The Picasso Ransom by A.T. Prewett

‘Can we try escaping just a little slower?’

Fact: In 1986, Picasso’s Weeping Woman was stolen from the National Gallery of Victoria. To this day, the culprits have never been identified.

Here’s what happened.

Maybe.

Phoebe is about to turn 70, and has grown sick of retirement. She enrols in an evening art course, where she befriends fellow retirees Eva and Dave. They also happen to be studying across the road from a two-million-dollar Picasso.

The trio make a promising start, only to find that the school is to be closed due to arts cuts implemented by a blundering government minister. The protests of a student activist group – under 30s only – fall on deaf ears.

Enter Phoebe, Eva and Dave, who decide to take matters into their own hands …

‘Art is theft. All artists steal.’

Praise for The Picasso Ransom

‘I can’t find the words to describe how good this book is! The Picasso Ransom is fun, witty and thoroughly original, by far one of the best debuts I’ve read in years. A.T. Prewett has created an eclectic group of characters that are impossible not to love and champion.’ RACHAEL JOHNS

‘An absolute delight! The Picasso Ransom is the perfect escapist read, a quirky and charming “late in life” escapade.’ AMANDA HAMPSON

‘Irreverent, gripping and assured, The Picasso Ransom is a thrilling debut from a writer to watch.’ MARK SMITH

‘The Picasso Ransom delivers a fast-paced, addictive spin on the WhoDunIt genre, but in reverse. Giving voice and reason to an enigmatic Melburnian mystery, Aidan Prewitt lands his stellar debut with a unique brand of Australian humour, sarcasm and wit. Richly intertextual and intelligently layered, Prewitt threatens the reader to discern fact from fiction. With a host of charming and endearing characters, The Picasso Ransom surrenders a page-turning, heart racing experience that will thrill readers beyond the final page.’ JENNA LO BIANCO
‘With the charm of the Thursday Murder Club and the excitement of an Ocean’s 11 heist, this page-turning debut smashes it out of the park. My front runner for book of the year, I inhaled it! The most fun you’ll have without having to commit any crimes yourself.’ KERRYN MAYNE

About the Author: Aidan Prewett grew up on Yorta Yorta land in country Victoria and has taught music in Victorian public schools since 2008. His writing has appeared in Rolling Stone AU/NZ, The Big Issue, Cinema Australia and Political Animal, among others. His music documentaries have screened at major festivals in Australasia, North America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Aidan’s short story ‘The Weeping Woman’ was selected as the opening piece in The Big Issue’s 2024 ‘Fiction Edition’. The Picasso Ransom stemmed directly from this story.

He lives in Naarm/Melbourne with his wife, Schy, and their three children.

30 Jun 2026
 

The Picasso Ransom: A hilarious Aussie cosy crime by A.T. Prewett ISBN 9781761776731