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The Grave Robber: The Biggest Stolen Artifacts Case in FBI History and the Bureau’s Quest to Set Things Right
The unbelievable true story of how one man stole tens of thousands of priceless artifacts and human remains from around the world—and the FBI’s massive undertaking to set things right.
In The Grave Robber, Tim Carpenter, former FBI Lead Investigator on the Art Crime Team, recounts one of the most extraordinary and unsettling cases in the history of art theft. Over the course of five decades, a lone graverobber accumulated an illicit trove of over 42,000 artifacts from cultures across the globe, including Native American, Haitian, Chinese, and others. The stolen items included nearly 500 ancestral remains, carefully looted from sacred burial sites and cultural heritage locations. Carpenter’s team, driven by an unwavering commitment to justice, embarks on a harrowing journey to track down this elusive criminal and uncover the full scope of the theft. What they find is nothing short of staggering: an illegal collection of immense historical and cultural significance, hidden away in a Midwestern home.
Part true crime narrative, part procedural, The Grave Robber offers a gripping, behind-the-scenes look at the meticulous work involved in tracking down one of the most prolific art thieves in history. Carpenter takes readers inside the FBI’s groundbreaking investigation, detailing the complex challenges of recovering stolen cultural artifacts and the legal and moral dilemmas of repatriating them to their rightful communities. Along the way, the Bureau’s efforts to confront these crimes evolve, as they come to terms with the deep historical wounds caused by such looting—especially the desecration of Native American graves and ancestral sites. With rare access to both the investigation and the impacted communities, Carpenter’s narrative sheds light on the lengths the FBI and tribal representatives go to in their pursuit of justice.
As the case progresses, the narrative expands from a tense pursuit of a criminal to a larger reckoning with history and cultural heritage. The repatriation of these sacred objects and remains to their rightful owners becomes an act of restoration—not just of physical artifacts, but of dignity and respect for the communities whose ancestors were so violently wronged. The story of The Grave Robber is one of redemption and transformation: for the FBI, which redefined its approach to cultural crimes, and for the tribes and cultures who finally see justice done. This riveting account of a stolen past and the quest to make it right reads like a thriller, but it is ultimately a story of healing, responsibility, and the importance of preserving history for future generations.
In The Grave Robber, Tim Carpenter, former FBI Lead Investigator on the Art Crime Team, recounts one of the most extraordinary and unsettling cases in the history of art theft. Over the course of five decades, a lone graverobber accumulated an illicit trove of over 42,000 artifacts from cultures across the globe, including Native American, Haitian, Chinese, and others. The stolen items included nearly 500 ancestral remains, carefully looted from sacred burial sites and cultural heritage locations. Carpenter’s team, driven by an unwavering commitment to justice, embarks on a harrowing journey to track down this elusive criminal and uncover the full scope of the theft. What they find is nothing short of staggering: an illegal collection of immense historical and cultural significance, hidden away in a Midwestern home.
Part true crime narrative, part procedural, The Grave Robber offers a gripping, behind-the-scenes look at the meticulous work involved in tracking down one of the most prolific art thieves in history. Carpenter takes readers inside the FBI’s groundbreaking investigation, detailing the complex challenges of recovering stolen cultural artifacts and the legal and moral dilemmas of repatriating them to their rightful communities. Along the way, the Bureau’s efforts to confront these crimes evolve, as they come to terms with the deep historical wounds caused by such looting—especially the desecration of Native American graves and ancestral sites. With rare access to both the investigation and the impacted communities, Carpenter’s narrative sheds light on the lengths the FBI and tribal representatives go to in their pursuit of justice.
As the case progresses, the narrative expands from a tense pursuit of a criminal to a larger reckoning with history and cultural heritage. The repatriation of these sacred objects and remains to their rightful owners becomes an act of restoration—not just of physical artifacts, but of dignity and respect for the communities whose ancestors were so violently wronged. The story of The Grave Robber is one of redemption and transformation: for the FBI, which redefined its approach to cultural crimes, and for the tribes and cultures who finally see justice done. This riveting account of a stolen past and the quest to make it right reads like a thriller, but it is ultimately a story of healing, responsibility, and the importance of preserving history for future generations.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 14, 2025
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3946 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
August 2, 2025
There is a lot going on in Tim Carpenter's The Grave Robber. This is part true crime, part memoir, and a ton of paperwork and procedure. I'm not quite sure it is the right mix when it all comes down to it.
Carpenter was in the FBI when an anonymous tip led him to a man who had dug up thousands of artifacts, including whole skeletons, at various sites across the world. It seems he predominantly liked to desecrate American Indian graves which is, in a word, gross. I should warn the reader that this is basically where the true crime part ends. You know who the perpetrator is immediately. He does not put up a fight when the FBI shows up. Literally, the first few chapters tell about the seizing and recovery of the artifacts and then the true crime part is over. After that, the book becomes a mix of Carpenter's personal and professional life including becoming the lead investigator of the FBI Art Crime Team.
For the most part, the book is well-written and clear, but I kept feeling like the least interesting bits kept getting highlighted. For instance, there is ink spilled on getting a warrant that was barely needed under the circumstances. Discussions about other events outside the case felt completely tangential. I think the biggest missed opportunity was the stories behind many of these bones. The indigenous tribes are brought up to show that they are victims, and that they appreciate having their artifacts restored. However, Carpenter could have gone much further in providing more background and history to flesh out a lot more of what this whole case was about and what was finally being given the respect it deserves.
I could see someone really enjoying this one if they like the minutiae of FBI casework, but it fell flat for me.
(This book was provided as an advanced reader copy by NetGalley and Harper Horizon.)
Carpenter was in the FBI when an anonymous tip led him to a man who had dug up thousands of artifacts, including whole skeletons, at various sites across the world. It seems he predominantly liked to desecrate American Indian graves which is, in a word, gross. I should warn the reader that this is basically where the true crime part ends. You know who the perpetrator is immediately. He does not put up a fight when the FBI shows up. Literally, the first few chapters tell about the seizing and recovery of the artifacts and then the true crime part is over. After that, the book becomes a mix of Carpenter's personal and professional life including becoming the lead investigator of the FBI Art Crime Team.
For the most part, the book is well-written and clear, but I kept feeling like the least interesting bits kept getting highlighted. For instance, there is ink spilled on getting a warrant that was barely needed under the circumstances. Discussions about other events outside the case felt completely tangential. I think the biggest missed opportunity was the stories behind many of these bones. The indigenous tribes are brought up to show that they are victims, and that they appreciate having their artifacts restored. However, Carpenter could have gone much further in providing more background and history to flesh out a lot more of what this whole case was about and what was finally being given the respect it deserves.
I could see someone really enjoying this one if they like the minutiae of FBI casework, but it fell flat for me.
(This book was provided as an advanced reader copy by NetGalley and Harper Horizon.)
November 7, 2025
I'm on board with anything real that is art/artifacts, and when there is theft, implications, a case, people of interest, interviews...count me in. The stolen artifacts were intriguing in themselves - 42,000 items, 5,000 individual artifacts, and 2,000 human bones (abut the equivalent of 500 people, from all types of Indian burial grounds.
One of the huge factors that affected me in this true/non-fiction account, was primarily who that thief was, how long he had been doing it, what he did and how/where he stored these precious relics/artifacts. Especially disturbing was how he desecrated the human remains. It was truly heart-breaking and sickening what he did, completely unapologetic and disrespectful for all he had done to the tribes involved, to the ancestors, to anyone.
The FBI breaks the case, is able to retrieve the artifacts, and gives much attention to detail as to how the artifacts were then handled. This was extremely enlightening with the amount of care in which these items were handled.
However, just as prominent and maybe more so, was the FBI case procedures that were prominent through-out the book, mentioning supervisory tiffs and situations, abundant government legalities, and legalities of building or not building a case against the perpetrator of the crimes. Those discussions became monotonous at times given in extreme and minute detail. Other detailed additions i.e. like previous backgrounds or events (bomb squad and mall shooting) added nothing to the book.
However, to be fair, this book was to be not only about the stolen artifacts, but its title suggested it was also the biggest case history that has ever been recorded or solved for the FBI Bureau regarding this subject and so naturally ample time had to be given regarding the red-tape and legalities of it all. Just for me personally, I wasn't nearly as interested in those parts of the book compared to the discoveries and details of the artifacts, how the thefts took place and where, the perpetrator and his attitude, the tribal correspondence and cooperation, and the retrieval and return of the artifacts to the proper places and people.
Thank you to NetGalley, Tim Carpenter, HCCP & HCF Audio, as well as Harper Horizon for the AAC of The Grave Robber in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own.
3 STARS ⭐⭐⭐
One of the huge factors that affected me in this true/non-fiction account, was primarily who that thief was, how long he had been doing it, what he did and how/where he stored these precious relics/artifacts. Especially disturbing was how he desecrated the human remains. It was truly heart-breaking and sickening what he did, completely unapologetic and disrespectful for all he had done to the tribes involved, to the ancestors, to anyone.
The FBI breaks the case, is able to retrieve the artifacts, and gives much attention to detail as to how the artifacts were then handled. This was extremely enlightening with the amount of care in which these items were handled.
However, just as prominent and maybe more so, was the FBI case procedures that were prominent through-out the book, mentioning supervisory tiffs and situations, abundant government legalities, and legalities of building or not building a case against the perpetrator of the crimes. Those discussions became monotonous at times given in extreme and minute detail. Other detailed additions i.e. like previous backgrounds or events (bomb squad and mall shooting) added nothing to the book.
