
A routine day at a small-town bank erupts into chaos when three masked men in identical shabby suits storm in, brandishing a pistol and a satchel full of cash. The tellers and customers are forced against the back wall while Miss English makes a frantic dash for the exit, only to be knocked unconscious by the gunman. The robbery spirals into a frantic shoot‑out as the thieves race to a nervous driver’s car, and police sirens wail down the street, their own guns blazing in the confusion.
The getaway quickly unravels when the criminals’ vehicle stalls after a reckless collision, leaving them vulnerable to the arriving officers. As detectives Stevenson and Pauling begin to piece together the botched heist, a shadowy figure known only as “the Scorpion” watches from the sidelines, his reputation for relentless vengeance already striking fear into both crooks and lawmen. The stage is set for a relentless pursuit that will drag the city’s underworld into the light.
Language
en
Duration
~57 minutes (55K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
Jan 3, 2020
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1933–2008
Best known for blending razor-sharp plotting with a sly sense of humor, this prolific American writer created both the cool, ruthless Parker and the unlucky but lovable John Dortmunder. Over a long career, he became one of crime fiction's most admired and versatile voices.
View all books
by Donald E. Westlake

by Donald E. Westlake

by Donald E. Westlake

by Donald E. Westlake

by Vinceslas-Eugène Dick

by Philippe Aubert de Gaspé

by Royall Tyler

by Abraham Cahan