Instead of robbing a bank, Dortmunder tries to steal the whole building. Encyclopedias are heavy, and John Dortmunder is sick of carrying them. While in between jobs, the persistent heist-planner is working an encyclopedia-selling scam that's about to blow up in his face. The cops are on their way when his friend Kelp pulls up in a stolen Oldsmobile, offering a quick escape from the law and a job that's too insane to turn down. Kelp's nephew is an FBI washout who's addicted to old-time pulp novels and adventure stories. He tried being a cop, and now he wants to be a ro.
Donald Edwin Westlake was an American writer, with over a hundred novels and non-fiction books to his credit, writing under at least 20 pseudonyms. He specialized in crime fiction, especially comic capers, with an occasional foray into science fiction or other genres. He was a three-time Edgar Award winner and in 1993, the Mystery Writers of America named Westlake a Grand Master, the highest honor bestowed by the society. Source: wikipedia
