Two thieves dressed as Boston cops made off with $500m in stolen art from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum more than three decades ago. No arrests have ever been made, the case remains unsolved, and the museum’s chief investigator is still actively searching for the art — as a $10m reward goes unclaimed, writes Sheila Flynn

How a Texas serial killer went under police radar for years. The recent conviction of a prolific killer sheds light on the need for protections for a vulnerable population. 

The Road Out of Hell by Anthony Flacco and Jerry Clark. It's very dark but has such a unique perspective because Jerry Clark is the son of Sanford Clark, one of the main characters. Sanford survived unspeakable terrors at the hands of his cousin Gordon Stewart Northcott, who was a prolific serial killer. 

Kid reporter who inspired Apple TV+ series opens up about mental health, moving on At 15, she’s already had an award-winning journalism career. Now Hilde Lysiak reveals how she’s taking charge of her own story in a new memoir, “Hilde on the Record.”

THE NEXT EVEREST:
SunLit Interview: Jim Davidson’s harrowing experience led to tools for scaling “The Next Everest”. His experience on the mountain ultimately led the author to understand how surviving trauma can trigger personal growth

Novels you should read this summer:

Brought to life by an author who is a granddaughter of a Ukrainian refugee from World War II, the events of this novel are especially poignant given the ongoing invasion of Ukraine right now. Set in the 1930s, the book opens with Stalin's army entering a tiny Ukrainian village and pressuring the locals to adopt collective farming—without question or comment. 

From The New York Times:
 

Young Newshound Who Inspired ‘Home Before Dark’ Investigates Herself In “Hilde on the Record: Memoir of a Kid Crime Reporter,” Hilde Lysiak cracks her own case.

Book Broker – an interview with Lindsay Guzzardo.

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Lindsay applies her comprehensive market knowledge and keen editorial instinct to identify and nurture exciting new talent for Martin Literary. ​

Detective Anthony Amore tracks down stolen art and follows clues all over the world hunting priceless masterpieces which have been snatched by thieves.

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Today, Amore talks to Nicola Tallant about one time heiress, Rose Dugdale, who gave up a charmed life to become an IRA activist and a thief who picked out the jewels of Russborough House in Wicklow and later inspired the legendary criminal Martin 'The General' Cahill.

Granddaughter finds old teddy bear in Kansas City area attic — and inspires new book.

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That grandmother, Phyllis Harris, happens to be a prominent illustrator of children’s books, and she knows a good storyline when she sees one. Eliana and Heart Bear inspired the characters of Annie and just plain Bear in the new Christmas-themed “The Gift Shop Bear,” which Harris wrote and illustrated.

'Home Before Dark' producer Sharlene Martin will shepherd the project based on an upcoming book by journalist Matthew Lysiak.

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One of the twistiest true-crime stories of recent years will be developed as a scripted drama series at Lionsgate TV. The studio has optioned rights to a book proposal by journalist and author Matthew Lysiak about a the Murdaugh family South Carolina. 

Feliks Banel on the 1935 kidnapping of George Weyerhaeuser, and a new book about the events by local author Bryan Johnston.

Agent Spotlight: Sera Rivers Interview and Query Critique Giveaway. Today I’m thrilled to have agent Sera Rivers here. She is a senior literary manager at Martin Literary Management. 

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​Sera is generously offering a query critique to one lucky winner. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment through August 28th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. If you do not want to enter the contest, that's okay. Just let me know in the comments.