What do you think?
Rate this book
Perfect Pigeon
Easy come, easy go...
That's the life of the third-rate con men who fake their way in and fleece their way out of swank hotels from city to city- one step ahead of the law, two steps ahead of each other.
But Mark Daniels was no third-rater. At twenty three he embezzled his way to a cool quarter million. Sure, he got caught-that was part of his plan. But the money was safe. And when Daniels finished his stretch in stir he was young, rich and completely free from the long arm of the law. All he had to do was just sit tight until he could safely grab his dough.
Just sit tight. No problem at all for a smart guy like Daniels - until the sky fell down around him and into his lap dropped the loveliest girl in the world, with the slickest murder frame he'd ever seen.
That's the life of the third-rate con men who fake their way in and fleece their way out of swank hotels from city to city- one step ahead of the law, two steps ahead of each other.
But Mark Daniels was no third-rater. At twenty three he embezzled his way to a cool quarter million. Sure, he got caught-that was part of his plan. But the money was safe. And when Daniels finished his stretch in stir he was young, rich and completely free from the long arm of the law. All he had to do was just sit tight until he could safely grab his dough.
Just sit tight. No problem at all for a smart guy like Daniels - until the sky fell down around him and into his lap dropped the loveliest girl in the world, with the slickest murder frame he'd ever seen.
128 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1962
About the author
Richard Wormser
45 books3 followersRichard Edward Wormser was an American writer of pulp fiction, detective fiction, screenplays, and Westerns, some of it written using the pseudonym of Ed Friend. He is estimated to have written 300 short stories, 200 novelettes, 12 books, many screenplays and stories turned into screenplays and a cookbook Southwest Cookery or At Home on the Range.
After graduating from Princeton University he became a prolific writer of pulp fiction under his own name, the pen name of Conrad Gerson, and wrote seventeen Nick Carter novels for Street & Smith.
Wormser's first crime fiction novel was The Man with the Wax Face in 1934. His first Western novel was The Lonesome Quarter in 1951.
During World War II he served as a forest ranger.
Wormser won Western Spur Awards for juvenile fiction for Ride a Northbound Horse in 1964, and for The Black Mustanger in 1971. He also won an Edgar award for best original paperback novel for The Invader in 1973.
After graduating from Princeton University he became a prolific writer of pulp fiction under his own name, the pen name of Conrad Gerson, and wrote seventeen Nick Carter novels for Street & Smith.
Wormser's first crime fiction novel was The Man with the Wax Face in 1934. His first Western novel was The Lonesome Quarter in 1951.
During World War II he served as a forest ranger.
Wormser won Western Spur Awards for juvenile fiction for Ride a Northbound Horse in 1964, and for The Black Mustanger in 1971. He also won an Edgar award for best original paperback novel for The Invader in 1973.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 3, 2017
Good Gold Medal crime novel, but with an end that's a little too predictable, which could have been saved by a particularly clever ending, but unfortunately it falls a little flat.
November 27, 2017
Mark Daniels has just served 6 years in prison for embezzling some quarter of a million and is looking forward to waiting a few years then collecting the money he says was stolen from him, but actually stashed somewhere.
It isn’t long before he runs into the love of his life, a woman fleeing from her husband and they spend one terrific weekend together – that’s when he knows he will love no other woman.
And then they run into one another unexpectedly and he knows that their time together will actually come to be but first he has to get some money and has decided to work a few cons to get the money he will need to be with her and to live until he can collect his quarter million.
What happens next? You’ll have to find out yourself – but be warned – the tale is told first person and the tone is grim and the ending seems to be telegraphed well in advance.
It isn’t long before he runs into the love of his life, a woman fleeing from her husband and they spend one terrific weekend together – that’s when he knows he will love no other woman.
And then they run into one another unexpectedly and he knows that their time together will actually come to be but first he has to get some money and has decided to work a few cons to get the money he will need to be with her and to live until he can collect his quarter million.
What happens next? You’ll have to find out yourself – but be warned – the tale is told first person and the tone is grim and the ending seems to be telegraphed well in advance.
February 7, 2017
I've never read classic pulp fiction like this before, but I really enjoyed this. I found it for a £1 in a used book store , and am definitely glad I gave it a chance. The turns of phrase were spectacular, and overall, reading this novel transported me to a different time and place when literature such as this was gobbled up by the genral public. Light, fun, and full of new phrases you can ironically adopt. Definitely worth your time to read it.
December 26, 2020
Easy come, easy go…
That’s the life of the third-rate con men who fake their way in and fleece their way out of swank hotels from city to city—one step ahead of the law, two steps ahead of each other.
Mark is still young enough to learn the convicted con way of life.
That’s the life of the third-rate con men who fake their way in and fleece their way out of swank hotels from city to city—one step ahead of the law, two steps ahead of each other.
Mark is still young enough to learn the convicted con way of life.
January 10, 2018
Could have 90% shorter!
The ending is so predictable that only the quality of the writing kept me reading. Could have been called " The Most Gullible Conman In The World"
The ending is so predictable that only the quality of the writing kept me reading. Could have been called " The Most Gullible Conman In The World"
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews