Doors Open
Encyclopedia
Doors Open is a 2008 novel by crime writer Ian Rankin
. It is his first stand alone thriller in over 10 years.
The story was originally published as a serial novel in The New York Times Magazine
.
With a vast collection but limited wall space, the National Gallery of Scotland has many more valuable works of art in storage than it could ever display. The plan is to stage a heist at the Granton storage depot on "Doors Open Day" during which a selected group of paintings will be "stolen". The gang will then give the appearance of having panicked and fled without the works of art, however they will actually have switched the real paintings with high quality forgeries good enough to convince anyone investigating the matter that no theft has been committed.
As they begin to flesh out the plan, it becomes clear that they need some "professional assistance" and a chance encounter with Chib Calloway, a local gangster who Mike went to school with, fulfils that need.
, includes a story "Herbert in Motion" whose plot is also concerned with the theft of undisplayed works of art from the storage facilities of a major gallery, and their replacement with high quality forgeries to mask the crime.
Ian Rankin
Ian Rankin, OBE, DL , is a Scottish crime writer. His best known books are the Inspector Rebus novels. He has also written several pieces of literary criticism.-Background:He attended Beath High School, Cowdenbeath...
. It is his first stand alone thriller in over 10 years.
The story was originally published as a serial novel in The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine is a Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of The New York Times. It is host to feature articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors...
.
Plot outline
Mike Mackenzie is a software entrepreneur who has sold his company for a substantial amount of money, but is now bored and looking for a new thrill. His new found wealth has funded a genuine interest in art so when his friend Professor Robert Gissing presents him with a plan for the perfect crime, he willingly helps set that plan in motion.With a vast collection but limited wall space, the National Gallery of Scotland has many more valuable works of art in storage than it could ever display. The plan is to stage a heist at the Granton storage depot on "Doors Open Day" during which a selected group of paintings will be "stolen". The gang will then give the appearance of having panicked and fled without the works of art, however they will actually have switched the real paintings with high quality forgeries good enough to convince anyone investigating the matter that no theft has been committed.
As they begin to flesh out the plan, it becomes clear that they need some "professional assistance" and a chance encounter with Chib Calloway, a local gangster who Mike went to school with, fulfils that need.
Related works
Rankin's 2002 collection of short stories, Beggars BanquetBeggars Banquet (book)
Beggars Banquet is the second collection of short stories by crime writerIan Rankin.It features 21 stories written between 1991 and 2000. The collection features the novella Death Is Not the End which was later expanded into the novelDead Souls...
, includes a story "Herbert in Motion" whose plot is also concerned with the theft of undisplayed works of art from the storage facilities of a major gallery, and their replacement with high quality forgeries to mask the crime.