Synopses & Reviews
Molly Caldwell Crosby, author of The American Plague and Asleep, once again brings forgotten history to vivid life in an absorbing account of crime and deduction in the early days of the twentieth century.and#160;.and#160;.and#160;. and#160; In the summer of 1913, under the cover of Londonand#8217;s perpetual smoggy dusk, two brilliant minds are pitted against each otherand#151;a celebrated gentleman thief and a talented Scotland Yard detectiveand#151;in the greatest jewel heist of the new century. An exquisite strand of pale pink pearls, worth more than the Hope Diamond, has been bought by a Hatton Garden broker. Word of the and#147;Mona Lisa of Pearlsand#8221; spreads around the world, captivating jewelers as well as thieves. In transit to London from Paris, the necklace vanishes without a trace. and#160; Joseph Grizzard, and#147;the King of Fences,and#8221; is the charming leader of a vast gang of thieves in Londonand#8217;s East End. Grizzard grew up on the streets of Whitechapel during the terror of Jack the Ripper to rise to the top of the criminal world. Wealthy, married, a father, Grizzard still cannot resist the sport of crime, and the pearl necklace proves an irresistible challenge. and#160; Inspector Alfred Ward patrols the cityand#8217;s dark, befogged streets before joining the brand-new division of the Metropolitan Police known as and#147;detectives.and#8221; Ward earns his stripes catching some of the great murderers of Victorian London and, at the height of his career, is asked to turn his forensic talents to finding the missing pearls and the thief who stole them. and#160; In the spirit of
The Great Train Robbery and the tales of Sherlock Holmes, this is the true story of a psychological cat-and-mouse game set against the backdrop of Londonand#8217;s golden Edwardian era. Thoroughly researched, compellingly colorful,
The Great Pearl Heist is a gripping narrative account of this little-known, yet extraordinary crime. and#160; and#160; INCLUDES PHOTOGRAPHS
Review
Review
"Rich and evocative...Crosby has written a book that is as enchanting and irresistible as its subject."--Candice Millard
"Fast paced, full of twists and turns, and rich in detail...Crosby tells us a fascinating story rooted in such deep historical research that we can practically watch the drama unfold in real time."--Jeffrey H. Jackson, author of Paris Under Water
Acclaim for the novels of Molly Caldwell Crosby
"Engrossing."--The New York Times Book Review
"Riveting storytelling."--Publishers Weekly
"Gripping...Highly readable."--Newsweek
Review
andquot;Rich and evocative...Crosby has written a book that is as enchanting and irresistible as its subject.andquot;--Candice Millard
andquot;Fast paced, full of twists and turns, and rich in detail...Crosby tells us a fascinating story rooted in such deep historical research that we can practically watch the drama unfold in real time.andquot;--Jeffrey H.andnbsp;Jackson, author of Paris Under Water
Acclaim for the novels of Molly Caldwellandnbsp;Crosby
andquot;Engrossing.andquot;--The New York Timesandnbsp;Bookandnbsp;Review
andquot;Riveting storytelling.andquot;--Publishers Weekly
andquot;Gripping...Highly readable.andquot;--Newsweek
Review
"A ripping yarn...a real-life, old-time Holmesian entertainment."--
Salon
"A gem...In her well-researched account, Crosby recounts the theft, the gang of thieves behind it and Scotland Yard's hunt for the culprints. Her story is rich in the lore of London's famed underworld."--Newsday
"A winning true crime tale involving two superior minds--a very capable detective and a wily gentleman criminal--in a jewel heist at the dawn of twentieth-century England...highlights the cases's major influence on British crime detection and the legal system."--Publishers Weekly
"Crosby's thriller-style account is backed up by her intensive research...Another compelling popular history."--Booklist
"A narrative that manages to remain both exciting and informative...plenty of nefarious action."--The Memphis Commercial Appeal
"Rich and evocative...Crosby has written a book that is as enchanting and irresistible as its subject."--Candice Millard
"Fast paced, full of twists and turns, and rich in detail...Crosby tells us a fascinating story rooted in such deep historical research that we can practically watch the drama unfold in real time."--Jeffrey H.and#160;Jackson, author of Paris Under Water
Acclaim for the works of Molly Caldwelland#160;Crosby
"Engrossing."--The New York Timesand#160;Bookand#160;Review
"Riveting storytelling."--Publishers Weekly
"Gripping...Highly readable."--Newsweek
and#160;
Review
“
The Great Pearl Heist not only tells the thrilling story of a seemingly impossible theft, it immerses readers in the pre-war world of 1913 London and the extraordinary life of one of historys most skilled and clever thieves.”—Candice Millard, author of
The River of Doubt and
Destiny of the Republic
“Fast-paced, full of twists and turns, and rich in detail…Crosby tells a fascinating story rooted in such deep historical research that we can practically watch the drama unfold in real time.”—Jeffrey H. Jackson, author of Paris Under Water
“Culled from archival research of newspaper accounts, Scotland Yard case files, and memoirs of noted thieves, Crosby turns back the clock to a winning true crime tale involving two superior minds—a very capable detective and a wily gentleman criminal—in a jewel heist at the dawn of twentieth-century England...The author highlights the cases major influence on British crime detection and the legal system, adding a dash of color and realism.”—Publishers Weekly
“Crosby incorporates pearl legends and facts, as well as a great deal of history surrounding the hardships of pearl diving and the intricacies of pearl trading before World War I...Crosbys thriller-style account is backed up by her intensive research.”—Booklist
Review
and#8220;
The Great Pearl Heist not only tells the thrilling story of a seemingly impossible theft, it immerses readers in the pre-war world of 1913 London and the extraordinary life of one of historyand#8217;s most skilled and clever thieves.and#8221;and#8212;Candice Millard, author of
The River of Doubt and
Destiny of the Republic
and#8220;Fast-paced, full of twists and turns, and rich in detailand#8230;Crosby tells a fascinating story rooted in such deep historical research that we can practically watch the drama unfold in real time.and#8221;and#8212;Jeffrey H. Jackson, author of Paris Under Water
and#8220;Culled from archival research of newspaper accounts, Scotland Yard case files, and memoirs of noted thieves, Crosby turns back the clock to a winning true crime tale involving two superior mindsand#8212;a very capable detective and a wily gentleman criminaland#8212;in a jewel heist at the dawn of twentieth-century England...The author highlights the caseand#8217;s major influence on British crime detection and the legal system, adding a dash of color and realism.and#8221;and#8212;Publishers Weekly
and#8220;Crosby incorporates pearl legends and facts, as well as a great deal of history surrounding the hardships of pearl diving and the intricacies of pearl trading before World War I...Crosbyand#8217;s thriller-style account is backed up by her intensive research.and#8221;and#8212;Booklist
Synopsis
A fascinating look at a bizarre, forgotten epidemic from the national bestselling author of The American Plague. In 1918, a world war raged, and a lethal strain of influenza circled the globe. In the midst of all this death, a bizarre disease appeared in Europe. Eventually known as encephalitis lethargica, or sleeping sickness, it spread worldwide, leaving millions dead or locked in institutions. Then, in 1927, it disappeared as suddenly as it arrived.
