The great pearl heist : London's greatest thief and Scotland Yard's hunt for the world's most valuable necklace

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Title:

The great pearl heist : London's greatest thief and Scotland Yard's hunt for the world's most valuable necklace

Author:

Crosby, Molly Caldwell, author.

Page, Michael (Michael J.), narrator.

Summary:

Recounts the true story of a 1913 theft of a precious pearl necklace, worth more than the Hope diamond, by a notorious jewel thief, and how Scotland Yard, led by Inspector Albert Ward, formulated a plan to recover it.

General Note:

Unabridged.

Compact discs.

Physical Description:

6 sound discs (6 hr., 47 min.) : digital ; 4 3/4 in.

Genre:

Audiobooks.

Local Note:

Audio Editions

Subject Term:

Jewelry theft -- England -- London -- Case studies.

Receiving stolen goods -- England -- London -- Case studies.

Burglary investigation -- England -- London -- Case studies.

Robbery investigation -- England -- London -- Case studies.

Author(s):

Page, Michael (Michael J.),

Publisher:

Brilliance Audio,

Publication Date:

2012

ISBN:

9781469273099

Publication Information:

Grand Haven, Mich. : Brilliance Audio, p2012.

Call Number:

CDB 364.16 CROSBY

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607002743949	Adult Nonfiction Books on CDs	364.16 CROSBY	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

In the summer of 1913, under the cover of London's perpetual smoggy dusk, two brilliant minds are pitted against each other -- a celebrated gentleman thief and a talented Scotland Yard detective -- 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 "Mona Lisa of Pearls" spreads around the world, captivating jewelers as well as thieves. In transit to London from Paris, the necklace vanishes without a trace.Joseph Grizzard, "the King of Fences," is the charming leader of a vast gang of thieves in London'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, and a father, Grizzard still cannot resist the sport of crime, and the pearl necklace proves an irresistible challenge.Inspector Alfred Ward patrols the city's dark, befogged streets before joining the brand-new division of the Metropolitan Police known as "detectives." 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.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 London's golden Edwardian era. Thoroughly researched, compellingly colorful, The Great Pearl Heist is a gripping narrative account of this little-known, yet extraordinary crime.

Summary

In the summer of 1913, under the cover of London's perpetual smoggy dusk, two brilliant minds are pitted against each other, a celebrated gentleman thief and a talented Scotland Yard detective, in the greatest jewel heist of the century. Molly Caldwell Crosby investigates the true story of how the strand of pale pink pearls, worth more than the Hope Diamond, vanishes without a trace while in transit to London from Paris and the cat-and-mouse game between Scotland Yard and the thief.

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Culled from archival research of newspaper accounts, Scotland Yard case files, and memoirs of noted thieves, Crosby (The American Plague) 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 20th-century England. Chief Insp. Alfred Ward, of the Detective Bureau of the Metropolitan Police, matched wits with Joseph Grizzard, "the King of Fences," and his motley band of London's East End thieves, over the celebrated pearl necklace, owned by London jeweler Max Mayer and valued at $18 million in today's dollars-the most valuable of its kind. In convincing detail Crosby gives us the background of the two combatants, the nuances of the scheme to steal the necklace, the tactical moves of the police and the rogues along the jewel-commerce route between London and Paris. As the culprits of the necklace heist were brought to justice in a highly publicized trial, the author highlights the case's major influence on British crime detection and the legal system, adding a dash of color and realism to a largely forgotten chapter of Edwardian London. Justice is served with the usual Brit low-key smarts and cheeky moves. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Library Journal Review

Crosby (The American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever, the Epidemic That Shaped Our History) here recounts the brazen 1913 theft of a valuable pearl necklace by Joseph Grizzard, the "King of Fences." Reading less like the well-researched historical work it is and more like a fast-paced crime thriller, the story of the famed Mayer pearls (worth roughly $18 million in today's dollars), the hunt for the thieves by Scotland Yard's Inspector Alfred Ward and Frank Price of Lloyd's of London, and the subsequent trial and conviction of the elusive gang leader Grizzard and four of his accomplices by prosecutor Sir Richard Muir is set in brightly described local and historical detail. Crosby uses scores of contemporary and modern sources, police files, newspapers, and archival documents to set the scene. At times, it is difficult to distinguish the line between fact and supposition. As Crosby herself notes, there are no personal accounts of the heist itself, and she is attempting to re-create it. VERDICT The book is a gem of information about London's jewelry district, Hatton Garden, as well as the jewelry trade, England's criminal underground, and Scotland Yard's early detective force as well as a great story. Recommended for general readers, historical true-crime buffs, and readers of detective mysteries, especially of the British kind.-Amelia Osterud, Carroll Univ. Lib., Waukesha, WI (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.