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Scott Finn #3
Among Thieves
Book by David Hosp
373 pages, Hardcover
First published December 17, 2009
47 people are currently reading
463 people want to read
About the author
David Hosp
15 books70 followersDavid Hosp is a trial lawyer who spends a portion of his time working pro bono on behalf of wrongly convicted individuals. He lives with his wife and family in Boston.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
February 10, 2010
A good solid three stars, maybe even 3 1/2.
The most interesting thing about this book was that Hosp built a fictional mystery around a real event---the biggest art theft in history. The theft took place at the Gardner Museum in Boston in 1990. The art works have never been recovered, and are estimated to be worth half a billion dollars! In this story, Hosp creates an entirely fictional scenario about the theft and its aftermath.
In a previous book, I really enjoyed the snappy dialogue among Finn, Koz, and Lissa. In Among Thieves they've got a new sidekick---the saucy and streetwise 14-year-old Sally Malley. She fits right in with all the wisecracking. I love what she tells Koz about marriage: "Don't be too old to change. If you leave the toilet seat up, you'll lose her." Listen up, boys!
The most interesting thing about this book was that Hosp built a fictional mystery around a real event---the biggest art theft in history. The theft took place at the Gardner Museum in Boston in 1990. The art works have never been recovered, and are estimated to be worth half a billion dollars! In this story, Hosp creates an entirely fictional scenario about the theft and its aftermath.
In a previous book, I really enjoyed the snappy dialogue among Finn, Koz, and Lissa. In Among Thieves they've got a new sidekick---the saucy and streetwise 14-year-old Sally Malley. She fits right in with all the wisecracking. I love what she tells Koz about marriage: "Don't be too old to change. If you leave the toilet seat up, you'll lose her." Listen up, boys!
June 15, 2015
Narrated by George Guidall
Description: Best-selling author David Hosp weaves a thrilling tale of betrayal set against one of the most notorious art heists in history. In 1990, $300 million worth of paintings are stolen from a museum in Boston, and are never recovered. Twenty years later, as criminals connected with the heist begin to turn up dead, lawyer Scott Finn discovers one of his clients was involved in the job. As the search for the missing paintings begins anew, Finn is pulled into the crossfire of a trained killer who wants the paintings for himself
A fictional version of a true crime.
January 22, 2023
3.5 stars. Nothing really wrong with it. Even had some really well written sections. Just didn’t grab me and took me a long time to read.
October 20, 2012
My wife and I went on a mini-vacation up to lancaster, PA...Yes, that means because I love my wife I would be frequenting many clothing/decorating outlets for..Uuuuggghhhhhhh hours on end....Fortunately (I believe) she also loves me and endured a couple of hours of watching me rummage through new/used book stores...That is where I unearthed this gem! I would probably call this a 4.5 star if that option was available. I have never heard of Hosp, and was not aware that I was reading the 3rd book of a series untill just now. I hope that they are as good as this, because I am on a mission to read them as well.
This is one of the coolest crime/thrillers I have read in quite some time. Based upon an actual crime that took place in Boston, the largest known art heist it seems, is crafted by Hosp into a fictious version of what could have happened...what he crafts is one of the finest surprises I have come across in this genre. The characters are likeable enough with our protaginist trio of Scott Finn's Law firm, as well as supporting good guys Sanchez/Stone and possible good/bad guys Hewitt/Porter...sprinkled with a nice dose of a methodical/driven antogonist Mr. K (I don't feel like spelling his name), and of course some street thugs and yes, the mob and the IRA as well.
I can't really think of any major flaw/fault that I find or have with this book...One of the intricle secrets I was surprised by how it unfolded in the final 5-10 pages making the mystery a little sweeter....I guees I was mildly disappointed at how things with Liam unfolded....He was a methodical/vicious/skilled soldier/killer who planned everything well, paid meticoulous attention to detail and then carried it out in brutal efficiancy....and then he makes a rash decision, with no planning having given little heed to his surroundings and...Oh well perhaps it was the excitement of being on the cusp of achieving his lifes work/dream that caused him to act out of character....it just didn't seem consistant with who he was....
A vry cool book with plenty of acton as well as dialouge/charcter development!
