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Icon Thief #1
Крадецът на икони
В Будапеща неочаквано се появява спорен шедьовър на изкуството, смятан за изгубен. Под крайбрежната алея на Брайтън Бийч е открита обезглавена балерина. А руската мафия в Ню Йорк е на път да се сблъска със също толкова безмилостния свят на изкуството...
Амбициозната млада Мади Блум, която работи за манхатънски хедж фонд, отчаяно се опитва да открие безценна картина на Марсел Дюшан, един от най-влиятелните художници на двайсети век. Откриването на обезглавено женско тяло насочва криминалния следовател Алън Пауъл към същата картина – етюд за Étant Donnés на Марсел Дюшан със загадъчно изображение на гола жена без глава. А един руски крадец и убиец, известен като Скита, трябва да открадне картината пръв, за да спаси репутацията си – и живота си.
Убийствената надпревара е в разгара си. И на първо място е коварно тайно общество, решено да си върне картината поради свои собствени причини – и с всички възможни средства...
Амбициозната млада Мади Блум, която работи за манхатънски хедж фонд, отчаяно се опитва да открие безценна картина на Марсел Дюшан, един от най-влиятелните художници на двайсети век. Откриването на обезглавено женско тяло насочва криминалния следовател Алън Пауъл към същата картина – етюд за Étant Donnés на Марсел Дюшан със загадъчно изображение на гола жена без глава. А един руски крадец и убиец, известен като Скита, трябва да открадне картината пръв, за да спаси репутацията си – и живота си.
Убийствената надпревара е в разгара си. И на първо място е коварно тайно общество, решено да си върне картината поради свои собствени причини – и с всички възможни средства...
384 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2012
13 people are currently reading
404 people want to read
About the author
Alec Nevala-Lee
35 books120 followersI was born in Castro Valley, California and graduated from Harvard College with a bachelor's degree in classics. My book Astounding: John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, and the Golden Age of Science Fiction (Dey Street Books / HarperCollins) was a Hugo and Locus Awards finalist and named one of the best books of the year by The Economist. I'm also the author of the novels The Icon Thief, City of Exiles, and Eternal Empire, all published by Penguin; my short stories have appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Lightspeed Magazine, and The Year's Best Science Fiction; and I've written for such publications as the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Slate, The Daily Beast, Salon, Longreads, The Rumpus, and the San Francisco Bay Guardian. My latest book is Inventor of the Future: The Visionary Life of Buckminster Fuller, which was released by Dey Street Books / HarperCollins on August 2, 2022. I live with my wife and daughter in Oak Park, Illinois.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
March 29, 2018
oh my - so many things wrong with this book I don't know where to begin. The overall story (now that I'm finally done with it) has good bones... but I find myself not really giving a sh*t about any of the characters or what they're "fighting" for, with the possible exception of Ilya who I found more interesting toward the end of the book. None of the others' motivations or backstories were fleshed out enough to make me care. So much time was spent on historical minutiae that, in the end, had nothing to do with anything - and big major plot points were glossed over quickly that it made the story line itself hard to follow. The author's apparent desire to be mysterious in his delivery of information (starting nearly every chapter with "he" or "she" without telling you who...) makes for a muddy delivery, which is unfortunate since there are 4-5 clearly separate groups of characters/action happening. Not a complete waste of time, but difficult...
oh... and - p.s. - the guy should fire his editor...
oh... and - p.s. - the guy should fire his editor...
May 1, 2012
WAY too much mafia, not enough story. WAY too gruesome and not enough story. WAY too wordy and not enough story. Getting my drift here....?
The only mystery to this book is why the publisher wasted so many trees to print it! Not a good story - skip it.
The only mystery to this book is why the publisher wasted so many trees to print it! Not a good story - skip it.
December 9, 2017
Очаквах повече от книгата. Има интрига, но....развоя беше предвидим и не държи в напрежение. Изказа на автора доста плосък.
February 16, 2012
Disclaimer: I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
This is a very well written book. It's really two books, a straight forward police procedural married to a more challenging narrative relating to a painting and its origins. Either part alone would be a nice 3-star book, however the two combined with Nevala-Lee's skill make this a 4-star book. And when you add the wonderful ending, it's definitely 5-star.
