{"product_id":"2940169195736","title":"Theft of the Master","description":"\"From the first paragraph of the first chapter the reader is drawn into this fastpaced drama, ¿Theft of the\u003cbr\u003eMaster.¿ Edwin Alexander has created an intricate story with a complex plot.\u003cbr\u003eVeit Stoss, one of Europe¿s greatest sculptors was commissioned by Henry Schenk to sculpt a wood carving\u003cbr\u003eof Christ, seated preaching the Sermon on the Mount. The carving was completed in 1493 and presented as a\u003cbr\u003enational icon at Estonia¿s Tallinn Church of the Holy Ghost.\u003cbr\u003eThe story is based on historical events involving Hitler¿s transporting valuable cultural artifacts to Germany\u003cbr\u003eduring World War II. ¿Theft of the Master¿ is a fictional account of Estonia¿s wood carving of ¿The Christ.¿\u003cbr\u003eIn a complex transaction involving a purchase an inventory of artifacts by the Templars, a secret society, this\u003cbr\u003ework of art was stolen and becomes the central plot of the story. The book is filled with unexpected surprises\u003cbr\u003eand plot twists involving smuggling, murder, and intrigue.\u003cbr\u003ePrivate Investigator, Al Hersey, is hired by Peter Gilchrist to find the murderer of his daughter, Meg, who was\u003cbr\u003efound, drowned in the waters off Half Moon Bay, near San Francisco. The assignment takes Al on a\u003cbr\u003edangerous quest for answers from San Francisco, to Estonia, Paraguay, Sweden, and New York.\u003cbr\u003eAlexander is an incredibly gifted author. He puts into his characters, a depth of feeling, a glimpse into their\u003cbr\u003eobsessions, and those identifiable physical characteristics which make them genuine and believable. His\u003cbr\u003edetailed descriptions include, ¿a rumbling voice, a voice that rattled the walls,¿ and ¿Tiny¿s tall, thin face was\u003cbr\u003eoverdue a retread but the eyes were sharp and inquisitorial, sharpened by half a lifetime of scrutinizing\u003cbr\u003edoubtful people, potentially libelous stories and overenthusiastic expense claims.¿\u003cbr\u003eI became so intrigued by Alexander¿s vivid descriptions that I found myself visiting the picturesque websites\u003cbr\u003eof Half Moon Bay¿s shoreline, the Holiday Inn¿s lobby in San Francisco¿s China town, the dinning room of\u003cbr\u003eNeptune¿s Palace at the Wharf, the archaic St. Olaf¿s Church in Tallinn, Estonia, and the Mennonite Colony\u003cbr\u003ein Chaco, Paraguay.\u003cbr\u003eMuch of the plot is carried by the dialog making ¿Theft of the Master¿ a natural for movie and television\u003cbr\u003eadaptation. Edwin Alexander has masterfully crafted a tale of international intrigue, murder, suspense, drama,\u003cbr\u003eand deduction.\"","brand":"Tom Dunham","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47179333107952,"sku":"2940169195736","price":4.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940169195736_p0.jpg?v=1763674959","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940169195736","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}