us as much as possible about the past.

The second section is courtroom thriller, an eschatological parable for looters, traffickers, and curators of rogue museums:

Tombaroli, and even Medici on occasions, in the proceedings against him, like to portray themselves as lovers of the arts, as “experts” or professional archaeologists in a sense, helping to “preserve” material that would otherwise be “lost” to history. How plausible is that when the same people knowingly trade in openly stolen artifacts, and deliberately damage them to disguise where they come from?

During the “The Fall of Robin Symes” chapter—a vignette written in the direct-access feel of recent non-fiction—the ponderousness of the rest of the prose is brought into stark relief. That isn’t a condemnation; the dusty, technical writing, resplendent in its details and comfortable in its esotericism, simply is not conducive to gobbling up text:

The acquisition of vases in fragments—“the sale of Orphans” as Pellegrini put it—enables a museum to acquire a valuable vase, not for nothing exactly, but more cheaply than if the vase were to be acquired whole or intact. The fact that, as True said, the fragments fit snugly together and were not worn may well mean that vases are broken deliberately, at the start of the process, to set up the subterfuge we are identifying.

What The Medici Conspiracy does well is inform the reader about something you may not know; much of the antiquities populating the world’s most prestigious museums were looted in the past fifty years. Repulsive facts—that vases are unearthed intact and broken into bits to be more easily sold, more difficult to track, or to sweeten larger deals to museums—are handed out with depressing regularity and supported in the text proper with first-hand quotations as well as cited in an extensive dossier of seized documents, reprinted en masse at the end of the book.

You see how antiquities are unearthed:

Hecht records how in 1963, a Swiss dealer went so far as to equip the looters in Tarquinia (well known for its painted tombs) with electric saws, with which they could more easily strip frescoes from the walls of tombs and villas. Ironically, when the police discovered what was happening, they decided that only Americans would risk and finance such flamboyant looting techniques and Hecht’s residence permit was revoked.

You see how antiquities are sold:

Even when a place-name is given as a find side, it turns out that many are really euphemisms, phrases that are so vague as to be archaeologically meaningless. Instead of saying “Turkey,” dealers use the terms “Anatolia,” “Asia Minor,” “Black Sea Region,” “Ionia,” and so forth. A spurious aura of provenance fills space in the catalog, making it appear that collections curators, or the sales room catalogers, have earned their fee.

Once the reader has a basic understanding of the structure and scope of the antiquities trade—most torn out of the earth without provenance—it becomes clear that the courtroom drama of Giacomo Medici is representational, a cipher. The Medici Conspiracy trades on the recognizable name of Lorenzo the Great and other Renaissance-era Medicis to hook the casual reader, seizing on the kismet that a name so entrenched in the subconscious international image of Italian art could be worked into the title:

However, there is a sense that the legal fate of these figures is, if not an incidental matter, no longer the main event. The sheer scale of illicit trade in looted antiquities, its organized nature, the routine deception, the superb quality of so much of the material, the close proximity of museum curators and major collectors to underworld figures—that is now there for all to see.

There is something poetic about the The Medici Conspiracy; the art and antiquities it discusses are breathtaking, but it is not a beautiful book. It is written in a technical style that emphasizes information—even to the extent that it occasionally repeats itself—ahead of readability. It can be tedious, exacting, too focused on minutiae. It is a written reconstruction of an in situ archaeological dig; no outsider is ever going to “Ooh” and “Aah” over a plot of dirt with a few potsherds sticking out. Most would rather see the reconstructed Euphronios Krater sitting under glass.

The Medici Conspiracy is not Tombaroli, does not rip frescoes from the wall in an odious attempt hold the reader's attention. It relies on the documented context, orientation, and condition of the facts as they were unearthed to convey its point. If you decide to read it, you will spend your time dusting off tiny bits of the past with exacting care.

[Writerlibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and documented inquest into the world of antiquities. The looting, the thefts, the complaisance of the professionals (curators, museum board members, scholars), the greed all combine to make it extremely easy for tomb raiders (that includes collectors, museums, tombaroli, smugglers) to despoil entire region.

It shows how since the 1960 a system, international system, was put in place to answer the demand for antiquities from collectors and that there was a huge profit to be made out of it. For smugglers, for collectors who launder the loot then turns around and 'donate' to museums with a big tax break. Antiquities became commodities like oil and corn by the 1980.

The demonstration by the Italians Art squad of the system is solid and very interesting to read. The last third lags a little from the repeats of the cases, since it covers the legal trials of the people arrested still it's a well written and solid account of investigating journalism.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read into the looting and selling of antiquities on the international market. The focus of this book, Giacomo Medici, was responsible for buying and selling stolen items for years, including some items at the Getty and the Met. Medici was ultimately caught, tried, found guilty, and sent to prison.

This book went into very fine detail with the presentation of the investigation, the antiquities, the trial, and the aftermath. While it was great to see this level of detail, in some places, it took away from the main story line. In some places, key points were weighed down by several fine detail facts and it felt to me as though their impact was lost. That being said, this was a very eye-opening read and brings to light the importance of requiring provenance for buying and selling antiquities.

[Millie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating read, written by a writer from The New Yorker, some of which I had read in that magazine. I've also seen collections of antiquities in major museums in Berlin, Paris, London, New York, and Malibu (plus a few others). The question of provenance of these objects is hotly contested, even to the extent of prosecutors taking some cases to court on an international scale. This book describes in great detail some of these cases. It would be hard now to look at some Greek pots and statues and not wonder whether or not they had been looted or even faked.

[Donn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at the unscrupulous and criminal ways that museums and major auction houses have aided and abetted the looting of priceless antiquities. This has damaged history and archaeology; the theft of these pieces not only removes them from their country of origin, but prevents scientists from seeing them in the context they were found. As a result, their display adds nothing to our understanding of the cultures and civilizations that created them. The museums involved are not small ones you've never heard of, they are among the most prominent worldwide. A great read.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Museum curators, auction houses, and art dealers caught red-handed looting Italian tombs by paying poor peasants to rob them at night and then making false claims as to where they came from. Totally interesting and sad and maddening.

[Emilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A rollicking read" - My professor, 2021

[Alexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impressive and expert long form journalism. Love especially that it’s about art crime. Have to dock a star b/c at points it was hard to follow, especially with many names. Also I don’t know if I’ve ever read a book with THIS MUCH INFO. Fascinating overall and shows the great intellectual and historical problems caused by the art market.

Interesting for ppl who ❤️ ancient Greece and Rome. Feel like would be a good Christmas gift for some dads…

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have limited knowledge of archaeology, but enjoyed reading this book. It is well written and researched. To me, it was obvious that the authors' love for antiquities are the basis for the subject matter of this book and that their experience and knowledge qualifies them to write on this subject. It explains very well that a lot of ancient antiquities in museum's today are of questionable provenance. It will really make me examine a work of art's provenance and question how it ended up in a museum. The cases are so well explained, that at times, the book reads as a court document and can become a bit tedious. But, overall, a good book for people who like art history and the business of art.

[Michael Perkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

a key source for research on our book, The Archimedes Device

[Clint Joseph · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should probably start this out by saying I know nothing about art, antiquities, or the Medici's. I one hundred percent just picked it up because the title sounded cool and I thought I'd be smarter after reading it.

Now that it's done, um...the title still sounds cool, but as far as me being smarter, I think this book was too smart for me.

It's not that things are overly complex or that the authors don't do their best to make things clear (I had the paperback so there is a third author for one section, and another author who isn't even listed here for some reason [here you go Cecilia Todeschini; consider it rectified]); it's that, holy cow, there is so much detail in this thing it makes your head want to explode.

What makes it worth reading it the completely baffling conspiracy part regarding the looted antiquities. You come away with it basically believing that any ancient vase or sculpture or whatever you've ever seen was probably illegally shipped to wherever it is now and a whole, whole lot of money was exchanged along the way. It also opens up a complete new view on exactly how these things are valued, who's finagling with that whole process, and basically the way rich people get richer by having enough money to be rich in the first place. If we're being honest, the whole thing is pretty dang clever.

Now, what makes it a serious chore to read is the style of the writing. A part of this almost reads as if it was intended to be used as a kind of evidence during the trial. Turns out, Italy has a completely different way of doing things, so if you're looking for any kind of resolution, just know now that, as of the paperback publication, so even later than the edition seen here, there was still nothing completely wrapped up. The authors go to great lengths to let you know about an exceedingly high number of the thousands of items that were involved in this conspiracy, and others very similar and partially involved, and any bit I sort of tried to retain early on was completely smashed by the weight of the hundreds of other details I was given.

And, that's not anybody's fault really. I just don't know enough about it to be getting into something this specific. So, 2/5, as in, if you are a regular guy on the street like myself, you might not get as big of a kick out of this as the title leads you to believe. But, if you're an art history person or perhaps even a law enforcement person, this might be a little more up your alley.

