What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

The problem with searching for this book is there are many others with similar plot elements. I read it the 80s, or maybe the 90s, possibly from my school library.

The mastermind in this novel assembles a team of criminals with different skills, including I think, climbing (as in cat burglars), safe-cracking (or was it art thievery?). They've all been brought to this villa, and it is guarded by his pet falcons/hawks/birds.

There is a bit of character development, the cat burglar woman is portrayed as loving fast cars. Sometime in the first half of the book, she recognizes another team member to be a former accomplice (or maybe undercover) and breaks into his bathroom through a window, chased by said birds, which gash her. The guy is in the tub (jacuzzi?) having a bubbly bath. The mastermind comes in to check to the commotion, and walks out with her.

I don't remember the exact nature of the crime that they were supposed to pull off, because I searched so much that I found heist novels about art, diamonds, etc. I found a comic that seemed to have some of these elements, but it is from 2012.

Added later: I hope I'm not confusing books here, but at one point in the book, the guy whom the woman catches in the bathroom has a one-night stand with another guy.

Could the 2012 comic be based on the book you read in the 80s/90s? In the past, I have seen several graphic novels that were based on a "regular" books.

The comic I found was "Thief of Thieves" and it seems to have several ideas from other stories, but not based on anything specific.

I added some other things I remembered to my original post.

Dog Eat Dog?

Lobstergirl wrote: "Dog Eat Dog?"

It wasn't that gritty, the writing was more in the style of Sidney Sheldon. Thanks.

A guess - The Double Eagle by James Twining?

Was it set in the U.S., Europe/France/etc. or somewhere else?

About how many people were in the team? All professional criminals?

Kris wrote: "A guess - The Double Eagle by James Twining?

Was it set in the U.S., Europe/France/etc. or somewhere else?

About how many people were in the team? All professional ..."


You, know, it could be. From the initial pages (available to read @ Amazon), I know I've read that book. From the synposis though, it is hard to see how the storyline can jump to assembling a teamat a villa. Does the book have that element in it? They, or at least part of the team is at the villa, and the woman goes snooping outside, and she's startled by something, and chased by the birds, gets in to the guy's bathroom through the window. IIRC, he's in the bathtub at that moment.

I think they all had criminal skills, but at least one may have been undercover. I think there were the two protagonists, then 2 more... maybe. And the mastermind who assembled them.

This kind of thing is called a "caper story" by the way. Donald Westlake used to write a lot of them, with a mastermind named "Dortmunder" and the team of specialists he organized for each caper (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dor...)

Nexus7, are you still looking or did you find this? Was it "The Double Eagle"?

Hi Lobstergirl, all,

Thanks for the suggestions, it wasn't any of those, but it sparked some random and interesting reading for me! The novel I was looking for spent a lot of time, half the book IIRC, building up each character that went into the team being assembled. The closest I came was a pulp fiction novel in The Baroness, L.U.S.T. series by Paul Kenyon, called The Ecstasy Connection. It read almost like a parody of the one I'm looking for!

Still looking now?

No, haven't found it yet!

Thanks for reminding... now I'll be searching for it again ;)

Nexus ~~
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Good luck!

I just read The Light of Day by Eric Ambler and this isn't your book. There's a team of criminals planning a heist, but no birds. There are also references to bathrooms, but no one interrupted in a bubble bath. However there is the protagonist trapped in the room next to two of the criminal masterminds who are having sex (twice).

Nexus7, please post a new comment if you're still looking for this book - or if you found it.

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