However, to be fair, this book was to be not only about the stolen artifacts, but its title suggested it was also the biggest case history that has ever been recorded or solved for the FBI Bureau regarding this subject and so naturally ample time had to be given regarding the red-tape and legalities of it all. Just for me personally, I wasn't nearly as interested in those parts of the book compared to the discoveries and details of the artifacts, how the thefts took place and where, the perpetrator and his attitude, the tribal correspondence and cooperation, and the retrieval and return of the artifacts to the proper places and people.
Thank you to NetGalley, Tim Carpenter, HCCP & HCF Audio, as well as Harper Horizon for the AAC of The Grave Robber in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own.
3 STARS ⭐⭐⭐
November 12, 2025
Got the audiobook for review.
The main subject in the book about the artifscys was both interesting and very infuriating to read about. To learn and hear about so much injustice and artifacts, arts being stolen. Its a topic I want to learn more about. The audiobook was okay but wasn't easy to get invested to even if the subject was interesting. Either the narration or the writing style didn't quite work for me but it wasn't bad. 3.5 stars rounded down
The main subject in the book about the artifscys was both interesting and very infuriating to read about. To learn and hear about so much injustice and artifacts, arts being stolen. Its a topic I want to learn more about. The audiobook was okay but wasn't easy to get invested to even if the subject was interesting. Either the narration or the writing style didn't quite work for me but it wasn't bad. 3.5 stars rounded down
November 17, 2025
I listened to the audiobook The Grave Robber, and right from the start I was thinking, how in the world did one man spend fifty years taking things that were not his? This fellow built up a stash so huge, it sounded like he was trying to create a whole secret museum inside his house! Every time the narrator mentioned another box, I could just picture the floor sagging under the weight.
Tim Carpenter tells the story with the kind of tired experience that makes you think he has seen it all, yet somehow this case still shocked him. He explains how the FBI went in expecting a regular investigation, but instead found a massive pile of stolen history stacked in a normal looking home in the Midwest. It made me ask, how did nobody notice this sooner?
The deeper the audiobook went, the crazier it got. They opened one box, then found ten more behind it, then more behind those! Every time they thought they were close to the end, they learned they were barely scratching the surface. It sounded like trying to clean out the biggest attic on earth, while making sure every single piece went back to the right place.
The FBI team sounded exhausted, like they wanted nothing more than to sit down and never touch another cardboard box again. But they kept going, because all of it mattered, and someone had to clean up this giant mess and return everything to the people it belonged to.
I will admit, some parts made me laugh. The way this man kept piling things up made it seem like he woke up every day and said, well, time to make another bad decision! He never slowed down. He turned his whole house into a maze of stolen history, and for what? It was chaos stacked on top of chaos.
Then the story shifted, and it became something deeper. It was about repairing harm, respecting cultures, and returning everything to the communities that were wronged. The work got heavier, but it also became meaningful, and you could feel the weight of that responsibility.
The audiobook felt like a mix of true crime, mystery, and the biggest clean up job in history. It kept me listening the whole time, because every chapter brought another surprise, and I kept thinking, what else could possibly be in that house?
Thank you for the ARC audiobook copy for an honest review Harper Horizon
TheGraveRobber & NetGalley
I give it 4 outta 5 catfish!
Tim Carpenter tells the story with the kind of tired experience that makes you think he has seen it all, yet somehow this case still shocked him. He explains how the FBI went in expecting a regular investigation, but instead found a massive pile of stolen history stacked in a normal looking home in the Midwest. It made me ask, how did nobody notice this sooner?
The deeper the audiobook went, the crazier it got. They opened one box, then found ten more behind it, then more behind those! Every time they thought they were close to the end, they learned they were barely scratching the surface. It sounded like trying to clean out the biggest attic on earth, while making sure every single piece went back to the right place.
The FBI team sounded exhausted, like they wanted nothing more than to sit down and never touch another cardboard box again. But they kept going, because all of it mattered, and someone had to clean up this giant mess and return everything to the people it belonged to.
I will admit, some parts made me laugh. The way this man kept piling things up made it seem like he woke up every day and said, well, time to make another bad decision! He never slowed down. He turned his whole house into a maze of stolen history, and for what? It was chaos stacked on top of chaos.
Then the story shifted, and it became something deeper. It was about repairing harm, respecting cultures, and returning everything to the communities that were wronged. The work got heavier, but it also became meaningful, and you could feel the weight of that responsibility.
The audiobook felt like a mix of true crime, mystery, and the biggest clean up job in history. It kept me listening the whole time, because every chapter brought another surprise, and I kept thinking, what else could possibly be in that house?
Thank you for the ARC audiobook copy for an honest review Harper Horizon
TheGraveRobber & NetGalley
I give it 4 outta 5 catfish!
October 9, 2025
So I’m probably in the minority here, but here goes!
Loved the premise of the story! Loved how Real Life is interwoven with FBI dealings and files! Loved how they came about finding this man and his ton of artifacts! And… the descriptions!
ALL OF THIS IS GREAT!!!
But…The procedures, paperwork, codes, abbreviations, and all the rest…well, that just put me over the edge.
If you are one who enjoys all the ancillary stuff interspersed throughout each and every chapter, you will LOVE this one!
But, if you are like me, and feel that it’s just too much… well, you might want to steal clear of this one…
Again, just my thoughts… please decide on your own merits!
*** This one has not yet been released! Please look 👀 for it on 10/14/25. ***
#TheGraveRobber by@TimCarpenter and narrated nicely by @RogerWayne.
3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!
Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #HCCP and #HCCHCFAudio |and #HarperHorizon for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
You can find my reviews on: Goodreads,
Insta @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine
Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️ for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Loved the premise of the story! Loved how Real Life is interwoven with FBI dealings and files! Loved how they came about finding this man and his ton of artifacts! And… the descriptions!
ALL OF THIS IS GREAT!!!
But…The procedures, paperwork, codes, abbreviations, and all the rest…well, that just put me over the edge.
If you are one who enjoys all the ancillary stuff interspersed throughout each and every chapter, you will LOVE this one!
But, if you are like me, and feel that it’s just too much… well, you might want to steal clear of this one…
Again, just my thoughts… please decide on your own merits!
*** This one has not yet been released! Please look 👀 for it on 10/14/25. ***
#TheGraveRobber by@TimCarpenter and narrated nicely by @RogerWayne.
3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!
Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #HCCP and #HCCHCFAudio |and #HarperHorizon for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
You can find my reviews on: Goodreads,
Insta @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine
Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️ for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
December 11, 2025
3.5 stars. The subject and events of the book are incredibly interesting, but the side tangents on unrelated cases/office politics and over-explanation of minutia really bog it down. I definitely learned a lot about the FBI investigation process and native American culture, but the book felt fluffed overall. When it's good, it's really good, and when it's not it feels like slogging through a swamp hoping the interesting part resumes again.
December 22, 2025
Enjoyed. Learned.
Wish they’d gone more into his wife’s journals about the digs.
A lot of discussion are FBI bureaucracy
Learned the largest return of Native Artifacts the FBI has dealt with is out of Utah and the LDS Church.
Wish they’d gone more into his wife’s journals about the digs.
A lot of discussion are FBI bureaucracy
Learned the largest return of Native Artifacts the FBI has dealt with is out of Utah and the LDS Church.
September 14, 2025
3.5 ⭐'s rounded up
An anonymous tip lead to the discover of over 42K in artifacts that was stolen from graves include a full skeleton. It was crazy to think that this man and his first and second wife stole the artifacts to collect them by stealing from graves, battle sites and other places. I really liked how hard Tim worked to protect the artifacts based on the cultures that they were stolen from. I do wish he would have said what Jake did so bad while they were recovering the artifacts that no one wanted to work with him.
I do think this story was more about Tim's career with the FBI Art Crime unit and a lot less about the criminal and his stories as a grave robber.
Thank you NetGalley, HCCP & HCF Audio, and Harper Horizon for allowing me to read this story early. All my opinions are my own.
An anonymous tip lead to the discover of over 42K in artifacts that was stolen from graves include a full skeleton. It was crazy to think that this man and his first and second wife stole the artifacts to collect them by stealing from graves, battle sites and other places. I really liked how hard Tim worked to protect the artifacts based on the cultures that they were stolen from. I do wish he would have said what Jake did so bad while they were recovering the artifacts that no one wanted to work with him.
I do think this story was more about Tim's career with the FBI Art Crime unit and a lot less about the criminal and his stories as a grave robber.
Thank you NetGalley, HCCP & HCF Audio, and Harper Horizon for allowing me to read this story early. All my opinions are my own.
August 31, 2025
Out October 14th, 2025
Over the course of five decades, a single individual amassed an illicit collection of more than 42,000 cultural artifacts and nearly 500 ancestral human remains, stolen from sacred burial sites and heritage locations around the world. This staggering trove—hidden in a quiet Midwestern home—triggered one of the largest and most complex investigations in FBI history. The case began with an anonymous tip and quickly evolved into a full-scale operation to uncover the scope of the theft and begin the painstaking process of repatriation.
The story unfolds as a gripping blend of true crime and procedural drama, offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at how federal agents and cultural experts worked together to track down the perpetrator and recover the stolen items. Along the way, they faced legal hurdles, ethical dilemmas, and emotional encounters with communities whose ancestors had been desecrated. The investigation not only exposed the scale of the crime but also highlighted the deep wounds caused by the looting of sacred sites—particularly among Native American tribes.
As the narrative progresses, the focus shifts from the pursuit of justice to a broader reckoning with history and cultural preservation. The return of these artifacts and remains becomes a powerful act of restoration, symbolizing respect and healing for the communities affected. The case ultimately reshapes how law enforcement approaches cultural crimes, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, empathy, and accountability in protecting humanity’s shared heritage. It was an Indepth reflection to a world we know little about.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper Horizon for this ARC!
Over the course of five decades, a single individual amassed an illicit collection of more than 42,000 cultural artifacts and nearly 500 ancestral human remains, stolen from sacred burial sites and heritage locations around the world. This staggering trove—hidden in a quiet Midwestern home—triggered one of the largest and most complex investigations in FBI history. The case began with an anonymous tip and quickly evolved into a full-scale operation to uncover the scope of the theft and begin the painstaking process of repatriation.
The story unfolds as a gripping blend of true crime and procedural drama, offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at how federal agents and cultural experts worked together to track down the perpetrator and recover the stolen items. Along the way, they faced legal hurdles, ethical dilemmas, and emotional encounters with communities whose ancestors had been desecrated. The investigation not only exposed the scale of the crime but also highlighted the deep wounds caused by the looting of sacred sites—particularly among Native American tribes.
As the narrative progresses, the focus shifts from the pursuit of justice to a broader reckoning with history and cultural preservation. The return of these artifacts and remains becomes a powerful act of restoration, symbolizing respect and healing for the communities affected. The case ultimately reshapes how law enforcement approaches cultural crimes, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, empathy, and accountability in protecting humanity’s shared heritage. It was an Indepth reflection to a world we know little about.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper Horizon for this ARC!
August 15, 2025
Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Horizon for providing this ARC. So I’ve seen some pretty unfavorable reviews of this book, but I guess I’m the outlier. I enjoyed it and it kept my interest until the end. As other reviews state, this is less true crime and more memoir of a government employee solving crime. Having worked in a government adjacent field for a long time, I think I had more appreciation for the explanations of the legalities, bureaucracy and chain of command issues faced by the author. The main message of the book I took away was the doggedness and perseverance needed to bring justice to the victims of crime, who in this case were mainly Native American tribes. I’d recommend this title but probably not if you’re looking for a real true crime investigation. Some tighter editing is also needed to remove some repetitive information.
October 28, 2025
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ALC.
Maybe it’s due to living in England where we don’t have the same antagonisms of government policy towards indigenous peoples on our home soil (very different story with cultures we colonised abroad, obviously) but I had never heard of this case before and it was really fascinating to listen to.
When I realised this was narrative-based I worried it would be cringe-inducing but I am happy to report that this certainly one of the more respectful narratives I have had the pleasure to listen to, up there with Robert Marshall’s “Light In The Dark”. It was mostly respectful and reverential, and I feel that despite being part memoir it gave a lot of time in the narrative to the tribes who were effected by Miller’s robbing.
I note other reviews wished for more individual stories of those whose remains had been stolen, but personally I think the decision to not discuss individuals was the correct, more respectful one. I imagine the tribes did not want the lives of these people to be further fetishised by being discussed in true crime so I can totally understand why they were kept anonymous, when they were able to be identified in the first place.
I also greatly enjoyed the narration. The narrator did very well getting the right tone across for the severity of the issues he was discussing, while letting loose a bit more when reading stories of office infighting (which I very much enjoyed listening to).
However….this book could have been at least 25% shorter. This is of course unavoidably going to be sections of memoir, I get that. But I have absolutely no interest in any of the bomb squad discussion, nor did listening to these things enrich the book in any fashion. If anything, listening to an in depth recounting of a mall shooter drill made me envision a first, and even second, star going ‘poof’ from the lineup of five. There was also absolutely no need whatsoever for the author to describe using a search engine on a computer. Little sections like this really did bring me out of the pacing of the narrative as it moved along.
I’m also still undecided about a couple of little things re: sensitivity. Although I think it was a mature thing to do to mention places Carpenter slipped up (e.g unthinkingly saying “powwow” in place of “talk” or “debrief”) there was only focus on how embarrassed it made him feel and it seems he didn’t apologise to present company after he slipped up, or use it to make a wider point about discriminatory language, which I found a little odd. I also had one eyebrow raised the entire time Carpenter inferred his family misfortunes were due to angry child spirits of native Americans. I think the fact an elder’s warning of this being mentioned 3 times prior to the discussion of his family events, and then never afterwards, made me feel like this was just being used as a narrative device as opposed to genuine reverence of spiritual practice and belief, and still makes me feel a little icky. But of course, I have no cultural context for indigenous faith and spirituality discussions so I could be way off the mark there. And overall I still do believe this is a mostly very respectful discussion of indigenous repatriation.
If this book was 25-30% shorter and less bogged down with FBI jargon it would be at least a 4.5. But overall I would absolutely recommend this to someone as a really interesting and compelling retelling of a fascinating yet macabre tale in recent American history.
Maybe it’s due to living in England where we don’t have the same antagonisms of government policy towards indigenous peoples on our home soil (very different story with cultures we colonised abroad, obviously) but I had never heard of this case before and it was really fascinating to listen to.
When I realised this was narrative-based I worried it would be cringe-inducing but I am happy to report that this certainly one of the more respectful narratives I have had the pleasure to listen to, up there with Robert Marshall’s “Light In The Dark”. It was mostly respectful and reverential, and I feel that despite being part memoir it gave a lot of time in the narrative to the tribes who were effected by Miller’s robbing.
I note other reviews wished for more individual stories of those whose remains had been stolen, but personally I think the decision to not discuss individuals was the correct, more respectful one. I imagine the tribes did not want the lives of these people to be further fetishised by being discussed in true crime so I can totally understand why they were kept anonymous, when they were able to be identified in the first place.
I also greatly enjoyed the narration. The narrator did very well getting the right tone across for the severity of the issues he was discussing, while letting loose a bit more when reading stories of office infighting (which I very much enjoyed listening to).
However….this book could have been at least 25% shorter. This is of course unavoidably going to be sections of memoir, I get that. But I have absolutely no interest in any of the bomb squad discussion, nor did listening to these things enrich the book in any fashion. If anything, listening to an in depth recounting of a mall shooter drill made me envision a first, and even second, star going ‘poof’ from the lineup of five. There was also absolutely no need whatsoever for the author to describe using a search engine on a computer. Little sections like this really did bring me out of the pacing of the narrative as it moved along.
I’m also still undecided about a couple of little things re: sensitivity. Although I think it was a mature thing to do to mention places Carpenter slipped up (e.g unthinkingly saying “powwow” in place of “talk” or “debrief”) there was only focus on how embarrassed it made him feel and it seems he didn’t apologise to present company after he slipped up, or use it to make a wider point about discriminatory language, which I found a little odd. I also had one eyebrow raised the entire time Carpenter inferred his family misfortunes were due to angry child spirits of native Americans. I think the fact an elder’s warning of this being mentioned 3 times prior to the discussion of his family events, and then never afterwards, made me feel like this was just being used as a narrative device as opposed to genuine reverence of spiritual practice and belief, and still makes me feel a little icky. But of course, I have no cultural context for indigenous faith and spirituality discussions so I could be way off the mark there. And overall I still do believe this is a mostly very respectful discussion of indigenous repatriation.
If this book was 25-30% shorter and less bogged down with FBI jargon it would be at least a 4.5. But overall I would absolutely recommend this to someone as a really interesting and compelling retelling of a fascinating yet macabre tale in recent American history.
November 26, 2025
🖤Stolen artifacts, stolen childhoods, and a stolen life. This reading stack took me on an intense excavation of long-buried truth.
I didn’t mean to fall headfirst into a triple feature of darkness, justice, and long-buried truth but that’s exactly what happened when I picked up The Grave Robber, The House of My Mother, and This Book Will Bury Me. By the end, I felt like I’d been on an emotional excavation of my own, digging through stolen histories, stolen childhoods, and stolen lives.
And honestly? I’m still not sure I’m okay. But in the best book-lover way.
🪦The Grave Robber: I started here, thinking I was easing in with a straightforward true-crime investigation. Instead, I found myself walking shoulder to shoulder with Tim Carpenter through a Midwestern house packed with over 42,000 stolen artifacts, a number that still makes my brain glitch. Listening to Carpenter recount the case felt like watching history crumble in one hand while being pieced back together in the other.
The sheer scale of the desecration made me sick. The meticulous, reverent work of returning ancestral remains to the communities they were taken from made me cry. And by the time the FBI’s Art Crime Team began confronting not just one criminal but centuries of cultural theft, I felt like I was bearing witness to something enormous: part procedural thriller, part moral reckoning.
🏠The House of My Mother: Then because apparently I wasn’t traumatized enough I opened Shari Franke’s memoir. And wow. If The Grave Robber confronted the theft of culture, The House of My Mother confronts the theft of childhood.
Hearing Shari tell her story in her own words what it was really like behind the glossy, hyper-controlled 8 Passengers brand felt like sitting across from someone who deserved to be believed long, long before the world finally listened. The combination of suffocating control, influencer pressure-cooker fame, and outright abuse was devastating.
When she described posting that single word “Finally” the day her mother was arrested, I swear I felt her exhale all the way through the page. Shari’s journey toward freedom is raw and brave and proof that surviving is sometimes the loudest act of rebellion.
📖This Book Will Bury Me: And then came Ashley Winstead’s twisty meta thriller, the one that had me questioning every narrator I’ve ever trusted. Following Jane Sharp as she spirals into the world of online sleuthing was both uncomfortably relatable and oh no this is probably how I die terrifying.
But when the Delphine Massacres unfold and Jane decides she and her internet friends can solve it better than the actual authorities? I could practically feel the trap snapping shut. The structure of Jane recounting the truth a year later made every chapter feel like she was leaning across a table, whispering secrets she shouldn’t.
By the time she confessed what really happened, my jaw was on the floor. Actually on the floor. I had to stop reading, walk around, and reevaluate my trust in literally everyone.
📍All Together Now! Reading these three back-to-back felt like picking up a shovel, falling into the hole, and accidentally discovering three different kinds of darkness and three fierce, relentless quests for truth.
Carpenter seeks justice for cultures erased.
Shari seeks freedom from the lie that consumed her family. Jane seeks answers that might just destroy her. And somehow, watching each of them dig their way toward the light made me feel like the truth no matter how terrifying is always worth the excavation.
I didn’t mean to fall headfirst into a triple feature of darkness, justice, and long-buried truth but that’s exactly what happened when I picked up The Grave Robber, The House of My Mother, and This Book Will Bury Me. By the end, I felt like I’d been on an emotional excavation of my own, digging through stolen histories, stolen childhoods, and stolen lives.
And honestly? I’m still not sure I’m okay. But in the best book-lover way.
🪦The Grave Robber: I started here, thinking I was easing in with a straightforward true-crime investigation. Instead, I found myself walking shoulder to shoulder with Tim Carpenter through a Midwestern house packed with over 42,000 stolen artifacts, a number that still makes my brain glitch. Listening to Carpenter recount the case felt like watching history crumble in one hand while being pieced back together in the other.
The sheer scale of the desecration made me sick. The meticulous, reverent work of returning ancestral remains to the communities they were taken from made me cry. And by the time the FBI’s Art Crime Team began confronting not just one criminal but centuries of cultural theft, I felt like I was bearing witness to something enormous: part procedural thriller, part moral reckoning.
🏠The House of My Mother: Then because apparently I wasn’t traumatized enough I opened Shari Franke’s memoir. And wow. If The Grave Robber confronted the theft of culture, The House of My Mother confronts the theft of childhood.
Hearing Shari tell her story in her own words what it was really like behind the glossy, hyper-controlled 8 Passengers brand felt like sitting across from someone who deserved to be believed long, long before the world finally listened. The combination of suffocating control, influencer pressure-cooker fame, and outright abuse was devastating.
When she described posting that single word “Finally” the day her mother was arrested, I swear I felt her exhale all the way through the page. Shari’s journey toward freedom is raw and brave and proof that surviving is sometimes the loudest act of rebellion.
📖This Book Will Bury Me: And then came Ashley Winstead’s twisty meta thriller, the one that had me questioning every narrator I’ve ever trusted. Following Jane Sharp as she spirals into the world of online sleuthing was both uncomfortably relatable and oh no this is probably how I die terrifying.
But when the Delphine Massacres unfold and Jane decides she and her internet friends can solve it better than the actual authorities? I could practically feel the trap snapping shut. The structure of Jane recounting the truth a year later made every chapter feel like she was leaning across a table, whispering secrets she shouldn’t.
By the time she confessed what really happened, my jaw was on the floor. Actually on the floor. I had to stop reading, walk around, and reevaluate my trust in literally everyone.
📍All Together Now! Reading these three back-to-back felt like picking up a shovel, falling into the hole, and accidentally discovering three different kinds of darkness and three fierce, relentless quests for truth.
Carpenter seeks justice for cultures erased.
Shari seeks freedom from the lie that consumed her family. Jane seeks answers that might just destroy her. And somehow, watching each of them dig their way toward the light made me feel like the truth no matter how terrifying is always worth the excavation.
November 18, 2025
A huge thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with an Advanced Listener Copy of this compelling audiobook.
Tim Carpenter’s The Grave Robber is an utterly phenomenal piece of investigative storytelling, tracing the electrifying Miller case that ultimately spurred the creation of the FBI’s Art Crimes division. This book isn’t just a true crime account; it’s a necessary, heartbreaking deep-dive into the discovery of an absurd cache of stolen Native American and international cultural artifacts and human remains. Carpenter masterfully frames this case as a chilling new chapter in the concept of “Manifest Destiny,” forcing listeners to grapple with the painful question of what Americans and the U.S. government consider “our” property.
Part illuminating history lesson and part memoir of a high-stakes investigation, Carpenter's account is a brilliant, sensitive, and incredibly important look at a dark corner of our history. His story is simply amazing, and I am genuinely grateful he chose to share it.
If you are a fan of true crime and history—especially the complexities of repatriation and cultural property—this book is for you. At times, the high-energy, artifact-focused investigation felt like the non-fictional equivalent of the TV show White Collar (minus the charm of the con artist, unless you count Don Miller himself!).
The audiobook format proved to be the perfect medium for this story. Carpenter’s narrative skills kept me incredibly engaged, as he excelled at setting every scene. I felt the specific energy of the FBI offices, the unsettling atmosphere of Miller's home, and even the palpable tension during a stoning in Haiti. This deep context allowed me to connect with the real people behind the headlines. The Grave Robber pushed me to reflect on my own perception of Native history and U.S. cultural ethics, including how we view artifacts from other nations. I was consistently reminded of my gratitude for the Smithsonian system's adherence to repatriation guidelines, which sadly stands in stark contrast to some other globally known institutions (no names needed!).
My only slight critique is that the book is quite dense. The procedural sections, the nitty-gritty details of the investigation, while necessary to the overall story, felt repetitive at times and momentarily slowed the plot's momentum. I fully understood their inclusion, but I was especially glad to be listening rather than reading; the narrator's pacing made these dense segments much easier to digest.
Overall, I loved this book. It's a story every American needs to know to process our collective history regarding Indigenous people and our relationship with global cultural heritage. I will be recommending The Grave Robber often to all the history and art lovers in my life. I sincerely hope this becomes the subject of a documentary!
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars.
Tim Carpenter’s The Grave Robber is an utterly phenomenal piece of investigative storytelling, tracing the electrifying Miller case that ultimately spurred the creation of the FBI’s Art Crimes division. This book isn’t just a true crime account; it’s a necessary, heartbreaking deep-dive into the discovery of an absurd cache of stolen Native American and international cultural artifacts and human remains. Carpenter masterfully frames this case as a chilling new chapter in the concept of “Manifest Destiny,” forcing listeners to grapple with the painful question of what Americans and the U.S. government consider “our” property.
Part illuminating history lesson and part memoir of a high-stakes investigation, Carpenter's account is a brilliant, sensitive, and incredibly important look at a dark corner of our history. His story is simply amazing, and I am genuinely grateful he chose to share it.
If you are a fan of true crime and history—especially the complexities of repatriation and cultural property—this book is for you. At times, the high-energy, artifact-focused investigation felt like the non-fictional equivalent of the TV show White Collar (minus the charm of the con artist, unless you count Don Miller himself!).
The audiobook format proved to be the perfect medium for this story. Carpenter’s narrative skills kept me incredibly engaged, as he excelled at setting every scene. I felt the specific energy of the FBI offices, the unsettling atmosphere of Miller's home, and even the palpable tension during a stoning in Haiti. This deep context allowed me to connect with the real people behind the headlines. The Grave Robber pushed me to reflect on my own perception of Native history and U.S. cultural ethics, including how we view artifacts from other nations. I was consistently reminded of my gratitude for the Smithsonian system's adherence to repatriation guidelines, which sadly stands in stark contrast to some other globally known institutions (no names needed!).
My only slight critique is that the book is quite dense. The procedural sections, the nitty-gritty details of the investigation, while necessary to the overall story, felt repetitive at times and momentarily slowed the plot's momentum. I fully understood their inclusion, but I was especially glad to be listening rather than reading; the narrator's pacing made these dense segments much easier to digest.
Overall, I loved this book. It's a story every American needs to know to process our collective history regarding Indigenous people and our relationship with global cultural heritage. I will be recommending The Grave Robber often to all the history and art lovers in my life. I sincerely hope this becomes the subject of a documentary!
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars.
October 4, 2025
Stars: 3.5
Audiobook
Perfect if you would like to:
Know how a FBI investigation runs
Understand the details of returning artifacts and remains to Native American tribes
Gain a better appreciation for the struggles of tribes to maintain their own heritage
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
Tim Carpenter is an FBI agent out of the Indianapolis field office. A former soldier and policeman, his main job is with the bomb squad but he also works with the FBI’s Art Crimes cases. When he gets an anonymous tip that a man living outside of Indianapolis has an entire house full of artifacts, including human remains, Carpenter decides to investigate. He discovers over 40,000 artifacts, an astonishing number of items, including human bones in deplorable conditions. He and his team will spend the next few years working with Native American tribes to repatriate not just the objects, but most importantly, the human remains that were cruelly stolen.
The full title of this book should be an indication of how this work was going to go: there are a lot of details. It was a fascinating look at the whole process, from how Carpenter began to process, and understand, the depth of Miller’s collection, to the repatriation of the artifacts. His discussion of the difficulty of determining the origins of the human remains highlights the obstacles inherent in moving through bureaucratic red tape AND trying to honor the customs of the individual they are trying to return.
