The first adventure of John Dortmunder. June 1969, New York. Fresh out of prison, Dortmunder is approached to do a heist by a former accomplices.They plan to steal an emerald worth half a million dollars. Though reluctant and ill at ease when met with the silent partner behind the operation, he lets himself be convinced, and starts to recruit the crack team that will nab the hot rock. Adapted from the novel by Donald Westlake with translations by Nora Mahony.