This book is not about John Laroche, the "thief" in the title. He shows up a few times. But he is by no means the focus. Orlean goes to Florida, meets a lot of quirky orchid-obsessed collectors, learns about shady real estate deals and the exploitation of native people, and absolutely does not EVER, not one single time, EVER see a ghost orchid. Not one. Sorry if that's a spoiler, but I would have liked to have known this going in.