This is one of the coolest crime/thrillers I have read in quite some time. Based upon an actual crime that took place in Boston, the largest known art heist it seems, is crafted by Hosp into a fictious version of what could have happened...what he crafts is one of the finest surprises I have come across in this genre. The characters are likeable enough with our protaginist trio of Scott Finn's Law firm, as well as supporting good guys Sanchez/Stone and possible good/bad guys Hewitt/Porter...sprinkled with a nice dose of a methodical/driven antogonist Mr. K (I don't feel like spelling his name), and of course some street thugs and yes, the mob and the IRA as well.
I can't really think of any major flaw/fault that I find or have with this book...One of the intricle secrets I was surprised by how it unfolded in the final 5-10 pages making the mystery a little sweeter....I guees I was mildly disappointed at how things with Liam unfolded....He was a methodical/vicious/skilled soldier/killer who planned everything well, paid meticoulous attention to detail and then carried it out in brutal efficiancy....and then he makes a rash decision, with no planning having given little heed to his surroundings and...Oh well perhaps it was the excitement of being on the cusp of achieving his lifes work/dream that caused him to act out of character....it just didn't seem consistant with who he was....
A vry cool book with plenty of acton as well as dialouge/charcter development!
February 28, 2010
Synopsis: Portion from the front jacket...In the early morning hours of March 18, 1990, two men dressed as police officers entered Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, tied up the guards, and escaped with 500 million dollars' worth of paintings. The heist provoked a massive search for both the thieves and the lost masterpieces. But the paintings never surfaced and the mystery remained unsolved. Now, almost twenty years later, there case threatens to break wide open.
My thoughts: Scott Finn, who has known the streets of Boston and the foster care system as a child, but was able to turn his life around and become an attorney. He is asked to take on a theft case from a former acquaintance of his earlier years. And accepting to defend Devon Malley, it thrusts Finn into a situation that is far from easy. Enter Boston's "mob" associates, murders, having to become care taker to Malley's 14 year old daughter, and a kidnapping. And how does this all tie into an unsolved 20 year cold case art heist?
My opinion and rating: (Rating 5) Once again, I was given the opportunity to read an extraordinary book. It was Grisham meets Parker. From the first chapter to the last page, the fast paced action never stopped, at times the reader forgets to breathe. The ending is a total surprise, one that this reader never saw coming. I could not put this one down. Bravo!!!!!
My thoughts: Scott Finn, who has known the streets of Boston and the foster care system as a child, but was able to turn his life around and become an attorney. He is asked to take on a theft case from a former acquaintance of his earlier years. And accepting to defend Devon Malley, it thrusts Finn into a situation that is far from easy. Enter Boston's "mob" associates, murders, having to become care taker to Malley's 14 year old daughter, and a kidnapping. And how does this all tie into an unsolved 20 year cold case art heist?
My opinion and rating: (Rating 5) Once again, I was given the opportunity to read an extraordinary book. It was Grisham meets Parker. From the first chapter to the last page, the fast paced action never stopped, at times the reader forgets to breathe. The ending is a total surprise, one that this reader never saw coming. I could not put this one down. Bravo!!!!!
June 14, 2010
David Hosp, a Boston lawyer, gets a back-cover mention in the same breath as Grisham, Connelly and Turow. It's true he inherits the same territory but Among Thieves has a feel of having been manufactured rather than written.
Scott Finn - a Boston lawyer, what else? - has a client thrust upon him; the accused has been caught red-handed in a clothing robbery but a link soon emerges to a major art theft. Around this real-life event, Hosp embroiders a tale that features unsavoury members of the IRA and the Massachussetts underworld together with sundry officers of the US law enforcement agencies. There are the nasty scenes of torture and murder which have becpme too readily prevalent in this genre, there is a romantic sub-plot which just about works, and a fifteen-year-old girl who strains credulity.
I read on without difficulty but at the same time without deeply engaged compulsion. The dénoument had been provided with enough clues not to seem too arbitrary but still didn't ring entirely true. What is missing, is the showdown court roomdrama that peer-association seemed to suggest. The case for David Hosp remains unproven.
Scott Finn - a Boston lawyer, what else? - has a client thrust upon him; the accused has been caught red-handed in a clothing robbery but a link soon emerges to a major art theft. Around this real-life event, Hosp embroiders a tale that features unsavoury members of the IRA and the Massachussetts underworld together with sundry officers of the US law enforcement agencies. There are the nasty scenes of torture and murder which have becpme too readily prevalent in this genre, there is a romantic sub-plot which just about works, and a fifteen-year-old girl who strains credulity.