The book begins by setting up the two parts with an art auction at Sotheby's for a recently discovered painting by Marcel Duchamp, Study for Etant donnés, and on the police procedural front a body is discovered under a boardwalk that had apparently been there for years.
The painting sells for 11 million, over 3 times the expected price, and that discrepancy fuels an investigation by art mutual fund researcher Maddy Blume that eventually turns tragic. This investigation drags Maddy through peculiar historical organizations and cults including the Rosicrucian Order (Order of the Rose Cross), Ordo Templi Orientis, Cabaret Voltaire, Dadaism, and even the Society of Pataphysics. It's quite a trip and I did spend some time on Wiki looking up things. While one might think that these supposedly long dead organizations would hold no current danger, why then are Maddy and her colleagues being followed and threatened? Could these secret societies still exist and have powerful allies protecting them?
Alan Powell, a British SOCA agent & Rachel Wolfe, a recent graduate of Quantico, are involved in the murder investigation. They lead from the rear for bureaucratic reasons and that informal role allows them a lot of latitude with the investigation. While this aspect of the book isn't as colorful, it lends a central cohesiveness to the narration which is invaluable by the end of the book. A number of encounters with the Russian Mob and a recently unemployed assassin do add some color to this part.
The three characters I mentioned are quite well drawn and I could easily see them forming the central core for a series of books. The Icon Thief is so good that I hope to see more books like this from Nevala-Lee.
This is a very well written book. It's really two books, a straight forward police procedural married to a more challenging narrative relating to a painting and its origins. Either part alone would be a nice 3-star book, however the two combined with Nevala-Lee's skill make this a 4-star book. And when you add the wonderful ending, it's definitely 5-star.
The book begins by setting up the two parts with an art auction at Sotheby's for a recently discovered painting by Marcel Duchamp, Study for Etant donnés, and on the police procedural front a body is discovered under a boardwalk that had apparently been there for years.
The painting sells for 11 million, over 3 times the expected price, and that discrepancy fuels an investigation by art mutual fund researcher Maddy Blume that eventually turns tragic. This investigation drags Maddy through peculiar historical organizations and cults including the Rosicrucian Order (Order of the Rose Cross), Ordo Templi Orientis, Cabaret Voltaire, Dadaism, and even the Society of Pataphysics. It's quite a trip and I did spend some time on Wiki looking up things. While one might think that these supposedly long dead organizations would hold no current danger, why then are Maddy and her colleagues being followed and threatened? Could these secret societies still exist and have powerful allies protecting them?
Alan Powell, a British SOCA agent & Rachel Wolfe, a recent graduate of Quantico, are involved in the murder investigation. They lead from the rear for bureaucratic reasons and that informal role allows them a lot of latitude with the investigation. While this aspect of the book isn't as colorful, it lends a central cohesiveness to the narration which is invaluable by the end of the book. A number of encounters with the Russian Mob and a recently unemployed assassin do add some color to this part.
The three characters I mentioned are quite well drawn and I could easily see them forming the central core for a series of books. The Icon Thief is so good that I hope to see more books like this from Nevala-Lee.
May 19, 2012
Nothing is better than winning a book in a contest than winning a really good book in a contest! I scored when I was chosen to receive a copy of Alec Nevala-Lee's thriller The Icon Thief. Mostly I don't even bother to enter contests but 1) I love thrillers and 2) I love the Philadelphia Art Museum. Some people might not find those compelling reasons but as a 'random reader' they make me happy.
Nevala-Lee's first foray into fiction takes the thriller concept to a higher, more sophisticated level. And since I love 'literate' mysteries, it stands to reason that a 'literate' thriller is going to be a pleasure to read.
Set in the international art world, a controversial work by Marcel Duchamp is stolen and everyone from the Russian mafia to art galleries to secret societies seem to be interested. Betrayal and greed make it difficult to know who should be trusted.
I was often torn between turning another page and running off to the computer to do research.
Even worse than reaching the end of the book was the teaser chapter of his next book, City of Exiles, which is not coming out until December 2012!
Nevala-Lee's first foray into fiction takes the thriller concept to a higher, more sophisticated level. And since I love 'literate' mysteries, it stands to reason that a 'literate' thriller is going to be a pleasure to read.
Set in the international art world, a controversial work by Marcel Duchamp is stolen and everyone from the Russian mafia to art galleries to secret societies seem to be interested. Betrayal and greed make it difficult to know who should be trusted.
I was often torn between turning another page and running off to the computer to do research.
Even worse than reaching the end of the book was the teaser chapter of his next book, City of Exiles, which is not coming out until December 2012!
November 14, 2019
The Icon Thief is a formulaic mystery thriller with a weak ending. In some places, it read more like a screenplay designed for a mindless Hollywood shoot-em-up, and in other places, it just didn't hold itself together. Perhaps I'm spoiled by the tightly-woven plot lines of The Eight by Katherine Neville. There were some bright spots, and I appreciated the authentic nod to languages (e.g., Assyrian) that are off the beaten path. The protagonist's character traits -- notably her spendthrift habits -- may have been overstated, but they helped to show just how far from normal is the reach of the international mafia.
March 29, 2012
The smartest thriller you'll find this year, and an impeccable debut. That might sound like hyperbole, but this book nails it, employing just enough convention to be a great "genre" pleasure, while running circles around the others in said genre. When you think you have started to figure out, the story is just getting started. By the last pages, you'll be simultaneously googling works of art and ancient cults you've never heard of, and pre-ordering Nevala-Lee's next book.
September 7, 2014
Enjoyable beach read. Will definitely try the sequel.
May 10, 2018
Интересна и увлекателна история. Лесна за четене. С леко разочароващ финал.
November 1, 2013
The Icon Thief
by Alec Nevala-Lee
Signet, 407 pages, 2012
There are two topics I need to cover here. The first is a review of the book, a reasonably objective look at its strengths and weaknesses (if any!) as far as I am able. The second is a few thoughts about the ‘as far as I am able’ clause, relating to the relationship between author and audience in the age of the internet. (http://darrengoossens.wordpress.com/2...)
First, the book. In dust-jacket parlance, it is a page-turner. I’m glad I read it. It is skilfully constructed and intrinsically interesting, so that I found myself reading ‘just one more’ chapter, then another, then another; then it was midnight. Rarely do I sit up late reading, but I did with this book. The undoubted depth of research is worn lightly, used to add telling touches but not to show off — characteristic of the author’s discipline. The prose is clear and functional and gets out of the way of the story — appropriate in a thriller, if perhaps not as consistently evocative as in some of the author’s shorter fiction. The characters are portrayed believably and economically, and the author never falls back on the laziness of having a character who is merely sadistic or ‘evil’ or anything as childish as that. Everyone has their reasons for what they feel must be done. This leads to one of the book’s most interesting qualities — a sort of intimacy. The are no large-scale histrionics. The world is not going to meet with nuclear cataclysm. We are not in cartoonish James Bond territory. Life is not cheap, and people matter to each other. The body count is, on reflection, not insignificant, but they are made to signify. Killers tend to know their victims and kill them face to face, not gun down bystanders or nameless blue-uniformed cannon fodder at a distance. This solidity makes the violence, when it comes, very effective.
I came to Alec Nevala-Lee through his short fiction in Analog, and I suspect that means I come to the novel with different expectations from those of a thriller reader picking the book up in an airport (it would make great reading on a plane or an interstate coach). The work of his I first encountered was ‘Kawataro‘, followed up by the acclaimed (hey, it’s in Dozois’s bible!) ‘The Boneless One’, (though I like ‘Kawataro’ better), and on through other more recent appearances. Both these stories have in common a strong sense of menace, and palpable atmosphere, and an underlying credibility, all things that work in the context of a thriller. And indeed I would say one of the great strengths of The Icon Thief is that it is hard to tell where the author’s research stops and his imagination begins.
This book is an absolute entertainment machine. It hooked me in within a few chapters, it made me worry about people, it made me wonder what was going to happen and what the secret might be, and at the end it satisfied the questions it raised and left me wondering what some of the characters — Blume, Powell and ‘The Scythian’ — would do next; and, in the case of the latter two, what they had done before. The book brings together Russian mafia, the American art world, a cast of interesting characters with pasts that have shaped them but don’t get in the way, and a plot whose (almost) every twist and turn seems natural and yet which is still capable of surprising. This is a very assured first (published) novel, and I suspect I’ll be reading its follow-ups, City of Exiles and Eternal Empire. I can’t help but wonder, though, if we might see something more…major?…after these three books. Nevala-Lee knows how to put together a thriller — this is no formulaic book, but I used the word ‘machine’ on purpose — and this is where part II of this review comes in. Some artists benefit from strictures. Circumventing them, finding new territory within them and new ways to look at old territory, is a highly creative process and it gives somewhere to start in a way that a blank page and a lack of limits does not. This novel works within the thriller conventions. I think Nevala-Lee is good enough to allow himself a wider canvas, a broader, more human story, less driven by the needs of plot and genre and more by the people in it. Perhaps I am thinking of his science fiction, which I think pulls at the limits of SF whereas the The Icon Thief does not subvert the thriller genre; on the other hand, short fiction can afford to be more ambitious and less commercial. I do await a more personal work from this author. Personal, but I doubt self-indulgent; his work shows too much discipline for that. The Icon Thief is carefully constructed, intellectually constructed — almost scientifically constructed — and that is a great strength, and perhaps its only real weakness; there is a sense that it perhaps does not hit as hard as it might. But this is where part II comes in — am I only perceiving a weakness because I have read Nevala-Lee’s blog, where he quotes rules for writing, and talks about beats and construction of plots? Has he made me conscious of these aspects of writing? Has the author of this novel educated me such that I can (at least vaguely) glimpse the machinery behind the story, where once I would have been carried along, oblivious? Am I the reader who knew too much? This all relates to the new relationships between creator and consumer that the interweb allows, and that is the subject of part II.
And now I must stop writing this and fight the urge to spend hours reading about Marcel Duchamp when I should be working…fascinating.
by Alec Nevala-Lee
Signet, 407 pages, 2012
There are two topics I need to cover here. The first is a review of the book, a reasonably objective look at its strengths and weaknesses (if any!) as far as I am able. The second is a few thoughts about the ‘as far as I am able’ clause, relating to the relationship between author and audience in the age of the internet. (http://darrengoossens.wordpress.com/2...)
First, the book. In dust-jacket parlance, it is a page-turner. I’m glad I read it. It is skilfully constructed and intrinsically interesting, so that I found myself reading ‘just one more’ chapter, then another, then another; then it was midnight. Rarely do I sit up late reading, but I did with this book. The undoubted depth of research is worn lightly, used to add telling touches but not to show off — characteristic of the author’s discipline. The prose is clear and functional and gets out of the way of the story — appropriate in a thriller, if perhaps not as consistently evocative as in some of the author’s shorter fiction. The characters are portrayed believably and economically, and the author never falls back on the laziness of having a character who is merely sadistic or ‘evil’ or anything as childish as that. Everyone has their reasons for what they feel must be done. This leads to one of the book’s most interesting qualities — a sort of intimacy. The are no large-scale histrionics. The world is not going to meet with nuclear cataclysm. We are not in cartoonish James Bond territory. Life is not cheap, and people matter to each other. The body count is, on reflection, not insignificant, but they are made to signify. Killers tend to know their victims and kill them face to face, not gun down bystanders or nameless blue-uniformed cannon fodder at a distance. This solidity makes the violence, when it comes, very effective.
I came to Alec Nevala-Lee through his short fiction in Analog, and I suspect that means I come to the novel with different expectations from those of a thriller reader picking the book up in an airport (it would make great reading on a plane or an interstate coach). The work of his I first encountered was ‘Kawataro‘, followed up by the acclaimed (hey, it’s in Dozois’s bible!) ‘The Boneless One’, (though I like ‘Kawataro’ better), and on through other more recent appearances. Both these stories have in common a strong sense of menace, and palpable atmosphere, and an underlying credibility, all things that work in the context of a thriller. And indeed I would say one of the great strengths of The Icon Thief is that it is hard to tell where the author’s research stops and his imagination begins.
