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DUPED: A HARRY BARTLETT MYSTERY
An hour past St. Patrick’s Day, 1990, two men dressed as Boston cops steal 13 objects worth $200m from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum near Fenway Park. Nearby, Uncle Louie, an ex-mobster turned stolen art retrieval expert, is reappropriating two paintings from a personal residence that were stolen from a museum. Both break-ins go undetected.
At 8 AM, Uncle Louie receives a frantic call from his nephew Harry Bartlett, a Gardner Board member. He needs Uncle Louie’s expertise because a $20m ransom demand expires in 7 days. He hesitates to reenter the criminal world but he loves the Gardner, the spot where he and his Mom sought refuge from his abusive Dad. His Mom’s advice is “nail the f’ ing bastards.”
He takes the case, but there are complications including discovering forgeries, running afoul of local mobsters, and FBI agents itching to throw him in jail. On top of it all, Mom is dying.
Working with a lieutenant that he’s known for decades and a sympathetic FBI agent with a crush on him, Uncle Louie scours Boston for the stolen art. But will he find it in time?
At 8 AM, Uncle Louie receives a frantic call from his nephew Harry Bartlett, a Gardner Board member. He needs Uncle Louie’s expertise because a $20m ransom demand expires in 7 days. He hesitates to reenter the criminal world but he loves the Gardner, the spot where he and his Mom sought refuge from his abusive Dad. His Mom’s advice is “nail the f’ ing bastards.”
He takes the case, but there are complications including discovering forgeries, running afoul of local mobsters, and FBI agents itching to throw him in jail. On top of it all, Mom is dying.
Working with a lieutenant that he’s known for decades and a sympathetic FBI agent with a crush on him, Uncle Louie scours Boston for the stolen art. But will he find it in time?
367 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 19, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 15, 2024
The reading level was far below my expectation. This story involves an inside gangster type character who knows everyone and has avenues of sleuthing only open to him. I was disappointed.
February 25, 2024
I don't really appreciate mystery books usually, but this one somehow captivated me. I think it is because this is a real-world mystery that has not been solved, and I like historical fiction that walks through 'how it might have been' and gets me interested in 'what do we really know about the historical events and people'.
This is set in Boston, and the places and events are familiar to me from my 40+ years living in the area. I visited the Gardner Museum for the first time about 5 years ago. So basically as the protagonist travels around the area I can picture much of it, which probably helps.
This is an action packed thriller with pretty unbelievable characters and events. The funny part is that other than the protagonist many of them are modelled on real-life people. The twisted mafia inter-relationships and too many people with names you can't remember seem like a bad plot choice, until you read the wikipedia entry on the actual Gardner Heist and the cast of characters.
I fear the real life hoodlums have forever destroyed these priceless works of art. Hopefully they are squirrelled away safely somewhere and will come back to us.
This is set in Boston, and the places and events are familiar to me from my 40+ years living in the area. I visited the Gardner Museum for the first time about 5 years ago. So basically as the protagonist travels around the area I can picture much of it, which probably helps.
This is an action packed thriller with pretty unbelievable characters and events. The funny part is that other than the protagonist many of them are modelled on real-life people. The twisted mafia inter-relationships and too many people with names you can't remember seem like a bad plot choice, until you read the wikipedia entry on the actual Gardner Heist and the cast of characters.
I fear the real life hoodlums have forever destroyed these priceless works of art. Hopefully they are squirrelled away safely somewhere and will come back to us.
November 26, 2022
The Heist @ The Gardener
This mystery revolves around the heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardener in Boston. Real life details are incorporated, making this work of fiction feel absolutely probable. Uncle Louie takes center stage, and his character is more fully developed. A fun read in a true-crime setting. Where the hell are those paintings!?!
This mystery revolves around the heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardener in Boston. Real life details are incorporated, making this work of fiction feel absolutely probable. Uncle Louie takes center stage, and his character is more fully developed. A fun read in a true-crime setting. Where the hell are those paintings!?!
August 26, 2026
I really enjoyed this book! Mr. Ainsworth is a talented writer. His characters are colorful, the dialogue smart and snappy, and the story kept me turning the pages and still thinking about it after I finished. I loved following Uncle Louie, the main character, through the expressways, cobblestone streets, and alleyways of Boston and vicinity.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews