Crime Heist

Who hasn't dreamed of finding a million dollars? Joey Coyle was down and out -- the affable, boyish South Philadelphian hadn't found dock work in months, he was living with his ailing mother, and he was fighting a drug habit and what seemed like a lifetime of bouncing into and out of bad luck...

On a Sunday evening in December 2004, two young men were at home with their families. Both worked for the Northern Bank’s cash centre in Belfast. They heard knocks on their front doors. Within a few minutes, masked men invaded their homes, overpowered their loved ones and disabled their electronic devices. It was made clear to the two bank officials that they had a choice: do what they were told or their families would die. In the wake of the twentieth anniversary of this bizarre robbery, Glenn Patterson builds on his popular BBC podcast to shed new light on the story of the infamous heist.

Melbourne, 1976. A crew of precision-minded criminals walks into the fortified Victoria Club and disappears with millions in cash. No weapons. No alarms. No arrests. What they pulled off would go down as one of the boldest and most mysterious heists in Australian history. But this story isn’t just about the robbery—it’s about the silence that followed… and the cost of keeping it.

One winter day in Paris, renowned wine critic Benjamin Cooker's world gets turned upside down when his car gets highjacked. He loses his treasured tasting notebook and his feeling of safety. To recover, he retreats to the region around Tours, sure that the wine and off-season calm will restore is sense of self. There a flamboyant British dandy, a spectacular blue-eyed blond, a zealous concierge and touchy local police disturb his well-deserved rest.

Some stories are all about the crime. These stories are about the maelstrom of what happens afterward. A hard-bitten crew of professional thieves pull of the score of their lives, coming away with millions in cash, enough to change their lives, make new identities, start fresh. But that's when the real trouble begins. In this linked anthology, we follow each member of the crew of culprits after the heist and watch as this perfect score ends up a perfect nightmare.

The maiden voyage of Titanic II promises luxury, fame, and spectacle—an irresistible gathering of billionaires, celebrities, and priceless treasures. But beneath the glittering surface, a daring heist is about to unfold. Mastermind Scott Rainey, his brother Jay, and their elite crew have one audacious goal: steal every gem, watch, and artifact on board and vanish without a trace into the vast Atlantic. But as the plan edges closer to execution, the stakes soar higher than the ship’s grand decks.

Millie has one goal: to make a movie in tribute to her late father. At the Manhattan Movie Academy, run by Ricky O’Naire, her favorite director, she’s determined to make it happen. But before she can finish her project, the academy is shut down. Six months later, she sees a preview for the new O’Naire movie—and he’s stolen her idea. Outraged, she reunites her former film crew to steal the movie and hold it for ransom days before its high-profile premiere. Putting their training and film-nerd backgrounds to use, they pull off the heist in extravagant fashion.

Sound interesting? The author thinks so too! Listen to Even a Pandemic Can't Stop Love and Murder: Vol. 1 today.

When an arrogant and selfish 26-year old, Ken Paulson, inherited a large national jewelry store chain, he probably shouldn’t have fired 72-year old Wayne Robbins, a brilliant engineer who helped Ken’s father build the company. And he certainly should not have stolen Robbins’ retirement funds, patents, and royalties. But, he did. The need to survive forces Wayne to develop a brilliant plan. Traveling the country in their motor coach, these sweet grandparents devise and execute perfect crimes.

Life and death have brought Maggie Gardiner full circle, back to the Erie Street Cemetery where she first entered Jack Renner’s orbit. Eight months ago, she learned what Jack would do in the name of justice. More unsettling still, she discovered how far she would go to cover his tracks. Now a young man sprawls atop a snowy grave, his heart shredded by a single wound. A key card in the victim’s wallet leads to the local university’s student housing - and to a grieving girlfriend with an unsettling agenda.

Three years ago, a little painting caused big trouble for undercover agent Bob Wittman. Here, for the first time, he tells all.

Over Easter weekend 2015, a motley crew of six English thieves, several in their 60s and 70s, couldn't resist coming out of retirement for one last career-topping heist. Their target: the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit, in the heart of London's medieval diamond district. Perhaps not the smoothest of criminals - one took a public bus to the scene of the crime; another read Forensics for Dummies in hopes that he would learn how to avoid getting caught - they planned the job over fish and chips at their favorite pubs.

On the surface Roman Hawker is the consummate professional. Behind that squeaky-clean façade lies a secret: He's a masterful thief. After a successful robbery, Roman and his partners in crime are ready to celebrate, but that celebration is short-lived when they are shaken by the death of Roman's estranged father. When the facts leading up to his father's death come to light, Roman's friends rally around him to execute their most harrowing plan.

April 28, 2015, West Baltimore, Maryland: ground zero in America's Opiate Wars. In this crime-plagued section of the city, the death of Freddie Gray has triggered the worst domestic rioting since the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and created a terrifying new breed of criminal entrepreneur.

The extraordinary life and crimes of heiress-turned-revolutionary, who in 1974 became the only woman to pull off a major art heist, The Woman Who Stole Vermeer is Rose Dugdale’s story, from her idyllic upbringing in Devonshire and her presentation to Elizabeth II as a debutante to her university years and her eventual radical lifestyle.

Avia might be able to con a rich woman out of 50 million dollars before her vacation to Hawaii, but she's going to need some help to do it. She has to call in people she terms her "cousins" and she has to deal with the fact that she is still an alcoholic and heroin addict. With the help of Benton, can Avia actually pull off this heist and get out of town before it is too late?

What is it that fascinates so many people about Ronnie Biggs and makes him a household name sixty years on from the crime that made his name? Is it the man or the myth that makes Ron a latter-day Robin Hood, and the odd man out who is best remembered from a gang of sixteen who held up a mail train in August 1963? This book covers Ron's entire life including the Great Train Robbery, his conviction and subsequent escape from HMP Wandsworth. Ron tells how he managed to outrun and outthink the posse of law enforcement officers and the media that chased him around the world.

Some people have basic needs of foods and materials that only theft can provide an answer for, and some others just pursue the taking of what they want, whenever they want and from whoever they want. These are their stories.

Strap in for a high-octane dive into the dangerous world of Britain’s most feared and ruthless armed robbers. Notorious, Volume 2: Armed Robbers explodes with the true stories of the criminal masterminds, violent blaggers, and street-level soldiers who took on banks, payroll vans, jewellers and the Flying Squad itself.

The Sūn Collection auction of Qing Dynasty snuff bottles at the Shangri-la Hong Kong Hotel was highly anticipated. Three super-wealthy international financial magnates wanted the collection, but only one could get it. The winner, Canadian Kyan K. Tomkins, represented by Alastair Hughes, snagged the prize. Tomkins’ British competitor, Sir Benedict Foxcroft, had to settle for two miniature jade Fu Dogs. American Michael C. Bullock was represented by his daughter-in-law, Wu Jing.