I read on without difficulty but at the same time without deeply engaged compulsion. The dénoument had been provided with enough clues not to seem too arbitrary but still didn't ring entirely true. What is missing, is the showdown court roomdrama that peer-association seemed to suggest. The case for David Hosp remains unproven.
April 8, 2013
How did I miss the news about the Gardner Museum heist in 1990? The book starts out with an introduction telling the reader that the paintings, valued at half a billion dollars are still missing and that the case was never solved. Then the book starts. About 5 pages in I was hooked.
Next the book introduced Whitey Bulger and I realized that he was the gangster discovered in California and extradited to Boston on racketeering charges in 2011 - a year after Hosp's book came out.
The theft is the basis of this suspenseful mystery. Hosp masterfully offers a fictionalized theory on what might have happened in the heist interwoven into the story of a lawyer trying to defend a thief with ties to organized crime in Boston.
The action starts early on in the book and doesn't stop. And without being maudlin, Hosp moved me with the ending which rarely happens in suspense thrillers.
Well done!
Next the book introduced Whitey Bulger and I realized that he was the gangster discovered in California and extradited to Boston on racketeering charges in 2011 - a year after Hosp's book came out.
The theft is the basis of this suspenseful mystery. Hosp masterfully offers a fictionalized theory on what might have happened in the heist interwoven into the story of a lawyer trying to defend a thief with ties to organized crime in Boston.
The action starts early on in the book and doesn't stop. And without being maudlin, Hosp moved me with the ending which rarely happens in suspense thrillers.
Well done!
July 13, 2010
The Gardner Museum art theft is the largest unsolved art theft ever perpetrated. The thieves got away with priceless pieces of art and a few incidental tokens. The mixture of the items taken has baffled investigators since it occurred in 1990. There are many factual books written about this theft. This one is an excellent fictionalized version of the story. Mr. Hosp takes the facts of the case and weaves a plausible account which reads as a good story. Enough intrigue and bloodshed to keep action fans interested and, enough art history to keep art fans happy. The characters are interesting and the reader starts to get involved in their lives as well as the action in which they are involved. To me it even seems one of Mr. Hosp's FBI agents bears a striking resemblance to renowned art theft investigator Harold Smith. Overall an interesting, well researched and, well written book.
May 25, 2010
I'd give it a 3.5 if I could. This was a very slow start for me, despite having read the previous books in this series. I seriously considered giving up on it for a little bit; however, it really picked up a little less than halfway through and I ended up enjoying it a great deal.
This is fiction based on the real-life theft of millions of dollars worth of art from the Gardner Museum in Boston. Really interesting take on the theft. It took a while to get back into the swing of things with Finn, Lissa and Koz, but they're good characters, if a little devoid of emotion. I'll look for the next in the series.
This is fiction based on the real-life theft of millions of dollars worth of art from the Gardner Museum in Boston. Really interesting take on the theft. It took a while to get back into the swing of things with Finn, Lissa and Koz, but they're good characters, if a little devoid of emotion. I'll look for the next in the series.
February 2, 2019
This book is a thriller, but not a legal thriller, and a mystery, but not in the traditional sense. Scott Finn and his crew take on a client accused of robbery which takes a bizarre twist when the client turns out to be one of the principals in the Isabella Stewart Gardner thefts. As a Boston native, I thought Hosp does a great job of capturing the charm of the museum. I also enjoyed the way he brought in Whitey Bulger and laid out the incredible relationship Whitey had with the FBI. If you like books which incorporate real events and people, you will enjoy Among Thieves. The characters are interesting and the dialogue is smart and sharp. The plot is mostly credible, except for the Irish super-soldier, but I was ok with that. Hosp's fictional account of the Gardner theft is terrific and accounts for all of the facts and oddities in the robbery which remains the largest art theft in history and the paintings are still unrecovered. I like tense courtroom scenes and legal maneuvering, and there are none here.
November 25, 2019
My goodness this book. My first David Hosp and i loved it. Fell in love with both the characters and the story itself. This book was my savior for the past couple of weeks. It was a good escape from reality when the stress of everything i had to do was weighing down on me.
Everything about this book was amazing, from the characters to the story line. The plot of the book was a simple one but well executed. The fact that i didn't feel like i was starting a new story every time the perspective or character voice changed was a big plus in my book. The little plot twists just made the book even better. As for the characters, they were all phenomenal. I can't bring myself to choose a favorite because the all impacted me.
I just loved this book. it is a definite recommendation to everyone and i'm glad it was my first Hosp because i'll be looking for more of his works.
Everything about this book was amazing, from the characters to the story line. The plot of the book was a simple one but well executed. The fact that i didn't feel like i was starting a new story every time the perspective or character voice changed was a big plus in my book. The little plot twists just made the book even better. As for the characters, they were all phenomenal. I can't bring myself to choose a favorite because the all impacted me.
I just loved this book. it is a definite recommendation to everyone and i'm glad it was my first Hosp because i'll be looking for more of his works.
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April 14, 2020Sebuah cerita yang bagus akan membuatkan pembacanya terasa 'connected' dengan cerita yang disampaikan. Pembacanya akan mengikuti perjalanan kisah watak-watak dalam novel tersebut tak kira sama ada watak utama, tambahan atau sampingan.
Sekurang-kurangnya, aku dapat rasa sesuatu apabila masuk ke bab-bab akhir novel ini terutama sekali apa yang terjadi kepada salah satu watak di dalamnya. Memang terkesanlah. Macam ada orang potong bawang pulak kat sebelah. Hahaha.
Aku tulis ulasan ni dalam bahasa Melayu sebab sasaran pembaca untuk ulasan ni dalam bahasa Melayu. Walaupun aku baca buku bahasa Inggeris, terpulanglah kan nak tulis rebiu dalam bahasa apa sekali pun.
Aku akan tulis semula sesuatu untuk blog aku pada masa yang lain.
Sekurang-kurangnya, aku dapat rasa sesuatu apabila masuk ke bab-bab akhir novel ini terutama sekali apa yang terjadi kepada salah satu watak di dalamnya. Memang terkesanlah. Macam ada orang potong bawang pulak kat sebelah. Hahaha.
Aku tulis ulasan ni dalam bahasa Melayu sebab sasaran pembaca untuk ulasan ni dalam bahasa Melayu. Walaupun aku baca buku bahasa Inggeris, terpulanglah kan nak tulis rebiu dalam bahasa apa sekali pun.
Aku akan tulis semula sesuatu untuk blog aku pada masa yang lain.
May 1, 2018
good thriller after slow start.
Starting part was a bit slow and confusing with every new character introduce, but after some time when the real story start to connect with finn client, that time as a reader I start to felt like some solid heist thriller movie. and after that i never felt to put down the book.
Finn - the cool, the main hero of the book and Liam - the psycho, the main villan of the book. what happen when cool and psycho fight for same things - "the stollen painting", books is all about that.
Final verdict - tolerate the starting part and enjoy the book.
deserve the place in crime-mystery thriller.
Starting part was a bit slow and confusing with every new character introduce, but after some time when the real story start to connect with finn client, that time as a reader I start to felt like some solid heist thriller movie. and after that i never felt to put down the book.
Finn - the cool, the main hero of the book and Liam - the psycho, the main villan of the book. what happen when cool and psycho fight for same things - "the stollen painting", books is all about that.
Final verdict - tolerate the starting part and enjoy the book.
deserve the place in crime-mystery thriller.
June 26, 2023
Enjoyable novel about Scott Finn... that I didn't realize was part of a series. The chapters and story ran at a good pace to make it an enjoyable and exciting read. I especially enjoyed the chacaters (really all of them were written well), but especially the young, innocent damsel who is caught up in the middle of everything. I will definitely look out for more books in this series at the library.
(There was a mistake in chapter 15 that gave away more information than the author intended, but it was forgivable since the pieces were already in place for the reader to figure it out without the editing error.)
(There was a mistake in chapter 15 that gave away more information than the author intended, but it was forgivable since the pieces were already in place for the reader to figure it out without the editing error.)
December 30, 2023
This was a solid read & it kept me engaged. What I think kept me engaged was that there were real events & people woven into the story. The story revolves around the heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, where $300 million worth of art was stolen, and the case remains unsolved to this day. I enjoyed the mix of a little reality & a lot of fiction, including the fictionalised involvement of the notorious & very real Whitey Bulger.
