Rogues in the Gallery

Rogues in the Gallery is a lively and informed account of the causes - and limited cures - of the epidemic of art thefts. It charts the classic outbreaks, portrays the rich gallery of protagonists, and defines what means there are to combat the disease. But even with sophisticated computers and Interpol, the total elimination of art theft is unlikely. As long as auction prices continue to rise and inflation devalues savings, the theft of precious objects will flourish. The lure of easy money is at the root. This is a serious book on an urgent problem, especially for those who collect art. Hugh McLeave’s twenty-three books include the novels A Question of Negligence and No Face in the Mirror, written around his psychiatric sleuth Gregor Maclean. His nonfiction list comprises The Last Pharaoh, the life of King Farouk, also a film; a biographical history of the Foreign Legion, The Damned Die Hard; A Man and His Mountain, the life of the painter, Paul C麡nne; and A Moment of Truth—published by Boson Books—a biographical novel on the life and times of Zola. Joining these is McLeave's history of the most spectacular art thefts, Rogues in the Gallery.