THE ART THIEF A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession

Michael Finkel narrates the opening of this memorable portrait of Stéphane Breitwieser, the sly European thief who pilfered nearly $2 billion in art objects—treasures he and his girlfriend hoarded in his mother’s attic. Finkel’s investigative role provides context and perspective, while narrator Edoardo Ballerini performs his customary magic, enhancing the narrative’s strengths and minimizing its shortcomings. Breitwieser’s story is dramatic, highly cinematic, but ultimately sad. The thief evolves into a compulsive loser, and the narrative slides toward a dead end. Here one appreciates Ballerini’s skill and artistry, which sustain momentum over the sloughs. Here, too, one appreciates the author’s return to acknowledge the many curators, investigators, and journalists who generously assisted him, leaving us with the story’s focus on recovery and restoration, rather than loss. D.A.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2023 Best Audiobook © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2023]