But at times there was just too much details (e.g. I am not sure I needed to hear about the reasons Carpertener wanted to use an Access database versus an Excel spreadsheet, that just added nothing to the understanding of how intense the cataloging was going to get.) Also, the book often wanders away from the main thrust of the Miller case. Maybe a better way to have organized the book would be to highlight the whole of Art Crimes and focus on different projects. Finally, it felt like this was more a memoir of Tim Carpenter, which is fine, I just feel like it isn’t portrayed that way.
Overall an interesting book. I listened to the audio and the narrator, Roger Wayne, was great. He kept my attention and his reading was clear; the audio itself was perfect, the volume and voice were consistent the entire time. I would suggest that maybe this would be better as a physical book so that if the reader wanted, they could skip some areas.
Audiobook
Perfect if you would like to:
Know how a FBI investigation runs
Understand the details of returning artifacts and remains to Native American tribes
Gain a better appreciation for the struggles of tribes to maintain their own heritage
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
Tim Carpenter is an FBI agent out of the Indianapolis field office. A former soldier and policeman, his main job is with the bomb squad but he also works with the FBI’s Art Crimes cases. When he gets an anonymous tip that a man living outside of Indianapolis has an entire house full of artifacts, including human remains, Carpenter decides to investigate. He discovers over 40,000 artifacts, an astonishing number of items, including human bones in deplorable conditions. He and his team will spend the next few years working with Native American tribes to repatriate not just the objects, but most importantly, the human remains that were cruelly stolen.
The full title of this book should be an indication of how this work was going to go: there are a lot of details. It was a fascinating look at the whole process, from how Carpenter began to process, and understand, the depth of Miller’s collection, to the repatriation of the artifacts. His discussion of the difficulty of determining the origins of the human remains highlights the obstacles inherent in moving through bureaucratic red tape AND trying to honor the customs of the individual they are trying to return.
But at times there was just too much details (e.g. I am not sure I needed to hear about the reasons Carpertener wanted to use an Access database versus an Excel spreadsheet, that just added nothing to the understanding of how intense the cataloging was going to get.) Also, the book often wanders away from the main thrust of the Miller case. Maybe a better way to have organized the book would be to highlight the whole of Art Crimes and focus on different projects. Finally, it felt like this was more a memoir of Tim Carpenter, which is fine, I just feel like it isn’t portrayed that way.
Overall an interesting book. I listened to the audio and the narrator, Roger Wayne, was great. He kept my attention and his reading was clear; the audio itself was perfect, the volume and voice were consistent the entire time. I would suggest that maybe this would be better as a physical book so that if the reader wanted, they could skip some areas.
October 6, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Horizon, and Tim Carpenter for the audiobook arc.
This book intrigued me because it was about stolen Native American artefacts, so I was happy to be able to check it out. It was definitely about that, but it was also so much more. The way Carpenter told the story highlighted his personal feelings about doing right by the people Miller stole from as well as returning human remains to their proper resting places.
As a Native man myself, I found myself cringing when Carpenter admitted to using phrases like “pow wow” and “only one Chief,” but also had to give him props for admitting to doing so. These events happened years ago and he could easily have left those parts out. I admire his honestly, especially when it paints him in a less than positive light. But I also found myself incredibly grateful for his tenacity. Tim Carpenter spent years working tirelessly to ensure the artefacts and remains Miller stole were returned where they belonged. From his recollection, it seems likely that if anyone else had been assigned this case, it would never have been started, let alone completed. I’m glad he was able to make things right for so many different cultures.
As for the book itself, I think Carpenter did a pretty good job telling the story. He veered off course a few times, and he tried to make it make sense, but I think some of it could have been left out. The book is a lot, with the stories of how and what they found at Miller’s compound, then moving on to identifying and returning things, all with a ton of FBI policy and procedure interwoven. It was interesting to learn about the back end of an organization like the FBI, but it also felt like a lot of words to say very little.
I liked the book, and I’m glad to have had the opportunity to listen to it early. It’s one that I would recommend to friends and family members who are interested in true crime and indigenous history.
This book intrigued me because it was about stolen Native American artefacts, so I was happy to be able to check it out. It was definitely about that, but it was also so much more. The way Carpenter told the story highlighted his personal feelings about doing right by the people Miller stole from as well as returning human remains to their proper resting places.
As a Native man myself, I found myself cringing when Carpenter admitted to using phrases like “pow wow” and “only one Chief,” but also had to give him props for admitting to doing so. These events happened years ago and he could easily have left those parts out. I admire his honestly, especially when it paints him in a less than positive light. But I also found myself incredibly grateful for his tenacity. Tim Carpenter spent years working tirelessly to ensure the artefacts and remains Miller stole were returned where they belonged. From his recollection, it seems likely that if anyone else had been assigned this case, it would never have been started, let alone completed. I’m glad he was able to make things right for so many different cultures.
As for the book itself, I think Carpenter did a pretty good job telling the story. He veered off course a few times, and he tried to make it make sense, but I think some of it could have been left out. The book is a lot, with the stories of how and what they found at Miller’s compound, then moving on to identifying and returning things, all with a ton of FBI policy and procedure interwoven. It was interesting to learn about the back end of an organization like the FBI, but it also felt like a lot of words to say very little.
I liked the book, and I’m glad to have had the opportunity to listen to it early. It’s one that I would recommend to friends and family members who are interested in true crime and indigenous history.
November 14, 2025
For more reviews and bookish posts visit: https://www.ManOfLaBook.com
The Grave Robber: The Biggest Stolen Artifacts Case in FBI History and the Bureau’s Quest to Set Things Right by Tim Carpenter is a memoir concerning the case of Don Miller, an Indiana man who looted over 42,000 artifacts and nearly 500 ancestral remains from sacred sites worldwide. Mr. Carpenter is a former FBI Lead Investigator on the Art Crime Team.
When I started listening to this book, I had never heard of the Don Miller case, or even about this case. The book sounded very interesting and I had nothing on my listening list I wanted to start.
I’m very glad that I picked The Grave Robber by Tim Carpenter, it’s a fascinating story, well written and expertly read. The book talks about the largest cultural property recovery in the history of the FBI. Don Miller had in his possession over 42,000 artifacts and nearly 500 ancestral remains from all over the World. This case was an important milestone of the way the FBI, and the federal government, approaches culturally sensitive cases.
Like other cases I’ve heard about,this one started with a tip that just happened to land on Mr. Carpenter’s desk. He followed up on it and discovered the staggering amount of artifacts, robbed from graves, being treated in shameful ways, without scientific rigor.
Mr. Carpenter describes the operation from putting together a team, getting buy-ins from senior management, dealing with lawyers for subpoenas, local authorities and involving native nations in every step of the way. The thousands of items, hidden in every corner of Miller’s estate, had to be cataloged, researched and returned, hopefully, to the right community or country.
This book is a fantastic memoir, walking us through a real-world case which changed the way the FBI operates and made a significant step towards restoring the government’s actions involving Native Americans.
The Grave Robber: The Biggest Stolen Artifacts Case in FBI History and the Bureau’s Quest to Set Things Right by Tim Carpenter is a memoir concerning the case of Don Miller, an Indiana man who looted over 42,000 artifacts and nearly 500 ancestral remains from sacred sites worldwide. Mr. Carpenter is a former FBI Lead Investigator on the Art Crime Team.
When I started listening to this book, I had never heard of the Don Miller case, or even about this case. The book sounded very interesting and I had nothing on my listening list I wanted to start.
I’m very glad that I picked The Grave Robber by Tim Carpenter, it’s a fascinating story, well written and expertly read. The book talks about the largest cultural property recovery in the history of the FBI. Don Miller had in his possession over 42,000 artifacts and nearly 500 ancestral remains from all over the World. This case was an important milestone of the way the FBI, and the federal government, approaches culturally sensitive cases.
Like other cases I’ve heard about,this one started with a tip that just happened to land on Mr. Carpenter’s desk. He followed up on it and discovered the staggering amount of artifacts, robbed from graves, being treated in shameful ways, without scientific rigor.
Mr. Carpenter describes the operation from putting together a team, getting buy-ins from senior management, dealing with lawyers for subpoenas, local authorities and involving native nations in every step of the way. The thousands of items, hidden in every corner of Miller’s estate, had to be cataloged, researched and returned, hopefully, to the right community or country.
This book is a fantastic memoir, walking us through a real-world case which changed the way the FBI operates and made a significant step towards restoring the government’s actions involving Native Americans.
October 27, 2025
This nonfiction outlines in detail the FBI's recovery and attempted repatriation of thousands of illegally obtained artifacts from indigenous peoples all over the world, especially Native Americans. At the time of the search and seizure, the collector of the artifacts, Don Miller, was ninety years old. He'd spent his entire life digging up graves like they were souvenir shops. It was hard not to be angry. The special agent in charge of the investigation, Tim Carpenter, is the author and tells the story with much consideration for the native peoples affected by the theft and desecration. That part of the story is fascinating and wholly enthralling.
Yet much of the narrative goes off the rails. There's a section where Carpenter talks about his daughter diagnosed by a rare illness. Even if it was caused by a curse after handling the stolen items, the entire section had nothing to do with the case. I had to check and make sure I was reading the same book and that it was nonfiction instead of a horror novel. The creation of the Art Crime unit is described in detail including the politics behind the decision. How pieces unrelated to this seizure are treated when they're repatriated held a chunk of the narrative. And every bit of bureaucracy, paperwork to be filed, law to be passed, certificates to be obtained, computer software modified for specific cases, etc. were described in minutiae.
