In his classic caper novels, Donald E. Westlake turns the
world of crime and criminals upside down. The bad get
better, the good slide a bit, and Lord help anyone caught
between a thief named John Dortmunder and the current
object of his intentions. Now Westlake's seasoned but
often scoreless crook must take on an impossible crime,
one he doesn't want and doesn't believe in. But a little
blackmail goes a long way in... WHAT'S SO FUNNY? All
it takes is a few underhanded moves by a tough ex-cop
named Eppick to pull Dortmunder into a game he never
wanted to play. With no choice, he musters his always-game
gang and they set out on a perilous treasure hunt for a
long-lost gold and jewel-studded chess set once intended
as a birthday gift for the last Romanov czar, which
unfortunately reached Russia after that party was
over. From the moment Dortmunder reaches for his
first pawn, he faces insurmountable odds. The purloined
past of this precious set is destined to confound any
strategy he finds on the board. Success is not inevitable
with John Dortmunder leading the attack, but he's nothing
if not persistent, and some gambit or other might just
stumble into a winning move.