A novel by Robert E. O’Connell, III

Trey Hansen is the man they call to investigate multi-million-dollar art heists…but what happens when a CIA-trained assassin starts tying up loose ends?

And what if that assassin might be his father?

When international art detective Trey Hansen is brought in to investigate the biggest heist of his career—two paintings by Italian masters valued at more than $120 million—he uncovers an insidious network of deceit, money laundering, and global art theft that goes back decades and reaches into the highest halls of power. He soon finds that the entities behind the theft have put a bullseye on his back.

The more he uncovers, the more the evidence suggests a link to the blackest ghost of Trey’s traumatic past—his estranged father, a taciturn abuser who fueled Trey’s obsession with chess, puzzles, and the pursuit of the Truth. Trey has long believed that his father was far more than an abusive parent, that he might be a sociopathic killer enmeshed in the U.S. government’s darkest conspiracies. But such a killer knows how to cover his tracks.

Across the globe, Trey relentlessly pursues the stolen paintings, even as he becomes prey for the most ruthless predator of all, until he’s fighting not just for the Truth, but for his life and lives of his friends and family.

If you love books by Robert Ludlum, John le Carré, and Frederick Forsyth, you won’t be able to put down this compulsively addictive thriller.

The Art of Spies prequel is out now!

From altar boy to CIA assassin…
It’s tough growing up in the shadow of a famous father who’s both a former athletic All-American and a
powerful businessman—especially when he’s cold, heartless, and abusive.
But Okie has talents that will help him forge his own path and place him at some of the greatest turning
points of the Cold War, from West Berlin to the Bay of Pigs. A razor-sharp talent for languages and a
world-class sniper’s eye. These talents draw the attention of men in the highest echelons of power, men
who need weapons to keep the enemy at bay.
Soviet seductresses, Nazi war criminals, and Vatican intrigue make a heady stew, and Okie finds himself
torn between his devout Catholic upbringing and the things he must do in the name of God and Country.
But to what lengths will he go? How far is too far? What price is he willing to pay as a soldier in the Cold
War or when the halls of power call his name?

Following the success of The Art of Spies, Robert E. O’Connell brings us the prequel to his international art thriller.
Get your copy here.

“Featuring an art detective with a haunted past and shocking family secrets intertwined with America’s deepest conspiracies, The Art of Spies is an international thriller that will keep you turning pages until the final revelations, The Thomas Crown Affair meets Day of the Jackal and The Manchurian Candidate.”

~ Travis Heermann, author of The Hammer Falls and the Shinjuku Shadows Trilogy.

Read the recent feature in the May, 2021 issue of Country Magazine.

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Read the feature in the recent in the July, 2021 issue of The North Shore magazine.

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About the author

Robert E. O’Connell III is an internationally recognized fine art expert within the insurance industry. He is the Founder and President of O’Connell International Arts. Bob bought his first work of art, at the age of 13, and has continued his eclectic approach to collecting with his wife, Darci.  His multi-media productions include, “The Farnsworth House”, “The Art Detectives” and “Monumental Myths”.  Mr. O’Connell currently serves on the Board of Directors at The Timken Museum of Art in San Diego, California.  Bob and Darci O’Connell live in Chicago, Illinois with their daughter, Finnian and her twin brothers, Billy and Matt.