Dortmunder

Donald E. Westlake

Fresh out of prison, professional thief John Dortmunder is recruited to steal a priceless diamond from a museum and return it to the African people who regard it as a sacred cultural treasure. With his accomplice Kelp and an increasingly exasperated crew, Dortmunder devises a series of elaborate schemes—only to discover that every successful theft creates an even more difficult problem. Sharp, fast-paced, and gleefully unpredictable, the novel turns criminal ingenuity, bad luck, and misplaced trust into an unforgettable comic adventure. Its wry portrayal of bungling professionals and endlessly escalating complications establishes Dortmunder as one of crime fiction’s most entertaining antiheroes.