Michael Finkel brings years of research into this story of the world's most prolific art thief, Stéphane Breitwieser, who stole hundreds of pieces of art from museums across western Europe in the 1990s and early 2000s, most in the company of his girlfriend, Anne-Catherine Kleinklaus.

The Art Thief is a gripping non-fiction book that has the vibes of a great beach read mystery. I read the whole thing on a long plane ride. But the fact it's an accessible page-turner isn't to say it doesn't contain some profound thoughts. In between stories of Breitwieser's heists, Finkel spends some time considering of the power of art and why Breitwieser is one of the only art thieves who apparently stole out of the desire to possess and collect certain pieces of art that appealed to him personally, rather than stealing in order to re-sell the items. It's unfortunate that Kleinklaus, and Breitwieser's mother, don't speak publicly about what happened, though Finkel certainly tried to get their side of the story as much as possible. He also acknowledges parts of Breitwieser's story that some people challenge. Overall it's an impressive and really engaging book that I don't hesitate to recommend.