However, it did feel that this story was very formulaic, and it did have an uneven flow to it at times. There was plenty of suspense and action to this but I found it to be muted.
However, it did feel that this story was very formulaic, and it did have an uneven flow to it at times. There was plenty of suspense and action to this but I found it to be muted.
January 11, 2021
The set-up for the book was interesting, but it took a long time to move the story into that area. The gruesome parts written from the real criminals' point of view were not enjoyable. It was much more rewarding to read about the other, "good" side.
Because there were so many viewpoints, too many characters were only introduced and their story did not develop enough. These are the reasons why I only "liked" it. With a bit more focus put in, I would have really liked it.
Because there were so many viewpoints, too many characters were only introduced and their story did not develop enough. These are the reasons why I only "liked" it. With a bit more focus put in, I would have really liked it.
September 17, 2022
Well, I sat down to write this review and I forgot the plot.
Oh yeah..one good guy, one really bad guy (who at some point in time was a good guy), one thief, one kid (the bait of course), some lost law enforcement- FBI & Cops.
One robbery, few murders all the while you know who is killing and why, few lost paintings and good guy doing good all around. Decent read. Didn’t land up chewing my nails though.
Oh yeah..one good guy, one really bad guy (who at some point in time was a good guy), one thief, one kid (the bait of course), some lost law enforcement- FBI & Cops.
One robbery, few murders all the while you know who is killing and why, few lost paintings and good guy doing good all around. Decent read. Didn’t land up chewing my nails though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2022
An intriguing thriller about an art theft of priceless painting from a Boston art gallery some 20 years earlier. The paintings were never recovered but there is a possibility that they could be. This is partly based on a true story.
Fast moving with a variety of great characters. I am really enjoying this author.
Fast moving with a variety of great characters. I am really enjoying this author.
July 7, 2022
Not sure about 4 stars, maybe 3 1/2.
Based on a real art theft and some actual bad guys (who all get what they richly deserve).
The plot is sort of credible. IRA? Maybe, but who knows?
I wasn't tempted to toss it before the end, but I did skim a little here and there.
The good guys were a little short of charimsa. Not heroic enough for me.
So, and OK read, but not a memorable one.
Based on a real art theft and some actual bad guys (who all get what they richly deserve).
The plot is sort of credible. IRA? Maybe, but who knows?
I wasn't tempted to toss it before the end, but I did skim a little here and there.
The good guys were a little short of charimsa. Not heroic enough for me.
So, and OK read, but not a memorable one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2025
Well written fictionalized account of the robbery of precious art from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
I try to visit this gorgeous museum every time I am in Boston. The space for the missing art is still covered with cloth to denote the theft.
This novel is the third in the Scott Finn series. I will read the other three.
I try to visit this gorgeous museum every time I am in Boston. The space for the missing art is still covered with cloth to denote the theft.
This novel is the third in the Scott Finn series. I will read the other three.
February 23, 2018
This is another one of Hosp's books that riveted my attention (and that's not easy!). I think it is the character development that really catches my interest with Hosp's writings and this book delivers on that account.
February 21, 2022
6/10 the story is decent but the writers voice is outstanding I love the way this is written it reminds me some ways of the internal monolog of Joe in the TV series YOU. Fun read interesting to learn a bit about IRA connection to art theft
November 19, 2017
Not normally my genre but a fast-paced entertaining story. Would do 3.5 if we could do such a thing.
August 3, 2019
A great page turner based on a factual art heist. The best Scott Finn novel yet!
October 10, 2019
I wasn’t sure I was going to like the book but the more I read, the better it got. Great story, I hope to read more from this author.
March 16, 2020
Enjoyable read. Historical fiction around an art theft that happened from an art museum in Boston, linking the IRA. Bit of swearing in it but authentic to the characters.
Read
September 1, 2020An interesting read!
Read
May 21, 2021Interesting twists
Read
November 27, 2022DNF. Opened with the execution of a family in Ireland, then made the transition to a torture scene. Not for me.
January 26, 2023
He is a professor at New England Law and also an author. John Grisham style, enjoyed it. takes place in Boston. novel about Gardner museum heist
Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews