Bernie Rhodenbarr is trying to go legit by opening up a secondhand bookstore called Barnegat Books. But he can't resist the urge to steal, especially when someone's paying him to do it, and quite handsomely at that. What's at stake is a rare Kipling edition, and retrieving it is as easy as picking a lock.

The trouble starts when Bernie tries to turn over the book to its unrightful owner, and finds instead a once-lovely lady who's now a less-lovely corpse. Suddenly the burglar who copped Kipling is wanted for a nasty crime he wouldn't think of committing. All this hassle, and he still hasn't been paid.