Book Review of "Confessions of a Master Jewel Thief" by Bill Mason

AUTHOR: Bill Mason

ISBN: 978-0-3757-6071-6

PUBLISHER: Villard

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars

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BOOK BLURB:

Bill Mason is arguably the greatest jewel thief who ever lived. During a thirty-year career he charmed his way into the inner circles of high society and stole more than $35 million worth of fabulous jewels from such celebrities as Robert Goulet, Armand Hammer, Phyllis Diller, Bob Hope, Truman Capote, Margaux Hemingway, and Johnny Weissmuller -- he even hit the Mafia. Along the way he seduced a high-profile Midwest socialite into leaving her prominent industrialist husband, nearly died after being shot during a robbery, tricked both Christie's and Sotheby's into fencing stolen goods for him and was a fugitive for five years and the object of a nationwide manhunt. Yet despite the best efforts of law enforcement authorities from several states as well as the federal government, he spent less than three years total in prison.

Shadowy, elusive and intensely private, Mason has been the subject of many magazine and newspaper features, but no journalist has ever come close to knowing the facts. Now, in his own words and with no holds barred, he reveals everything, and the real story is far more incredible than any of the reporters, detectives or FBI agents who pursued Mason ever imagined.

BOOK REVIEW:

I picked this book up at the used bookstore that went out of business in July. Near the end of their run, they had a bag sale -- you were handed a paper grocery bag when you entered the bookstore and everything you managed to fit into the bag was only $5. Their stock was pretty well picked over by that time, but no way was I leaving without a full bag. This book caught my eye and I snatched it up, but because I have run out of shelf space in my apartment, it's been sitting on top of the bag ever since. So when I needed something to read, I picked it up.

This book is written very well. It tells the story of Bill Mason, one-time jewelry thief who targeted the rich and famous. Among his victims were Robert Goulet and Phyllis Diller (twice). For him, the thrill of the score came from puzzling through how to circumvent high levels of security and pull off seemingly impossible heists.

At times the book almost reads like fiction -- Mason describes in detail how he cased his targets, how he worked through the logistics of how to access high-level rooms or penthouse suites, how he fenced the stolen goods to avoid getting caught. If nothing else, the book makes you more aware of your own personal security as well as the fallibility of so-called foolproof security systems.

The latter part of the book details how Mason's exploits caught up with him, eventually destroying his marriage and landing him in jail on several occasions. At one point he lived as a fugitive, but eventually served his time and put thievery behind him for good. His story is outrageous at times, but it keeps you reading to the end. This book appeals to the rogue in us all, and I could easily see it coming to life on the big screen.