▁is ▁a ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁novel ▁by ▁American ▁author ▁Elizabeth ▁Kost ova . ▁The ▁" old ▁painter " ▁described ▁in ▁the ▁book ▁before ▁the ▁first ▁chapter ▁is ▁Alfred ▁S is ley . ▁ ▁Be atrice ▁de ▁C ler val ▁is ▁not ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁single ▁real ▁artist , ▁but ▁Kost ova ▁was ▁influenced ▁in ▁developing ▁her ▁life ▁by ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁Bert he ▁Mor is ot . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁Entertainment ▁Week ly ▁gave ▁the ▁book ▁a ▁" C " ▁grade . ▁ ▁The ▁Washington ▁Post ▁said , ▁" K ost ova ' s ▁new ▁book , ▁set ▁partly ▁in ▁Washington , ▁tells ▁a ▁rather ▁simple ▁story , ▁and ▁its ▁characters , ▁although ▁they ▁sometimes ▁ins ist ▁otherwise , ▁don ' t ▁change ▁rad ically ▁over ▁time . ▁( All ▁are ▁pain ters , ▁and ▁they ' re ▁not ▁much ▁different , ▁in ▁interest ▁or ▁in ▁out look , ▁from ▁one ▁another .) " ▁ ▁The ▁Sw an ▁Th ieves ▁returned ▁Kost ova ▁to ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁Best ▁S eller ▁list . ▁In ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁the ▁novel ▁deb uted ▁at ▁number ▁four ▁on ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁Best ▁S eller ▁list ▁of ▁best - s elling ▁hard cover ▁fiction ▁and ▁remained ▁in ▁the ▁top ▁ 2 0 ▁for ▁over ▁a ▁month . ▁In ▁Canada , ▁the ▁novel ▁deb uted ▁at ▁number ▁seven ▁on ▁The ▁Glo be ▁and ▁Mail ''' s ▁best s eller ▁list . ▁The ▁Sw an ▁Th ieves '' ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁only ▁ 1 2