This is a book well worth reading for anyone who loves rare crimes, especially of the white collar variety. For someone who took a real interest in this story as it unfolded in the media, the book recaps much of what has already been published in newspapers from New York to Frankel's hometown newspaper in Toledo, Ohio. But the book goes beyond what has been published before by helping to put in perspective the entire sordid chain of events. My only peeve is that the book lacks a solid bibliography to be a real authoritative work. The author does not cite his sources, but rather, gives a weak acknowledgment to the newspapers that be borrowed so heavily from. There's no shame in what he did, as long as he cites his references. Because I wrote a long and extensive term paper on this, I know where he drew his information from. But still, it's a compelling book and deserves to be read!

Joe A. Johnson, Jr., a talented author and journalist, has couched his book, " Thief : The bizarre Story of Fugitive Financier Martin Frankel " very much in the way of the good, short detective novels I used to read as a younger girl, where justice come swift and sure.

"Thief" is a short but particularly effect read that intercuts between J.Johnson's journalistic fact appraoch and serious literary intent.

With J.Johnson's magnetizing pearls of phrase, "Thief" is tightly knitted together by the author's extreme, intense atmosphere of personal preception and his extensive, intimate knowledge of the actual facts of the story to be quickly unwound by the reader in a chilling, unbelieveable true crime thriller involving sex, death and high white collar crime by a sociopathical, international "Thief."

Get it. It's good.

This is truly an amazing story. I say this as a Stock Broker with a degree in Criminal Justice. Thus the insight into the mind and the day to day activities of a largely successful white-collar criminal is fascinating. I feel that from the stand point that Frankel was able to manipulate the system and the people around him makes this book worth all five stars. J.A. Johnson, Jr. puts Frankel's story to life right in from of your eyes. Yes, at times it drags a little, but that is a reality and only adds to the life that Martin Frankel led. It doesn't just stop with the book as Frankel will probably be extradited to the states in 2001 and it will be an enthralling case to watch.