Now if you were doing research on FBI procedure or how this kind of career affects your family or a detailed account of a seizure, then this is the book to pick up. It could be used in research papers for graduate school or in fictional FBI mysteries as a resource for accuracy. But as a book named The Grave Robber, I wanted more about Miller and the artifacts he stole, then about FBI procedures.
Yet much of the narrative goes off the rails. There's a section where Carpenter talks about his daughter diagnosed by a rare illness. Even if it was caused by a curse after handling the stolen items, the entire section had nothing to do with the case. I had to check and make sure I was reading the same book and that it was nonfiction instead of a horror novel. The creation of the Art Crime unit is described in detail including the politics behind the decision. How pieces unrelated to this seizure are treated when they're repatriated held a chunk of the narrative. And every bit of bureaucracy, paperwork to be filed, law to be passed, certificates to be obtained, computer software modified for specific cases, etc. were described in minutiae.
Now if you were doing research on FBI procedure or how this kind of career affects your family or a detailed account of a seizure, then this is the book to pick up. It could be used in research papers for graduate school or in fictional FBI mysteries as a resource for accuracy. But as a book named The Grave Robber, I wanted more about Miller and the artifacts he stole, then about FBI procedures.
November 12, 2025
Thank you to the publisher & Net Galley for an advance listener copy in exchange for an honest review.
- What grabbed my attention and made me read it: Stolen art/artifacts have been in the news recently, especially with the recent Louvre heist. As soon as I saw that this case and search originated out of the FBI field office in Indianapolis, I was shocked I didn't already know about it.
- Initial thoughts from the first few chapters: WE GET IT. You had to juggle art theft & bomb tech duties. We get it. The FBI has special words or acronyms for EVERYTHING.
-Halfway point thoughts: I have lived in Indiana my entire life. The case and its locale were the most intriguing to me. I'm not sure I would have stuck it out if it weren't about a case so close to home.
The author wasn't always very likable. The work was honorable, but his asides were often not important to the narrative or just odd additions. For example, mentioning sending his family away while conducting the day-long search of the Miller compound so that he wouldn't snap at them as a result of being sleep deprived. While it was self-aware of him, it was not a detail I needed, and I wondered why that was included.
I wish this book was less about Tim and more about the case and process. I considered the family health issues to be related. But the intricacies of FBI politics and staffing took up too much space for me. I would have liked it if the focus were on the importance of the art crime specialty and the need for resources and staff.
Final Thoughts: "The Grave Robber: The Biggest Stolen Artifacts Case in FBI History and the Bureau’s Quest to Set Things Right" title seems like false advertising. The cover and title look like a true crime book about a case. However, it is actually like a memoir.
- What grabbed my attention and made me read it: Stolen art/artifacts have been in the news recently, especially with the recent Louvre heist. As soon as I saw that this case and search originated out of the FBI field office in Indianapolis, I was shocked I didn't already know about it.
- Initial thoughts from the first few chapters: WE GET IT. You had to juggle art theft & bomb tech duties. We get it. The FBI has special words or acronyms for EVERYTHING.
-Halfway point thoughts: I have lived in Indiana my entire life. The case and its locale were the most intriguing to me. I'm not sure I would have stuck it out if it weren't about a case so close to home.
The author wasn't always very likable. The work was honorable, but his asides were often not important to the narrative or just odd additions. For example, mentioning sending his family away while conducting the day-long search of the Miller compound so that he wouldn't snap at them as a result of being sleep deprived. While it was self-aware of him, it was not a detail I needed, and I wondered why that was included.
I wish this book was less about Tim and more about the case and process. I considered the family health issues to be related. But the intricacies of FBI politics and staffing took up too much space for me. I would have liked it if the focus were on the importance of the art crime specialty and the need for resources and staff.
Final Thoughts: "The Grave Robber: The Biggest Stolen Artifacts Case in FBI History and the Bureau’s Quest to Set Things Right" title seems like false advertising. The cover and title look like a true crime book about a case. However, it is actually like a memoir.
October 16, 2025
Tim Carpenter’s The Grave Robber offers an extraordinary inside look at one of the most significant cultural property investigations in FBI history. The book chronicles the case of a man who plundered Native American heritage with callous disregard—treating sacred objects and human remains as his personal collection.
The scale of the recovery was staggering. Thousands of artifacts, many of museum quality, were seized, meticulously cataloged, and ultimately returned to their rightful communities. Carpenter vividly describes the experience of entering Miller’s compound, where every corner revealed stolen or looted objects of deep cultural and spiritual significance.
Beyond the fieldwork, the book also shines a light on the less visible side of the investigation—the bureaucratic hurdles, persistence, and determination required to keep such a complex case moving forward. One of the most powerful aspects of Carpenter’s account is the moment the investigative team realized the enormity of what they had uncovered: not a handful of human remains, but hundreds. These were not merely artifacts to be recovered; they were ancestors who had been treated with shocking disrespect.
Carpenter documents the emotional and ethical weight of that discovery with honesty and clarity. The book underscores the investigators’ sense of duty to restore dignity to those whose remains and heritage had been desecrated.
The Grave Robber is more than a true-crime investigation—it is a vital piece of American history. It illuminates the consequences of cultural theft and the responsibility to protect and honor heritage. This is a compelling, sobering, and essential read.
The scale of the recovery was staggering. Thousands of artifacts, many of museum quality, were seized, meticulously cataloged, and ultimately returned to their rightful communities. Carpenter vividly describes the experience of entering Miller’s compound, where every corner revealed stolen or looted objects of deep cultural and spiritual significance.
Beyond the fieldwork, the book also shines a light on the less visible side of the investigation—the bureaucratic hurdles, persistence, and determination required to keep such a complex case moving forward. One of the most powerful aspects of Carpenter’s account is the moment the investigative team realized the enormity of what they had uncovered: not a handful of human remains, but hundreds. These were not merely artifacts to be recovered; they were ancestors who had been treated with shocking disrespect.
Carpenter documents the emotional and ethical weight of that discovery with honesty and clarity. The book underscores the investigators’ sense of duty to restore dignity to those whose remains and heritage had been desecrated.
The Grave Robber is more than a true-crime investigation—it is a vital piece of American history. It illuminates the consequences of cultural theft and the responsibility to protect and honor heritage. This is a compelling, sobering, and essential read.
November 29, 2025
What a fascinating listen. I received this book via NetGalley and the audio publisher, HCCP & HCF Audio ( and would like to thank both of this). It was finely narrated.
This is a memoir of the author, Tim Carpenter, a former FBI lead investigator of the Art Crimes Unit. He chronicles some of the art crimes he investigated that took place around the world. The most egregious case, which starts the book, is that of an illicit grave-robber who desecrated graves all over the world amassing over 42,000 artifacts. The recounting of Carpenter and his team’s effects to collect and repatriate these, many being the bones of Native Americans, was not only captivating but a labor of love. As stated at the end, of the 500 artifacts for Native Americans, he and his team were able to identity and return all but 15 to the Native American tribes to whom these bones belonged.
Carpenter is truly passionate about his former works. That shines through (though it’s a bit tedious at times). His work to coordinate with Native American tribes, giving respect and credence to these tribes, customs and traditions rings out - and this is one of the strengths of this book. Carpenter points that the grave-robber had no empathy or understanding that his infringement on Native American burial grounds was desecration of human remains because this man didn’t recognize the Native Americans as human - a fact still prevalent
Besides being a memoir, the book provides a lot of in the way of procedural details about art crime investigations that are interesting- though at times it got tedious to listen too.
Overall this was a great listen. I admire the author’s love of preserving artifices with gravity and respect. I have a new appreciation too for revering the Native Americans who were here before us.
This is a memoir of the author, Tim Carpenter, a former FBI lead investigator of the Art Crimes Unit. He chronicles some of the art crimes he investigated that took place around the world. The most egregious case, which starts the book, is that of an illicit grave-robber who desecrated graves all over the world amassing over 42,000 artifacts. The recounting of Carpenter and his team’s effects to collect and repatriate these, many being the bones of Native Americans, was not only captivating but a labor of love. As stated at the end, of the 500 artifacts for Native Americans, he and his team were able to identity and return all but 15 to the Native American tribes to whom these bones belonged.
Carpenter is truly passionate about his former works. That shines through (though it’s a bit tedious at times). His work to coordinate with Native American tribes, giving respect and credence to these tribes, customs and traditions rings out - and this is one of the strengths of this book. Carpenter points that the grave-robber had no empathy or understanding that his infringement on Native American burial grounds was desecration of human remains because this man didn’t recognize the Native Americans as human - a fact still prevalent
Besides being a memoir, the book provides a lot of in the way of procedural details about art crime investigations that are interesting- though at times it got tedious to listen too.
Overall this was a great listen. I admire the author’s love of preserving artifices with gravity and respect. I have a new appreciation too for revering the Native Americans who were here before us.
December 4, 2025
The Grave Robber was an interesting read about both a crime and a department within the FBI that I knew nothing about.
FBI agent Tim Carpenter narrates following an anonymous tip that leads him to an art collector who has dug up thousands of artifacts and even full human skeletons from various sites around the world. A lot of his collection was stolen from American Indian gravesites and is quite upsetting to learn about.
