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From Publishers Weekly
It has been 54 years since Dodge's most famous book, To Catch
a Thief, hit the shelves and was shortly thereafter made into
the classic Hitchcock film. In reading his latest, written just
before his death in 1974 and never before published, it's easy
to see why his writing translated so well to Hollywood noir,
with its tight-lipped narration, a tough easy rider in the lead
and vivid descriptions of both glittering locales and gamine
ladies. Our hero, con man Curly, is working the Côte d'Azur—as
well as a matronly woman of means—when he meets the Hon.
Regina Forbes-Jones, aka "Nemesis," who pegs him for
a small-time grifter straight off. The on again/off again flirtation
between the callused American swindler and the saucy British
beauty is the delicious meat of the book. Unfortunately, Dodge
chooses to spend most of the narrative chronicling Curly's scams
across the world: from Cannes to Tangier, Marrakech, Lima and
Belém. When the relationship between Reggie and Curly
takes center stage, though, the book shines, and it ends with
a gratifying twist. Dodge fans should pick this up for good old
times, but newcomers may want to start with his time-tested classics.
(Oct.)
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