Introduction

"A worthy sequel to the classic." -- Harlan Coben

Estate approved sequel to the novel To Catch a Thief by David Dodge and 1955 Academy Award-winning film by Alfred Hitchcock

It's been a year since John Robie, notorious Riviera jewel thief, proved his innocence by catching a copycat burglar. And it's been a year since John has seen Francie Stevens, the adventurous socialite who not only saw through his disguise, but helped him catch the copycat. Now Francie is returning to the Riviera for its first-ever Fashion Week as a model for a top French designer, and John plans on rekindling their romance. But there's a problem. While helping a friend, John chases down a mysterious courier, whose ruthless associates now want John dead. To make matters worse, when Francie arrives, she has a boyfriend in tow, and tells John that she wants nothing to do with him.

John has to figure out why he's a hunted man, and why Francie is acting suspiciously. Digging deeper, he discovers a spy ring with evil intent. As John works unofficially to gather evidence, a question begins to haunt him?could Francie Stevens be a spy? With his enemies closing in, John turns to his cat burglar skills to try to save his life and expose the traitors. To survive, he has to catch the spies before they catch?and kill?a retired thief!

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Excerpt

CHAPTER 25 EXCERPT: TO CATCH A SPY

John saw an opening in the flow of people. He slid in, moved with the crowd, and stepped out next to Marcel Julien.

Marcel was startled but didn’t look over. “Well, well,” he said, in his deep, timbered voice. “Look who it is. John Robie, legendary cat burglar and now eavesdropper.”

“So you spoke with Hugo.”

“I did,” said Marcel, keeping his eyes forward. “How did you hear us, by the way?”

John dismissed his question. “Another time, perhaps. How are your men, the ones from the other night?”

“Coming around,” said Marcel. “Had you given them what they wanted...”

“What they wanted was some missing money. And me dead.”

Marcel glanced at John, then went back to looking forward. “No theatrics. Not here.”

“We’re just having a conversation,” said John. “About you trying to have me killed.”

“Keep your voice down,” said Marcel. He looked around, calmed himself, then said, “You could end this now. Just give it back.”

“It’s not that easy,” said John.

“Why is that?”

John turned up his hands. “You’re not one to forgive and forget,” he said. “That’s not your style. People need to pay. Like me, for instance, and that man on the hotel's roof. He knew what was coming.”

Marcel folded his hands together. “So you do have it.”

“The money? I never said that.”

“You didn’t have to.” Marcel glanced at his watch. “Before you become tiresome, tell me what you want.”

“Who says I want anything?”

Marcel turned to face John. “This is interesting. You spoke with Hugo, and you didn’t ask for a thing. Not the money, not a finder’s fee, not even a favor. Nothing. And here you are, doing it again.”

“So what.”

Marcel smirked. “So there’s another reason for your visit. There must be.” He looked, rubbing his chin. “You’re not here to negotiate. So why are you here?”

“To discuss the other night,” said John. “Accusations, assaults, fighting in alleys, we can’t have that.”

“No, that’s not it. You come, you want nothing, yet you play these insinuation games with Hugo, then me.” Marcel closed his eyes for a moment, then shook his head. “Ahh, yes. I know why you’re here.”

“Do tell,” said John.

“You are here to incite panic,” Marcel said. “You hope to enrage us, to send us scurrying. You want to see where we go, to whom we turn. And that is very informative.”

“That’s not it, but tell me, how is it informative?”

Marcel smoothed the front of his tuxedo, then straightened his lapels. “It tells me you don’t know anything, despite your little performance with Hugo. But, if you can identify others, our co-conspirators, if you will, they might lead you to something.”

“Not true,” said John. He caught his breath, then tried to calm himself. Marcel was taking control, and John hadn’t anticipated this.

“Wait,” said Marcel. “There’s more to your plan.” He wagged a finger in John’s face. “You frighten Hugo, and he runs off. Why? To follow him, see where he goes. Then you approach me, hoping to do the same. That begs the question -- who is following Hugo? Not you. You’re right here. We both know what that means. You are working with someone else,” said Marcel. “At least two others, I think. One to follow Hugo, one to follow me.”

John shook his head. “I work alone. Always have. You’re speculating.”