Like another reviewer mentioned, the true crime part of this book is rather short, as the culprit is known from the beginning, doesn’t resist, and the recovery operation plays out in the first few chapters. After that, the book pivots into Carpenter’s personal life and his work within the Art Crime Department. A lot of the narrative focuses on the struggles inside the FBI - from the department not being taken seriously to paperwork and legal challenges. I think this book is for a niche readership who are interested in learning the ins and outs of FBI work. and/or specifically interested in art crimes. I do think it was an interesting read, but personally, I felt there was a little too much focus on case work and career progression within the FBI. If that is something you are interested in, then I think you will enjoy this book. I especially recommend the audiobook. The writing itself is well done, but the narration is great. It really adds to it and kept me engaged throughout.
Thanks to NetGalley, HCCP & HCF Audio, and Harper Horizon for the audiobook copy.
FBI agent Tim Carpenter narrates following an anonymous tip that leads him to an art collector who has dug up thousands of artifacts and even full human skeletons from various sites around the world. A lot of his collection was stolen from American Indian gravesites and is quite upsetting to learn about.
Like another reviewer mentioned, the true crime part of this book is rather short, as the culprit is known from the beginning, doesn’t resist, and the recovery operation plays out in the first few chapters. After that, the book pivots into Carpenter’s personal life and his work within the Art Crime Department. A lot of the narrative focuses on the struggles inside the FBI - from the department not being taken seriously to paperwork and legal challenges. I think this book is for a niche readership who are interested in learning the ins and outs of FBI work. and/or specifically interested in art crimes. I do think it was an interesting read, but personally, I felt there was a little too much focus on case work and career progression within the FBI. If that is something you are interested in, then I think you will enjoy this book. I especially recommend the audiobook. The writing itself is well done, but the narration is great. It really adds to it and kept me engaged throughout.
Thanks to NetGalley, HCCP & HCF Audio, and Harper Horizon for the audiobook copy.
November 10, 2025
I feel like I read a different book than many of the other revieweres, as I thought this was fantastic. I listened to the audiobook. Once I pushed play it ran until the book ended. I never pushed stop. I was fully invested int he story.
Tim Carpenter is a retired FBI agent, who was previously in the military working with explosives. At the start of this books, he is working in the same area for the FBI. But he is told about a local, elderly man who has a huge collection of stolen cultural artifacts and human remains. Carpenter goes to the man's farm, pretending to have a similar interest. He is given a partial tour and finds the collection must be far larger than he could have guessed. This man has raided graves for decades. Carpenter is determined to take these items, preserve them and repatriate them to the Native and foreign communities where they belong.
What follows is a story of putting together the right team of people, an extensive investigation, and the ten year task of getting everything to the peoples and cultures where they belong. It is a painstaking criminal process, involving museum workers, historians, and archaeologists. Carpenter realizes that the most important aspect of his job is to treat the collection with respect and to honor the cultures.
This book is a blend of true crime, memoir, history, legal analysis and social justice. I respect Mr Carpenter, and would love to see him speak in person.
Thank you @LibroFM for my #gifted audiobook!
Tim Carpenter is a retired FBI agent, who was previously in the military working with explosives. At the start of this books, he is working in the same area for the FBI. But he is told about a local, elderly man who has a huge collection of stolen cultural artifacts and human remains. Carpenter goes to the man's farm, pretending to have a similar interest. He is given a partial tour and finds the collection must be far larger than he could have guessed. This man has raided graves for decades. Carpenter is determined to take these items, preserve them and repatriate them to the Native and foreign communities where they belong.
What follows is a story of putting together the right team of people, an extensive investigation, and the ten year task of getting everything to the peoples and cultures where they belong. It is a painstaking criminal process, involving museum workers, historians, and archaeologists. Carpenter realizes that the most important aspect of his job is to treat the collection with respect and to honor the cultures.
This book is a blend of true crime, memoir, history, legal analysis and social justice. I respect Mr Carpenter, and would love to see him speak in person.
Thank you @LibroFM for my #gifted audiobook!
November 22, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
In The Grave Robber, FBI Lead Investigator Tim Carpenter details the seizure of almost 42000 artifacts and 500 human remains and the repatriation of the artifacts to their people. It also describes the role he and this case had on the Art Crime program in the FBI.
The story of Don Miller, who dug up, collected, and displayed these artifacts and remains in his basement was incredibly interesting. The book tells about how he collected the objects, the evidence the FBI found, and how he was discovered by the Art Crime program. Tim Carpenter's perspective on the events added so much to this story, with all of its twists and turns.
I knew nothing about the laws involved or about the repatriation of artifacts and respectfully working with Native American remains. I was intrigued and followed every word of the investigation.
I found that I lot of the bureaucracy near the end of the book was a bit long but it also speaks to the challenges for the Art Crime program as well as all of the work that was required to solve the case, repatriation the artifacts collected, and presenting the Art Crime program as a standalone, impacting part of the FBI.
I was totally engrossed in this investigation and loved this audiobook. The narrators voice also added to this story for me. This could have been very dry but it was read was someone would if their whole life was wrapped up in the case.
In The Grave Robber, FBI Lead Investigator Tim Carpenter details the seizure of almost 42000 artifacts and 500 human remains and the repatriation of the artifacts to their people. It also describes the role he and this case had on the Art Crime program in the FBI.
The story of Don Miller, who dug up, collected, and displayed these artifacts and remains in his basement was incredibly interesting. The book tells about how he collected the objects, the evidence the FBI found, and how he was discovered by the Art Crime program. Tim Carpenter's perspective on the events added so much to this story, with all of its twists and turns.
I knew nothing about the laws involved or about the repatriation of artifacts and respectfully working with Native American remains. I was intrigued and followed every word of the investigation.
I found that I lot of the bureaucracy near the end of the book was a bit long but it also speaks to the challenges for the Art Crime program as well as all of the work that was required to solve the case, repatriation the artifacts collected, and presenting the Art Crime program as a standalone, impacting part of the FBI.
I was totally engrossed in this investigation and loved this audiobook. The narrators voice also added to this story for me. This could have been very dry but it was read was someone would if their whole life was wrapped up in the case.
October 20, 2025
No, he didn't steal someone's crown jewels or the Rosetta Stone. It was much worse than that. This nonagenarian was responsible in his lifetime of stealing culturally valuable artifacts from indigenous tribes in the US and from others all over the world. Not all were treated with respect, and many were desecrated. How many items is he known to have stolen? There were 42000 artifacts and human remains which he looted and claimed for his own over a 50+ year span. His thieving made the British Museum look like pikers.
Enter the FBI’s Art Crime Team Senior Special Advisor, Tim Carpenter. Beginning with a call to investigate a report of what might be a human bone in that civilian's possession, many human bones, some complete skeletons and other artifacts were stolen from private lands, national parks, graves, and worse. Imagine the time and effort needed by how many employees to locate, document, photograph, verify true ownership (tribal leaders etc). Some items were totally desecrated yet some were stored as trophies! What a job!
The author is also a former bomb technician and police officer and served nearly twelve years in the US Air Force and Air Force Reserve as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician.
I entered and won a LibraryThing Giveaway and was fortunate enough to win a hardcover copy of this fascinating book from Harper Collins and Harper Collins Focus. Then the book walked away and I bought an audio copy that I could keep for myself.
#TheGraveRobber by Tim Carpenter @harperhorizon @harpercollinsfocus
#repatiationofartifacts #disrespect #artcrimesunit #fbi #Nonfiction #History #TrueCrime #theft
Enter the FBI’s Art Crime Team Senior Special Advisor, Tim Carpenter. Beginning with a call to investigate a report of what might be a human bone in that civilian's possession, many human bones, some complete skeletons and other artifacts were stolen from private lands, national parks, graves, and worse. Imagine the time and effort needed by how many employees to locate, document, photograph, verify true ownership (tribal leaders etc). Some items were totally desecrated yet some were stored as trophies! What a job!
The author is also a former bomb technician and police officer and served nearly twelve years in the US Air Force and Air Force Reserve as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician.
I entered and won a LibraryThing Giveaway and was fortunate enough to win a hardcover copy of this fascinating book from Harper Collins and Harper Collins Focus. Then the book walked away and I bought an audio copy that I could keep for myself.
#TheGraveRobber by Tim Carpenter @harperhorizon @harpercollinsfocus
#repatiationofartifacts #disrespect #artcrimesunit #fbi #Nonfiction #History #TrueCrime #theft
September 21, 2025
Thank you to Harper Collins focus/ harper horizon for the advance audiobook!
This audio book had a fantastic narrator (Roger wayne). I always think the voice or the narrator makes or breaks the audiobook. Fortunately the narrator had a great voice that made it an easy listen!
I found this book so interesting. Firstly, I didn't even realise there was an art crime department in the FBI!
I think the case of Don Miller and the artifacts that he had accumulated over the years does make you take into question your moral compass. As in when I first listening i started to discuss it with my colleagues and they put the question of 'if he had the knowledge of an archaeologist and still kept them, is that different?' And also, ' is it actually any different for archaeologicalist who then put human remains on display in a museum, what's the difference.' Which is a fair point if you think about it. I think this books contents does start conservation and will cause some debates!
Tim carpenter has told this case in great detail. I love how he took a colleague who knew more from an anthropology stance to Don miller's house so she could discuss with Don on to how he came to 'own' this artifacts and inflate his ego to a point that he actually incriminated himself.
The whole art crime department seem to be so respectful and authentic and truly cared about getting all of the contents on Don Miller's 'collection' to the correct ancestors of this history!
I found the relationship and mutual respect truly came through, especially with the native tribes, who would invite the team to come to the ceremonial burials of their ancestors. It was so emotional to listen to. And to here how thr tribes would lay the remains to rest on their own land and the what entails in the ceremonies.
