17 Captivating Books about Con Artists and Thieves

The Art Thief by Michael Finkel

I’m not sure I’ve ever read a nonfiction book that read so much like fiction. Imagine 2 people driving around Europe casually stealing billions of dollars worth of art from the most famous galleries and museums in the world.

That’s what this book about thieves is all about. I was floored by the writing, but the story is one I wouldn’t believe if it wasn’t true. It’s a fast, compelling book that art lovers, mystery lovers, and true crime aficionados must read.

My Friend Anna: The True Story of a Fake Heiress by Rachel Deloache Williams

The story of Anna Delvey has inspired numerous con artist books because Anna successfully conned the New York Elite. Rachel’s story is her take on the Anna Delvey drama – it is a fleshed out version of her Vanity Fair article.

The book details how Delvey pretended to be a wealthy German heiress while conning her friend Rachel out of 60,000 dollars and almost getting them both arrested in Marrakesh.

It’s no wonder Netflix has taken this con artist’s story and turned it into a hit series.

Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels, and Crooks by Patrick Radden Keefe

Patrick Radden Keefe is an award-winning author and it is clear why. He is a brilliant writer who meticulously researches his stories and whose writing is compelling.

This book about con artists and criminals includes stories featuring the almost unbelievable ways they committed their crimes. These 12 stories range from forging vintage wines to a black market arms dealer. Each story is more intriguing than the next on this list of ultimate beach reads 2023.

The Frame-up by Gwenda Bond

Dani Poissant is the daughter of the world’s most famous art thief who happens to be in jail because Dani turned her in. Now, ten years later, she is approached for a once-in-a-lifetime heist that can make up for her past mistakes and reunite herself with her mother’s old gang which includes the love of her life and her former best friend. Can she pull off the heist? Oh, did I mention that the secret to their success is magic?

Why We Liked it: The magical realism of this story set it apart from other art heist novels, but the magical mechanisms should have been more greatly explored in the story. The more interesting part was Dani’s journey of self-discovery and her realizations about her relationship with her mother.

Find this Book in books about thieves, novels about art

Pretty Things by Janelle Brown

Taking place on the shores of Lake Tahoe, this story is a dual narrative that switches between a grifter and the heiress she is trying to rob.

Nina and her boyfriend, Lachlan, are in town to steal from the wealthy Tahoe inhabitants, specifically Vanessa, an heiress and influencer. But Nina is hiding her connection to Stonehaven, the mansion Vanessa lives in.

The twists kept coming until I wasn’t sure what was going to happen or which person was actually being conned.

Why I Loved it: I love a good thriller, but I’ve found they become predictable after a while. I adored Pretty Things because it kept me on my toes! I listened to this one, so I can tell you that the audiobook was one of my favorites of the year.

Find this book in Lake Novels / Book about Thieves

The Fraud Squad by Kyla Zhao

After reading a few heavier books this month, I craved a YA book that would put a smile on my face. Enter The Fraud Squad, a story about 2 socialites who team up to convince Singapore’s high society that working-class, Samantha is one of them to help her secure her dream job.

This name-dropping, bejeweled story is like Crazy Rich Asians for teens. It was fun to revisit Singaporean high society through the eyes of young adults. It is fluff and fun in the very best ways. This book about con artists is a pick from summer reads 2023.

The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff

Geeta lost her husband 5 years ago, but now her small Indian village thinks she killed him! The rumors have helped her for a few years, but now other local women are asking for her help in getting rid of their own husbands.

I found myself laughing at this band of friends and their antics. If you liked Dial A for Aunties, this book about thieves is for you. It is a perfect fit for our best books for summer 2023 post.

Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li

Billed as Ocean’s 11 meets The Farewell, I found myself most closely comparing it to The Italian Job and I LOVED IT.

5 college students is hired by a Beijing art company to steal back relics stolen from the Old Summer Palace by colonists and now on display in famous museums the world over.

Each person brings their talents (getaway driver, hacker, art historian, etc.) and their dreams of what the life-changing sum they’ve been offered can mean for themselves and their immigrant families.

While it might sound frivolous, it’s actually a novel about art with a more emotional vein running beneath. One of longing to fit in, the struggle of straddling two worlds, and the quest for individual and collective identity as Chinese-Americans.

Queens of London by Heather Webb

This historical fiction book takes place in London in 1925. Alice Diamond is the head of an all-female gang, The Forty Elephants, and she has big plans for the group. Unfortunately for her, Lillian Wyles, the first female detective at Scotland Yard has her eye on the gang and she is looking for a way to bring them down.

Two other females are also central to the story – Dorothy, a naive shopgirl, and Hira, a young girl who runs away from her cruel uncle only to end up in Alice’s care.

Why We Liked it: Initially, the four narrators were hard to keep track of, but eventually this mob story came together with all the stories weaving into one. I couldn’t help but root for Hira, my favorite protagonist. #gifted by Sourcebooks

Queen of Thieves by Beezy Marsh

Set in 1946, this gritty novel is about Alice, her band of female thieves, and Nell, the newest member of the gang. Nell is pregnant and trying to survive after her parents kick her out, but after Alice gets her locked up and she’s forced to give away her baby, she vows revenge on Alice.

Nell needs to keep her enemy close, so soon she’s back doing Alice’s bidding as she plots her revenge. The story was fun – the perfect reprieve for the stressful last week of school. This is a fun historical fiction mob novel.