[Mary A. Muchowicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that all interested in archeology and ancient antiquities should read. It may take some time to get through it because of all the investigations and the many people involved in illegal looting of antiquities from the soil of Italy and other countries. It is sad to know that very well known museums and many of their officials and many well know private collectors drove the market to become a very sophisticated syndicate that became experts in destroying tombs, breaking apart antiquities, smuggling them out of the country and selling them after restoration in most cases to museums and private collectors. The museums were fully aware of where these items were coming from and put up many smoke screens to make it seems like they were bought from legitimate sources. The auction houses were at one point auctioning up to almost 90% of the items which had been illegally taken from Italy. Some of the private collectors were advisors to our presidents and sat on the board of directors of many large well-known museums. One was even a government official. The United States was less than cooperative at the beginning of this investigation, but over the years with the large amount of evidence . . . they were dragged into being somewhat more cooperative. It is estimated that well over 100,000 tombs were looted and destroyed and the history of those objects taken and those particular tombs will never be known. Furthermore, many of the looted objects will never be seen before having disappeared into private collections or hidden in museum storage vaults. It is a shame that so many country's heritage have been so terribly destroyed. The book has a ton of evidence and information about the investigations and delays, but it is still well worth reading.

[Björn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is about a fascinating topic, but it's almost unbearable to read. Another well-written book on the subject, or an edited version of this that runs under 200 pages, would be a welcome alternative.


This NYT article discusses one of the artifacts that is featured prominently in this book. Maybe "The Lost Chalice" (mentioned in the article) is a better alternative get this story. The reviews of that book don't sound too promising either, though.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book! Very dense and contains a LOT of details, but it completely reveals the inner workings of the illegal antiquities trade to the public. Also, it mentions a professor I've taken classes with - Rick Elia - and I have to give it a good rating because of that.

[Mario Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this book you can never look at museums the same again. Extremely enlightening and written like a crime story...Well, it is a crime story, true and of epic proportions.

[Jena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este libro presenta una investigación llevada a cabo por el Escuadrón de Arte de los Carabinieri italianos, relativa al contrabando de antigüedades tales como: jarrones, jarras, bronces, cálices, mármoles y toda clase de objetos de este tipo.
La investigación comienza con el robo de 8 jarras en un museo provincial ubicado en un castillo medieval en Melfi, en la región de Basilicata, al este de Nápoles y al norte de Potenza. Estos 8 recipientes de terracota eran la atracción principal de este museo por teener unos 2500 años de antigüedad. El más bello, mostraba a Hércules luchando contra Gerión, un monstruo de tres cabezas.
Este Escuadrón policial, tenía bajo vigilancia telefónica a diversos sujetos conocidos como contrabandistas de antigüedades, entre ellos estaba Pasquale Camera y otro apellidado Savoca, quienes se comunicaban con frecuencia. Una visita de inspección en la casa de este último, produjo el hallazgo de 3 de las jarras robadas en Melfi. Más tarde, por un accidente carretero, en donde murió Pasquale Camera, se produjo un cateo en la casa del antes dicho y del que resultó el descubrimiento de un organigrama criminal, que contenía los contactos del difunto y señalaba a los más importantes contrabandistas de objetos antiguos del mundillo europeo.
Esta lista estaba encabezada por un Giacomo Medici, que como dice el autor, no tenía ningún parentesco con Cósimo dei Medici, Pater Patriae de Florencia, y su descendencia que, aparentemente, terminó en 1700.
Continuando con las investigaciones, los Carabinieri encontraron que este sujeto Medici, poseía un almacén en el Puerto Libre de Ginebra, Suiza (en donde no se pagan impuestos de importación). La autoridad italiana solicitó y obtuvo la ayuda de sus pares en Suiza . En el cateo del almacén se encontraron las piezas faltantes del robo en Melfi y unas 3 mil piezas antiguas. Encontraron también documentación de la triangulación entre países y coleccionistas para blanquear las mencionadas antigüedades extraídas ilícitamente de varios países: Italia, Grecia, Turquía y Egipto. Esos documentos implicaban a Sotheby y Christie las famosas casas subastadoras, así como de el Museo Getty (llamado "il museo dei tombaroli" porque la mayoría de sus antigüedades fueron extraídas por los tombaroli o saqueadores de tumbas) el Museo Metropolitano de N. Y., la Gliptoteca de Munich, elMuseo de Cleveland, el de Ohio, el de Harvard, Mass., el Museo de Havre, el British Museum y otros.
En esta red de contrabandistas, aparecían implicados los altos funcionarios de los museos mencionados, coleccionistas, arqueólogos y restauradores, muchos de ellos llevados a juicio.
La investigación descrita es muy, pero muy meticulosa, tanto que hay que tener mucha paciencia para imaginar de qué objetos antiguos se trata, ejemplo: ¿qué es una kratera griega, un kylix, una ánfora, una hydria o un alabastron? Pues bien, el libro carece de dibujos o fotos, lo cual es una pena.

[Keenan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains everything advertised: an international antiques smuggling network; intricate webs connecting museum curators, rich collectors, auctioneers, restorers, archaeologists, tomb raiders, and profit-seeking middlemen; a task force that reveals that the world of antiques trading is rotten to its very core, to the point where curators cannot feel like they can even assemble an exhibit without including unprovenanced items. It's truly revelatory just how true this last point ends up being, and we're left with the sinking feeling of just how much cultural history has been lost worldwide because of this grand illicit network.

While the content of the book is eye-opening, the presentation can feel weighed down with facts and memoranda and conflicting narratives and so many names, feeling at times like the end of The Picture of Dorian Grey when he's listing all the fabulous items he owns, but for the more niche reader I'm sure such details are appreciated. I would also advise the reader (although this is no fault of the author's) about the frustration you're likely to feel regarding the progress of the trial. This is because there's an eight year span between when the Italian Art Theft Squad first discover a sheet of paper revealing the names of most members of an intricate smuggling ring (1995) and when the central middleman (Medici) is put on trial (2003), with the evidence they gather including multiple warehouses full of antiques, photos of raided tombs, and invoices, a memoir written by the top dog about his illicit dealings, leaked info from auction houses, whole facilities designed to restore artifacts, etc. At the end of the trial the judge takes 5 months to write a 600+ page report on the entirety of the trial - like could you speed up the process a little? All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the dirty underbelly of the art world who isn't afraid of some deep diving.

[Emily Sherriff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a thrilling and fascinating true account of the nature of antiquities trafficking, a well-written and detailed account of Giacomo Medici and those involved in his illicit deals. It did a very good job of laying out the large network of individuals, including those working for large museums and institutions, who were involved with this illegal trade.
This is a must-read for anyone interested in illegal antiquities and antiquities trafficking - issues which are once again becoming an important topic in the world of archaeology.

[Jubing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second book about looting networks in Italy (I’ve previously read Chasing Aphrodite) and is absolutely the level of granular detail I want to get stuck in when dissecting this type of crime. They do repeat themselves often but I can’t blame them! The quantity of information necessitates it.

The authors’ closeness to the investigation, fastidious compilation of evidence, naming, shaming and scathing critiques of complicit institutions come together for a fascinating and blood-boiling read!

Highly recommended for fans of culture, crime (ideally both) and DETAILS!

[Keeley Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very patchy. Some parts do indeed read like a thriller, and the details of the investigations are well laid out. However, other parts get very confused, with short paragraphs telling stand alone stories that then come back into the narrative 100 pages later.
Overall, it's an eye opening look into the illicit antiquities trade, but I wouldn't recommend it to a casual or non-specialist reader.

[Angela Boord · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two important lessons I learned from this book:

If you are a criminal, do not make an organizational chart of your criminal network on notebook paper and then leave it lying around.

Do not get on the wrong side of a super rich Greek shipping family.

This is a gripping story that manages to be gripping in spite of long lists of sales figures. After reading it, you will never look at a museum collection of antiquities the same way again.

[Ajay Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read several books on stolen art and antiquities, but this one is centered specifically on an Italian police squad dedicated to antiquity theft.

Antiquity theft is a double crime - financial as well as cultural - and the history goes from gentlemen antiquarians stealing artifacts without a qualm to modern thieves taking orders from decorators for antiquities to grace the front hallways of Manhattan apartments. It's both appalling and fascinating.

[Sarah Salisbury]

Fascinating, but /incredibly/ dense. I think it would’ve benefited from a more conversational and less academic style, because the only thing holding back the fascinating narrative was the dry writing.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dream. Believe. Achieve. If I can finally finish this book, which I started reading in 2022, then anything is possible.

Quite interesting but unfortunately a massive slog for me to get through, so two stars it is.

[Leslie Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made me angry with museums which at one time I respected

[Alan Barratt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Italian art thief sells art from the Geneva Port lands

[Megangoldberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't wait to feel the electricity between us turn into something more. Let's rewrite the script tonight, with a touch of playful fire that lingers long after the last word is spoken.