Westlake's infamous gang of wayward thieves, led by the unlucky and unflagging John Dortmunder, has hatched another perfect plan. They're going to dress up as a personal secretary, a driver, and a butler (Dortmunder, learning on the job). And they're going to work for one of the most crooked men in the world, for the sole purpose of robbing him blind.

"Pariah!" Monroe Hall wishes that people would stop using that word. So what if he was born rich but scammed his own conglomerate for more than the boys from Enron and WorldCom combined? And so what if he takes a little pleasure in reporting people to the IRS, or stealing quarters from visitors to his home? Does that mean he has to be a "pariah"? The truth is, poor old Monroe can't find anyone to staff his sprawling, antique-laden Pennsylvania estate. Until, by a stroke of utterly undeserved luck, a wonderful group of servants arrives at Monroe's door with spotless credentials and a remarkable willingness to please.

For Dortmunder's crew, going to work for Monroe is like being kids let loose in a candy store. When it comes time to start emptying the place of its treasure, especially those vintage automobiles, Dortmunder makes a sobering discovery: there are some people out there who just hate Monroe Hall. Now the pariah has vanished and the police are at the door. And as everyone knows, whenever there's mischief in a mansion...the butler did it!