Play Book Tag discussion

Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History by Scott Andrew Selby - 4* - My Review

Non-fiction account of the meticulously planned 2003 heist at the Antwerp Diamond Center, which housed one of the world's most secure vaults. The book follows Leonardo Notarbartolo, leader of the small group of Italian thieves, who spent two years in preparations to breach a vault protected by multiple layers of security systems, including heat detectors, magnetic sensors, and a sophisticated locking mechanism. Selby and Campbell reconstruct how Notarbartolo posed as a diamond merchant and methodically studied the premises. The narrative tracks both the elaborate preparation phase and the execution of the heist, as well as the investigation, charges, and trial that followed. It recounts a crucial error in judgment that led to the thieves’ downfall.

The authors employ a cinematic structure that alternates between multiple perspectives and timeframes. Selby and Campbell write in journalistic style. They reconstruct scenes and dialogue based on extensive interviews, court documents, and police records, and are careful to distinguish between documented facts and reasonable speculation. The authors point out that they conducted an analysis and study of the evidence, and did not pay Notarbartolo, who published his own implausible account. The book kept my interest throughout. The details about security systems (of the time) and the diamond industry are fascinating. The authors have turned a complex true crime story into a page-turner.