To Catch a Thief

"It takes a thief to catch a thief..."

John Robie has left his larcenous past behind. Once the infamous jewel thief known as Le Chat, responsible for liberating expensive jewelry from its owners and escaping via the rooftops, he was caught and sent to prison a decade earlier, just before the outbreak of World War II. Released from prison during the German occupation of France, Robie joined the French resistance, and received unofficial amnesty after the war ended. He retired to a simple life in the country where he befriended the local Commissaire and tended his gardens.

Now it's 1951, and someone has been stealing jewelry along the French Riviera using the same m.o. as Le Chat. When his friend the Commissaire comes to arrest him, Robie escapes to Cannes and reconnects with his former comrade Bellini, who convinces Robie to stay in France and help catch the copycat, Disguised as a pudgy, middle-aged American businessman, Robie scouts the local nightclubs and casinos to identify likely targets. When he meets Francie Stevens, the daughter of one of the wealthy marks, she quickly sees through his disguise, Instead of turning him in, Francie becomes Robie's unlikely ally, and wrangles an invitation for him to a gala at the home of a wealthy family, where Robie is certain he will capture the upstart thief and clear his name. But Robie didn't expect to fall for Francie, nor for her to suspect him of stealing her mother's jewels. Will she betray his confidence to the police—or worse, decide that he's not the man for her?