This book is an absolute entertainment machine. It hooked me in within a few chapters, it made me worry about people, it made me wonder what was going to happen and what the secret might be, and at the end it satisfied the questions it raised and left me wondering what some of the characters — Blume, Powell and ‘The Scythian’ — would do next; and, in the case of the latter two, what they had done before. The book brings together Russian mafia, the American art world, a cast of interesting characters with pasts that have shaped them but don’t get in the way, and a plot whose (almost) every twist and turn seems natural and yet which is still capable of surprising. This is a very assured first (published) novel, and I suspect I’ll be reading its follow-ups, City of Exiles and Eternal Empire. I can’t help but wonder, though, if we might see something more…major?…after these three books. Nevala-Lee knows how to put together a thriller — this is no formulaic book, but I used the word ‘machine’ on purpose — and this is where part II of this review comes in. Some artists benefit from strictures. Circumventing them, finding new territory within them and new ways to look at old territory, is a highly creative process and it gives somewhere to start in a way that a blank page and a lack of limits does not. This novel works within the thriller conventions. I think Nevala-Lee is good enough to allow himself a wider canvas, a broader, more human story, less driven by the needs of plot and genre and more by the people in it. Perhaps I am thinking of his science fiction, which I think pulls at the limits of SF whereas the The Icon Thief does not subvert the thriller genre; on the other hand, short fiction can afford to be more ambitious and less commercial. I do await a more personal work from this author. Personal, but I doubt self-indulgent; his work shows too much discipline for that. The Icon Thief is carefully constructed, intellectually constructed — almost scientifically constructed — and that is a great strength, and perhaps its only real weakness; there is a sense that it perhaps does not hit as hard as it might. But this is where part II comes in — am I only perceiving a weakness because I have read Nevala-Lee’s blog, where he quotes rules for writing, and talks about beats and construction of plots? Has he made me conscious of these aspects of writing? Has the author of this novel educated me such that I can (at least vaguely) glimpse the machinery behind the story, where once I would have been carried along, oblivious? Am I the reader who knew too much? This all relates to the new relationships between creator and consumer that the interweb allows, and that is the subject of part II.
And now I must stop writing this and fight the urge to spend hours reading about Marcel Duchamp when I should be working…fascinating.
January 1, 2018
Не ми допадна, явно не е моята книга.
January 2, 2021
. Interesting story that takes you deep into the world of art. Deep into the Russian mafia, art theft and Duchamp.
March 3, 2021
3.
Read aboard the Norwegian Ship - Jewel
Read aboard the Norwegian Ship - Jewel
May 5, 2025
did not finish
August 17, 2025
Didn't finish it. So convoluted, plot holes, weird grammar errors and stylistic choices. Needed a better editor.
March 24, 2017
Fascinating look at the art world and the characters that inhabit it.
September 17, 2013
Meh. If you're looking for a beach read with intrigue and cliff-hangers, this is an OK choice. Due to life circumstances, I kept getting interrupted while reading this book, so it took me two months (!) to finish it, which is rare for me. If you really tried, you could get through this book in about three days, so the length of time it took me to slog through this indicates that it didn't exactly thrill me. Since I took my time with this book, I noticed a lot of plot holes that probably wouldn't have bothered me if I had just powered through it quickly.
All of the art history and Rosicrucian stuff provided a nifty sub-plot, but there was way too much detailed information. It was as though the author was intentionally trying to confuse readers by bogging them down with too many facts. Either that, or the author was just showing off his esoteric knowledge of European history and avant-garde art. Then the author threw in some political stuff about the Russian mob and Soviet Intelligence and things got needlessly complicated.
If you like Dan Brown's work, this is a comparable book that you'll find entertaining, but don't be expecting a masterpiece of literature, or even a top-notch example of a thriller. I actually prefer Dan Brown, who does better at providing clear contextual historical info.
All of the art history and Rosicrucian stuff provided a nifty sub-plot, but there was way too much detailed information. It was as though the author was intentionally trying to confuse readers by bogging them down with too many facts. Either that, or the author was just showing off his esoteric knowledge of European history and avant-garde art. Then the author threw in some political stuff about the Russian mob and Soviet Intelligence and things got needlessly complicated.
