The Hot Rock

Donald E. Westlake · first published 1970 · ISBN 9780446677035

John Dortmunder is a professional thief hired to steal a large diamond. He and his crew manage to pull off the heist. Then they lose the diamond. Then they steal it again. And lose it again. What follows is a comedy of errors where each attempt to recover the stone spirals into a new disaster, and Dortmunder's careful planning meets reality's indifference to planning.