This thriller
has been re-issued under the Library of Congress Crime Classics imprint thanks
to an initiative by recently fired Librarian of Congress Carla D. Hayden who
also writes the forward to the novel. The story is a step back in time and takes
the reader to the post-World War II French Riviera describing the period in charming
detail and a surprising innocence. No car chases, shootings or violence – a different
era. However, it does subtly evoke the war with the backstory of the camaraderie
of the French Resistance. John Robie a notorious jewel thief, known as "Le
Chat" ("The Cat") has retired from a life of crime after getting
caught, sent to prison, released from captivity by the German occupiers, fighting
with the Resistance and finally given a conditional amnesty for services
rendered. His quiet retired life on the Riviera is interrupted when a series of
high-profile thefts using his modus operandi take place. Robie fears for his
freedom and knows he must stop the literal copy cat before the police falsely
implicate him. Intrigue ensues as Robie dons a disguise, contacts his former
resistance mates, ingratiates himself into the social scene on the coast and pursues
the imposter. Ever so slowly Robie’s backstory is revealed as he follows the cat
burglar, culminating in a pearl-clutching roof-top finale. Readers may be familiar with the 1955 Alfred Hitchcock
film adaptation starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly.
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