If you like Dan Brown's work, this is a comparable book that you'll find entertaining, but don't be expecting a masterpiece of literature, or even a top-notch example of a thriller. I actually prefer Dan Brown, who does better at providing clear contextual historical info.
October 20, 2012
I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway and I have to admit it was the first book in a long time that truly kept my attention from beginning to end. Several books I've read recently have bored me to tears or have been so difficult to get through I've felt like gouging my eyes out with a spoon, but not with Nevala-Lee's The Icon Thief.
I was hooked right from the Prologue. Nevala-Lee built the tension right from the beginning. With Andrey and the so-called border guards and the introduction of Ilya. The reader knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that this novel is going to be about a painting and the Russian mob, but the question is why and what is the relationship to piece of art.
There is a lot to this novel and it could have easily have been two separate novels, but this is the first novel in a series (which I'm looking forward to). I loved how the two stories were intertwined -- that of the art world and the Russian mob. I haven't had to do research on the contents of what has been written in a novel in a long time (which could be a turn off for some). However, I will say that Navale-Lee does a really good job of giving the reader background as to what he is writing about.
Because there is so much to this novel, I will be reading it again.
I was hooked right from the Prologue. Nevala-Lee built the tension right from the beginning. With Andrey and the so-called border guards and the introduction of Ilya. The reader knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that this novel is going to be about a painting and the Russian mob, but the question is why and what is the relationship to piece of art.
There is a lot to this novel and it could have easily have been two separate novels, but this is the first novel in a series (which I'm looking forward to). I loved how the two stories were intertwined -- that of the art world and the Russian mob. I haven't had to do research on the contents of what has been written in a novel in a long time (which could be a turn off for some). However, I will say that Navale-Lee does a really good job of giving the reader background as to what he is writing about.
Because there is so much to this novel, I will be reading it again.
April 3, 2013
2012/ Gripping tale. Very well written.
Gift from Carolyn.
Intriguing glimpse into the world of art dealers, my word.
Frightening look at Russian mob activities in the West. I prefer to pretend it's not that bad in the real world, but it probably is.
Learned [at least temporarily] what a "Chekist" is.
"Ilya's mistake, he saw now, was to believe that the world's restoration required another system, the tzaddikim, which he had blindly identified with Vasylenko [his mentor in the Mob]. The truth was that no system was required. It was the lonely work of each man, working in isolation, to restore the balance of the world.
The error did not lie in any particular system, but in the desire for a system itself."
278
I don't pretend to understand this, but it's an example of the philosophical/moral dimension of the book.
Gift from Carolyn.
Intriguing glimpse into the world of art dealers, my word.
Frightening look at Russian mob activities in the West. I prefer to pretend it's not that bad in the real world, but it probably is.
Learned [at least temporarily] what a "Chekist" is.
"Ilya's mistake, he saw now, was to believe that the world's restoration required another system, the tzaddikim, which he had blindly identified with Vasylenko [his mentor in the Mob]. The truth was that no system was required. It was the lonely work of each man, working in isolation, to restore the balance of the world.
The error did not lie in any particular system, but in the desire for a system itself."
278
I don't pretend to understand this, but it's an example of the philosophical/moral dimension of the book.
March 16, 2013
This book has it's pros and cons. It had an interesting premise, but sometimes took itself too seriously (like it was trying to be another DaVinci Code). One of the detectives in the novel was "mormon," which served absolutely no purpose to the story. Cliches were thrown around such as, "maybe she learned her skills on her mission" and she liked to eat green jello. It actually gave less credibility to the book. What was the point? Was the other detective a protestant, Catholic? Why did the author think it was pertinent to say she was a Mormon? The one redeeming point was this passage: "Pop music blared from a stereo in the corner: In every city and every nation from Lake Geneva to the Finland Station." So the author does have some good taste!
May 23, 2012
I am a very undisciplined reader and this is an example because I literally have stacks of books I am planning to read, BUT I saw this one in the Supermarket a few days ago and bought it on an impulse.
I am pretty much reviewing it just to note that I actually read something. The story held my interest and the characters have some charm. But that is about it. A fun and fast read, although I doubt I'll read any sequel.
I wasn't expecting much but I was a little disappointing that it wasn't about stealing icons. The upside is I found a thriller that featured a drawing by Duchamp that moved the plot throughout the tale.
I am pretty much reviewing it just to note that I actually read something. The story held my interest and the characters have some charm. But that is about it. A fun and fast read, although I doubt I'll read any sequel.
I wasn't expecting much but I was a little disappointing that it wasn't about stealing icons. The upside is I found a thriller that featured a drawing by Duchamp that moved the plot throughout the tale.
January 27, 2013
This fast-moving story will sweep you into the worlds of art investment and Russian mafia. Fans of modern art (Duchamp) will enjoy learning more art history, and for the non-art-fan the plot moves fast and it won't be a distraction.
I found some parts with detailed speculation about Rosecrutians a bit tiring but it's worth plowing through those sections.
Note that there is a short glossary of the Russian terms at the end of the book. I didn't discover this till I was done and it would have been useful while reading.
Comparisons with Dan Brown's DaVinci Code are inevitable, but maybe this book has a better ending.
I found some parts with detailed speculation about Rosecrutians a bit tiring but it's worth plowing through those sections.
Note that there is a short glossary of the Russian terms at the end of the book. I didn't discover this till I was done and it would have been useful while reading.
Comparisons with Dan Brown's DaVinci Code are inevitable, but maybe this book has a better ending.
March 11, 2012
wow! I did not see the ending coming - Probably bc I don't really think too much on what is to come but let the book take me along it's path. Part of me was shocked how Maddy actually did her "work" in the museum but also made me a little proud that she was able to stand up and do something on her own without a boss or someone telling her to make the moves. She was the chess player not the pawn itself. This book was about a topic I was not very familiar with and was an enjoyable read!
March 1, 2013
Perhaps one needs to have an interest in art history or Marcel Duchamp to appreciate this debut novel by Alec Nevala-Lee, but it did nothing for me. The pace was slow, the characters were dull, and the plot was not intriguing, leaving me disinterested from start to finish. I can say one good thing about The Icon Thief though. My complete disappointment in this book will save from purchasing anything further by this author.
May 7, 2013
This book was just okay. There seemed to be too many things going on, perhaps I was too distracted while reading. There were characters that came and went, and I did not feel attached to them, then they would disappear only to reappear after I had forgotten about them. I found the plot to have too many elements... Russian mob, art thieves, FBI, romance, etc. It tried too be too big. It was okay, but I didn't love it.
March 26, 2012
Thrilling! This is a stunning debut novel -- it is a gripping thrill-ride that keeps you guessing. Nevala-Lee takes readers into the dark underworld of art smuggling, secret societies and Russian mobs. This book sucks you in and is hard to put down. A thrilling read with a satisfying conclusion. I'm eager to read more from Alec Nevala-Lee!
March 24, 2012
A debut thriller which includes all the usual ingredients, plus the Russian mafia, an enigmatic art collector, and assorted other characters invoved in the acquisition of art some by legitimate means, some not. This new author shows promise. Some of his tricks are quite clever, others rely heavily on serendipity, the latter being not so desirable.
June 14, 2012
There was A LOT going on with this book. I'd go as far as saying that there was too much going on. The best thing I can say is that the end of the book was pretty good. There's another book coming out by A. Nevala-Lee at the end of this year. I'm not sure if I want to read it, but I'll wait until later to decide.
I wouldn't run out and read this right away, but there are worse books to read.
I wouldn't run out and read this right away, but there are worse books to read.
July 3, 2012
The fact that Dan Brown's success made the "art-historical mystery thriller" a sub-genre of interest to publishers will always be a source of great wonder to this art history major. Clearly an attempt to cash in on the lucrative beach reading market this was nothing more than what it purported to be, a fast beach read with enough genuine trope subversion to keep my interest.
August 11, 2012
If Dan Brown had gone to college and learned how to write, this is the story he would have written. On the surface it's a great, medium-paced crime thriller. Underneath, however, as the characters struggle to understand the meaning of the events around them, one finds satisfyingly perplexing themes of finding order in the apparent chaos.
I eagerly await the sequel.
I eagerly await the sequel.
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