Description
Chronicle of the Good Scoundrels
Book Summary
A noir novel set in Lisbon that combines humor, wit, and action. The reader will follow the adventures of a group of petty thieves, led by Renato, alias The Pacific, who receive a commission from a Sicilian mobster: to steal twenty-two jewels from a prestigious collection at the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum. An apparently perfect plan that will have to be carried out by people unaccustomed to the world of organized crime.
What is it about?
Renato, known as The Pacific, and his band of miscreants commit small-time robberies on the streets of Lisbon. Everything changes when an Italian mobster from Palermo proposes a big job to them: to steal twenty-two jewels from a luxury collection at the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum. The plan, carefully designed, seems perfect. But there is a problem: it must be carried out by people who are not large-scale criminal professionals. The novel follows the preparations, internal tensions, and unforeseen events of a heterogeneous group facing a challenge far beyond their usual capabilities.
Main themes
- Low-intensity organized crime and its evolution toward more ambitious goals.
- Humor and irony in situations of tension and danger.
- Urban Lisbon as a setting for noir fiction.
- The fragility of perfect plans in the face of human imperfection.
Who is it recommended for?
For readers of noir and detective novels who appreciate an ironic and lighthearted tone, with quirky characters and heist plots. Also for those looking for an agile and entertaining read set in the criminal world, without sacrificing narrative quality.
What this book offers
- An original and humorous take on the noir genre, far removed from the darkest thrillers.
- Memorable and well-constructed characters with their own motivations and personalities.
- A heist plot that maintains tension and curiosity until the end.
- An immersion into literary Lisbon from a criminal and popular perspective.
Technical specifications
- Author: Zambujal, Mário
- Publisher: Editorial Alrevés
- Language: cat
- Subject: CRIME AND MYSTERY GENRE
- Collection: CRIMS.CAT
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: June 2012
- Number of pages: 160
- Weight: 262 g
Editorial review
A fresh proposal within the detective genre, which combines the classic structure of the perfect heist with a humorous tone and characters far from the stereotypes of the professional criminal. The author, Mário Zambujal, builds an agile and entertaining narrative, ideal for those seeking a light but gripping read. Its inclusion in the CRIMS.CAT collection makes it especially attractive to the Catalan public interested in quality noir fiction.