Asleep, set in 1920s and '30s New York, follows a group of neurologists through hospitals and asylums as they try to solve this epidemic and treat its victims-who learned the worst fate was not dying of it, but surviving it.
Synopsis
In this account, a journalist traces the course of yellow fever, stopping in 1878 Memphis to "vividly [evoke] the Faulkner-meets-'Dawn of the Dead' horrors,"*-and moving on to today's strain of the killer virus.
Over the course of history, yellow fever has paralyzed governments, halted commerce, quarantined cities, moved the U.S. capital, and altered the outcome of wars. During a single summer in Memphis alone, it cost more lives than the Chicago fire, the San Francisco earthquake, and the Johnstown flood combined.
In 1900, the U.S. sent three doctors to Cuba to discover how yellow fever was spread. There, they launched one of history's most controversial human studies. Compelling and terrifying, The American Plague depicts the story of yellow fever and its reign in this country-and in Africa, where even today it strikes thousands every year. With "arresting tales of heroism,"** it is a story as much about the nature of human beings as it is about the nature of disease.
Synopsis
Another fascinating foray into medical history from the author of The American Plague In 1918, a world war was raging, and a lethal strain of influenza was circling the globe. In the midst of all this death, a bizarre disease appeared in Europe. Eventually known as encephalitis lethargica, or sleeping sickness, it would spread across the world, leaving millions dead or locked in institutions.
Then, in 1927, it would disappear as suddenly as it had arrived-or so the doctors at first thought.
Asleep, set in 1920s and '30s New York, follows a group of neurologists through hospitals and insane asylums as they try to solve this worldwide epidemic.
The symptoms could include not only unending sleep but dangerous insomnia, facial tics, catatonia, Parkinson's, and even violent insanity. Molly Caldwell Crosby, acclaimed author of The American Plague, explores the frightening history of this forgotten disease- and details the frantic effort to conquer it before it strikes again.
Synopsis
A fascinating look at a bizarre, forgotten epidemic from the national bestselling author of The American Plague. In 1918, a world war raged, and a lethal strain of influenza circled the globe. In the midst of all this death, a bizarre disease appeared in Europe. Eventually known as encephalitis lethargica, or sleeping sickness, it spread worldwide, leaving millions dead or locked in institutions. Then, in 1927, it disappeared as suddenly as it arrived.
Asleep, set in 1920s and '30s New York, follows a group of neurologists through hospitals and asylums as they try to solve this epidemic and treat its victims-who learned the worst fate was not dying of it, but surviving it.
Synopsis
London, 1913. An exquisite strand of pale pink pearls, worth more than the Hope Diamond, has been bought by a Hatton Garden broker, capturing the attention of both jewelers and thieves. In transit to London from Paris, the necklace vanishes without a trace.
Joseph Grizzard, the King of Fences,” is the leader of a vast gang of thieves in Londons East End. Having risen from the deadly streets to become a wealthy family man, Grizzard still cannot resist the sport of crime, and the pearl necklace proves an irresistible challenge.
Inspector Alfred Ward has joined the brand-new division of the Metropolitan Police known as detectives.” Having caught some of the great murderers of Victorian London, Ward is now charged with finding the missing pearls and the thief who stole them.
In the spirit of The Great Train Robbery, this is the true story of a psychological cat-and-mouse game. Thoroughly researched and compellingly colorful, The Great Pearl Heist is a gripping narrative account of this little-known, yet extraordinary crime.
About the Author
Molly Caldwell Crosby is the national bestselling author of
Asleep: The Forgotten Epidemic that Remains One of Medicineandrsquo;s Greatest Mysteries and
The American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever, the Epidemic That Shaped Our History, which has been nominated for several awards. Crosby holds a master of arts degree in nonfiction and science writing from Johns Hopkins University and previously worked for
National Geographic magazine. Her writing has appeared in
Newsweek,
Health, and
USA Today, among others.and#160;and#160;