The dedication that Tim carpenter showed to finishing this case, and getting the artifacts back to where they truly belong is truly astounding. And also that 90% by the end of 2024 had been correctly given back is truly amazing.
I love that when the deputy directors assistant wants him to give them a letter for a photo opportunity, out of his guardianship...he's like absolutely not! And then agrees to supervise it but will not let it out of his sight is fantastic!!
This is so interesting and informative, I will highly recommend!!
This audio book had a fantastic narrator (Roger wayne). I always think the voice or the narrator makes or breaks the audiobook. Fortunately the narrator had a great voice that made it an easy listen!
I found this book so interesting. Firstly, I didn't even realise there was an art crime department in the FBI!
I think the case of Don Miller and the artifacts that he had accumulated over the years does make you take into question your moral compass. As in when I first listening i started to discuss it with my colleagues and they put the question of 'if he had the knowledge of an archaeologist and still kept them, is that different?' And also, ' is it actually any different for archaeologicalist who then put human remains on display in a museum, what's the difference.' Which is a fair point if you think about it. I think this books contents does start conservation and will cause some debates!
Tim carpenter has told this case in great detail. I love how he took a colleague who knew more from an anthropology stance to Don miller's house so she could discuss with Don on to how he came to 'own' this artifacts and inflate his ego to a point that he actually incriminated himself.
The whole art crime department seem to be so respectful and authentic and truly cared about getting all of the contents on Don Miller's 'collection' to the correct ancestors of this history!
I found the relationship and mutual respect truly came through, especially with the native tribes, who would invite the team to come to the ceremonial burials of their ancestors. It was so emotional to listen to. And to here how thr tribes would lay the remains to rest on their own land and the what entails in the ceremonies.
The dedication that Tim carpenter showed to finishing this case, and getting the artifacts back to where they truly belong is truly astounding. And also that 90% by the end of 2024 had been correctly given back is truly amazing.
I love that when the deputy directors assistant wants him to give them a letter for a photo opportunity, out of his guardianship...he's like absolutely not! And then agrees to supervise it but will not let it out of his sight is fantastic!!
This is so interesting and informative, I will highly recommend!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 21, 2025
Part true crime, part memoir, and honestly, part FBI white paper, The Grave Robber follows the steps taken to repatriate a MASSIVE collection after Tim Carpenter received an anonymous tip about looted artifacts and human remains in the home of a man in Indiana. As a former art historian and museum professional now government employee, this book is so important and I was honored to stumble upon it on NetGalley.
This book covers a wide range of history about the Art Crime team, a relatively new unit within the FBI, and how it struggled and still continues to struggle with navigating through enforcing the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) of 1990, along with the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) of 1979 (not to be confused with the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds distributed during the COVID-19 pandemic because I kept getting tied up with the use broad of ARPA as an acronym).
As Carpenter says, “our present laws do not adequately protect Native American cultural property, and those laws are widely misunderstood”.
Thank you, NetGalley, HCCP & HCF Audio, and Harper Horizon for giving me the awesome opportunity to have early access and review this ALC!
This book covers a wide range of history about the Art Crime team, a relatively new unit within the FBI, and how it struggled and still continues to struggle with navigating through enforcing the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) of 1990, along with the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) of 1979 (not to be confused with the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds distributed during the COVID-19 pandemic because I kept getting tied up with the use broad of ARPA as an acronym).
As Carpenter says, “our present laws do not adequately protect Native American cultural property, and those laws are widely misunderstood”.
Thank you, NetGalley, HCCP & HCF Audio, and Harper Horizon for giving me the awesome opportunity to have early access and review this ALC!
October 31, 2025
Received audiobook through Netgalley to review, this is an honest review. Narrated beautifully by Roger Wayne, The Grave Robber was truly an engaging listen that its also deeply disquieting as FBI Tim Carpenter, that lead investigations into Art Crimes and all that encumbrances speaks of the case of Don Miller... a man whom without any ounce of compassion, gloriously robbed burial sites of not only of Native peoples tribes here in the US but across the world as well. What Agent Carpenter discovers within the property of the Millers as the case begins, showcases the man's obsession to abuse sacred places but to "display" his treasure in disturbing ways that left all involved in removing both cultural artifacts and human remains; and caring for the collection truly emotionally troubled. As the journey to bring justice to all impacted cultures and countries, the story deeply delves into the background of the many laws Don Miller violated and the delicate agreements to get the artifacts home and then dead peaceful reburied by Native traditions. The "Miller Case" as it came to be known left a monumental legacy upon the FBI long after it was officially closed.
A very eye opening listen.
Highly recommended.
A very eye opening listen.
Highly recommended.
December 19, 2025
This audiobook explores a fascinating and unsettling historical practice of grave robbing, which made the story especially compelling. The subject matter is dark but genuinely interesting, and it kept my attention throughout. I was repeatedly struck by how long the grave robber managed to get away with his actions, as well as how flippant he seemed to be about the items he collected, which added an extra layer of disbelief and unease to the story.
The racism and flippant attitude Miller displayed toward Indigenous peoples was deeply disturbing. Carpenter’s discussion of othering is incredibly important in understanding why Miller’s casual treatment of the remains he illegally collected feels so jarring and unsettling, and it adds crucial context to the historical narrative.
The narrator did a strong job with tone and pacing. While the narration style initially took some getting used to because it’s different from what I’m accustomed to, it ultimately fit the material well and enhanced the atmosphere of the story.
Overall, this was an engaging listen that taught me something new while still delivering a solid narrative experience.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook.
The racism and flippant attitude Miller displayed toward Indigenous peoples was deeply disturbing. Carpenter’s discussion of othering is incredibly important in understanding why Miller’s casual treatment of the remains he illegally collected feels so jarring and unsettling, and it adds crucial context to the historical narrative.
The narrator did a strong job with tone and pacing. While the narration style initially took some getting used to because it’s different from what I’m accustomed to, it ultimately fit the material well and enhanced the atmosphere of the story.
Overall, this was an engaging listen that taught me something new while still delivering a solid narrative experience.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook.
September 28, 2025
**Review: *The Grave Robber: The Biggest Stolen Artifacts Case in FBI History and the Bureau’s Quest to Set Things Right***
By Tim Carpenter — ★★★★½
Narrated by Roger Wayne — ★★★★★
I thoroughly enjoyed Tim Carpenter’s firsthand account of his time in the FBI, particularly his involvement in the Miller looting case and the massive seizure of stolen artifacts. *The Grave Robber* offers a compelling look at the complexities of federal law enforcement, especially when navigating sensitive issues surrounding Native American remains and cultural artifacts.
This book will especially resonate with those in law enforcement or government service, who can appreciate the bureaucratic challenges and the delicate diplomacy required in such high-profile and culturally sensitive investigations.
Carpenter’s narrative is solid, insightful, and genuinely interesting. The audiobook, narrated by Roger Wayne, brings the story to life with clarity and professionalism.
Highly recommended for those in law enforcement or anyone interested in true crime, archaeology, or the inner workings of federal investigations.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Horizon for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.
By Tim Carpenter — ★★★★½
Narrated by Roger Wayne — ★★★★★
I thoroughly enjoyed Tim Carpenter’s firsthand account of his time in the FBI, particularly his involvement in the Miller looting case and the massive seizure of stolen artifacts. *The Grave Robber* offers a compelling look at the complexities of federal law enforcement, especially when navigating sensitive issues surrounding Native American remains and cultural artifacts.
This book will especially resonate with those in law enforcement or government service, who can appreciate the bureaucratic challenges and the delicate diplomacy required in such high-profile and culturally sensitive investigations.
Carpenter’s narrative is solid, insightful, and genuinely interesting. The audiobook, narrated by Roger Wayne, brings the story to life with clarity and professionalism.
Highly recommended for those in law enforcement or anyone interested in true crime, archaeology, or the inner workings of federal investigations.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Horizon for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.
October 14, 2025
Author Tim Carpenter was the lead investigator on the FBI’s Art Crime Team. He shares an disturbing case of art theft.
One man spent his life desecrating graves. Nothing was sacred to him; he traveled the globe gathering artifacts. He had thousands of arrowheads, but he didn’t stop there. He took what he wanted including skulls and whole skeletons. He seemed especially interested in Native American.
The first few chapters of this book discuss how Carpenter discovered the theft of the artifacts and the retrieval. The FBI knocked on the thief and asked him to return the items. While the elderly thief did not want to he cooperated for the most part. From this point on the book discusses Carpenter’s life both personal and professional.
There is a lot of emphasis on things I would consider trivial. I found the reaction of the Native Americans very interesting. This book has great potential, but the trivial details distract from the main story. I was caught up in the story to a point then I started loosing interest.
I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
One man spent his life desecrating graves. Nothing was sacred to him; he traveled the globe gathering artifacts. He had thousands of arrowheads, but he didn’t stop there. He took what he wanted including skulls and whole skeletons. He seemed especially interested in Native American.
The first few chapters of this book discuss how Carpenter discovered the theft of the artifacts and the retrieval. The FBI knocked on the thief and asked him to return the items. While the elderly thief did not want to he cooperated for the most part. From this point on the book discusses Carpenter’s life both personal and professional.
There is a lot of emphasis on things I would consider trivial. I found the reaction of the Native Americans very interesting. This book has great potential, but the trivial details distract from the main story. I was caught up in the story to a point then I started loosing interest.
I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
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