The Rembrandt Heist: The Story of a Criminal Genius, a Stolen Masterpiece, and an Enigmatic Friendship...

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Anthony M. Amore

The Rembrandt Heist

The Story of a Criminal Genius, a Stolen Masterpiece, and an Enigmatic Friendship

Anthony M. Amore

$49.99

Hardback

Forthcoming
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QTY:

English

Pegasus Books
01 January 2026

Forgery, falsification & theft of artworks; History of Art & Design Styles; True crime

A Smithsonian Best Book of the Year

A true crime tale of unbelievable friendship, loyalty, criminal genius, and a staggeringly audacious plot to steal one of the world’s most valuable paintings—and return it.

On April 14, 1975, Myles Connor, already a known art thief, entered the Boston Museum of Fine Arts in disguise along with a cohort. The pair went directly the Dutch Gallery and proceeded to remove Portrait of Elsbeth van Rijn from its place on the wall. After a brief scuffle with the guards—with Myles deterring his partner from shooting a bystander—the pair was gone, leaving behind no traceable evidence amidst the mayhem.

Who was Myles Connor and what were his motivations? Most thieves are in it for the money, but Myles was far from most thieves. His motive was freedom. The summer before the heist, he was arrested by the FBI when he attempted to sell three highly valuable paintings by Andrew and N.C. Wyeth to an undercover agent. Incredibly, Myles did this while out on bail for possession of yet more stolen art. When he was arrested and placed in the back seat of a state police vehicle, the FBI agent said to him, “We’ve got you now. Let’s see you get out of this one.” Without batting an eye, Connor calmly replied, “Just you watch me.”

Again released on bail, Connor met with an old friend of his father’s, Massachusetts State Police Major John Regan. Regan worked for the District Attorney at the time, future Congressman William Delahunt. Connor asked Regan if there was any way out of the fix he was in, and the straightlaced cop told him bluntly, “It’s going to take a Rembrandt to get you out of this one.” With that, a master plan was hatched.

But there was a flip side to this story. One involving Connor’s best friend—Al Dotoli—who lived a life in the music industry, far from the world of art heists. Dotoli’s own masterpiece of a plan hinged on the Rembrandt’s return.

Filled with unforgettable personalities and non-stop action and intrigue, The Rembrandt Heist will lay out the anatomy of this notorious art theft while describing not just the criminal genius that is Myles Connor, but also the complexity of personal relationships between lifelong friends. All along, the reader will learn about a breathtaking painting by the world’s most famous artist and the incredible true story about how Portrait of Elsbeth van Rijn ended up on the wall at the MFA in the first place.

By: Anthony M. Amore
Imprint: Pegasus Books
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 30mm
Weight: 431g
ISBN: 9781639369959
ISBN 10: 1639369953
Pages: 272
Publication Date: 01 January 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Anthony Amore is Director of Security and Chief Investigator at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, where he is charged with the ongoing efforts to recover thirteen works of art stolen from the museum on March 18, 1990. Additionally, he is the co-author of Stealing Rembrandts (a Wall Street Journal bestseller),The Art of the Con (a New York Times bestseller), and The Woman Who Stole Vermeer (also available from Pegasus Books) and provides analysis on issues related to security and terrorism for the BBC, NBC News, NPR, CNN, FOX, and others. He lives in Boston, MA. Learn more at www.anthonyamore.com.

Reviews for The Rembrandt Heist: The Story of a Criminal Genius, a Stolen Masterpiece, and an Enigmatic Friendship

“Amore delivers a dramatic and colorful recounting of the 1975 theft of Rembrandt’s Portrait of Elsbeth van Rijn from Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts. Amore constructs an impressively detailed play-by-play of the theft, drawing on his own investigations into the thefts of artworks and his access to Connor and Dotoli, both of whom he’d befriended, and sources in law enforcement and the art world. This captivates.” -- Publishers Weekly Praise for Anthony Amore ""Amore illustrates with an irresistible blend of wryness and affection.” * The New York Times Book Review * ""Engrossing."" * The Washington Post * ""With hard facts and a cleareyed perspective, this book sets the record straight.” * Associated Press * ""A must-read for any true crime fan."" * Howie Carr, New York Times bestselling author of The Brother's Bulger and Hitman *