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Confessions of a Master Jewel Thief
Bill Mason and Lee Gruenfeld Book Review

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Plot Summary of Confessions of a Master Jewel Thief
"

Villard, Apr 2004, 24.95, 365 pp.
ISBN: 0375508392

In the 1960s when Bill Mason was in his twenties, he began a life of crime, stealing jewelry. As he became more proficient at his profession, he raised the ante soon taking gems from a virtual who's who of 1960s-1970s Hollywood. Such notables like Phyllis Diller, the Cleveland Mafia chief, and Bob Hope were among his victims. Mr. Mason especially seemed to enjoy a caper involving a perfect security system that no cat burglar could crash. Besides meticulous planning of the theft, Mr. Mason constantly states that the problem with a100% burglar proof security system is somewhere a human is involved; meaning windows left open, systems not turned on, etc.

This true crime memoir initially leads readers to feel Mr. Mason sounds like a real life Cary Grant in To Catch a Thief. However, that turns a bit negative when it feels as if the author is boasting about his daring deeds that led to little jail time, but also the author shows some remorse that his profession has had a negatively profound impact on his family.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Confessions of a Master Jewel Thief
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
job/profession: - criminal (general)
Job/profession/poverty story Yes
Period of greatest activity? - 1950+

Subject of Biography
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - thief/con artist
Age: - 40's-50's
Ethnicity - White
Nationality - American (!)
How sensitive is this person? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other people
Physique - very athletic

Setting
United States Yes
Century: - 1960's-1970's

Style
Person - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Writer's slant towards subject: - somewhat unfavorable
Story of entire life, or part? - story of set of events during life
How much dialogue in bio? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
A LOT of info about personal vices? Yes
Lot of titilating info about love life? Yes
How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life? - 51%-75% of book
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Bill Mason and Lee Gruenfeld Resident Scholar Profiles

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Harriet Klausner  

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