Cops and Robbers is a stand alone thriller by Donald E. Westlake. Westlake is the master of the heist novel. His comic mysteries feature Dortmunder and are written by Westlake while the darker novels featuring Parker are published under the Richard Stark pseudonym.
Cops and Robbers is a comic title because the cops are the robbers. NYPD officers Joe Loomis and Joe Garrity decide to pull a heist and get rich quick. They ask a mob boss what would make a good heist and are told bonds and stock certificates would be easy to deal with. That is exactly what the cops and robbers do.
This is where things get hairy. There is more to the heist than meets the eye. The handoff to the mob in Central Park is where things that can go wrong do go wrong.
Will the cops and robbers manage to get away with their heist? Will the mob get in the way? These are all questions that are answered by Donald E Westlake in what turns out to be a very satisfying thriller.
Cops and Robers
Donald E. Westlake
Originally published 1972
Mysteryious Press 2018
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