“I’m not,” said Marcel. “And I’m not panicking, either. I’m curious, though. Who followed Hugo? One of your criminal friends? No, they wouldn’t fit in here. Who then?”

Marcel looked over the crowd. “Whoever it was, he’s gone. Following Hugo, of course.”

“About the other night,” said John. “Surely...”

Marcel cut him off. “And who was to follow me?” he asked. “I haven’t run off, so that person is still here.”

Over Marcel’s shoulder, John saw the figure of a woman approaching. She walked around Marcel, then stopped abruptly. It was Francie, with a look of surprise and concern. John started to speak to her, then stopped. Francie backed off, still very confused, then walked away.

Marcel turned just in time to see Francie disappear into the crowd. “Ahh, Miss Stevens,” he said.“I’d forgotten about the two of you.” He was quiet for a moment, thinking. Then he said, “You’ve taken a lot from us. It’s time we took from you.”

John stood there, silent. What was Marcel saying? What did he mean?

As calm as the evening weather, Marcel said, “Thank you. I’ve learned quite a bit.”

Marcel excused himself and walked toward his chauffeur, the dark, brooding man from the other night. Marcel whispered in the chauffeur’s ear, then led the man away.

John made eye contact with Paul, who was ready to follow Marcel. John shook his head, warning Paul off. Don’t bother.

John was sweating. He patted his forehead, then looked down, unsure of what had happened.

Unsure of what he’d just done.

_____________________________

John stepped away from the crowd, then tugged on his collar. His mind was darting; he had to settle down.

He went to the rail, then looked out over the beach. John shook his head. That hadn’t gone according to plan. He knew his approach was risky and that Marcel would eventually counter--he would send men after John, maybe try to ambush him. Some sort of low-level reprisal. Not now. After tonight, Marcel would come at him hard. The man hadn’t been worried. He walked away confident, not defensive at all. He even taunted John, saying he’d learned quite a bit.

But what had John learned? For one, Marcel didn’t deny anything. Quite the opposite. He treated it like a business conversation. That meant Marcel didn’t fear the law. Why should he? Marcel had protection--connections, resources, even dangerous men at his disposal.

John also learned Marcel was sharp, a quick thinker. He’d pieced John’s plan together fast, even knowing an associate of John’s was supposed to follow him. And worst of all, just as that realization crossed Marcel’s mind, Francie appeared. Marcel made a connection, then threatened to ‘take something’ from John. Was Marcel threatening Francie? Hard to say, but it didn’t seem like a coincidence.

Assuming it was a threat against Francie, what would Marcel do? John considered a few possibilities. The easiest was for Marcel to turn Francie against John. A few comments and lies would be enough to eliminate John’s chance at reconciliation. And easy enough to do. Marcel would be around her all week.

But it was more than that. Marcel’s tone implied something serious. What could that be? Would he physically hurt Francie? No, John thought. That was unlikely to happen--the newspapers were praising her. Marcel wouldn’t hurt her. He was a businessman, and Francie was good for business.

John was stuck. If not a physical threat against Francie, or slanderous comments about John, then what? He had no idea, which meant he needed more information. And information, like jewels, was something John could get. He knew that Marcel, like Hugo, was sheltering secrets. That much was clear. But where? Lots of options with a man like Marcel Julien. It had to be private, where he believed secrets would be safe. The yacht was compromised, so not there. As far as John knew, Marcel didn’t have a local office. That left Marcel’s villa, which was probably very well protected.

To his surprise, Armand stepped out from the crowd.

John looked puzzled. “Aren’t you...,”

“...following him,” said Armand. “Yes, I did. After he left, Hugo went to his hotel. He didn’t talk to a soul, went to his room, then slammed the door. I stayed around, but no visitors, and I didn’t hear any phone calls.”

“Did he speak to anyone on the way out?”

“You saw him with Marcel. After that, a few words with Marcel’s man, his chauffeur, I believe.”

“He’s more than a chauffeur,” said John. “He’s a thug, a killer. Marcel spoke to him, too, and I would expect that. But why would Hugo speak to him?” He turned to face Armand. “Looks like we have a connection. Not strong, but one to consider.”

Armand agreed. He was pleased with himself.

John clapped him on the shoulder. “I have to speak with someone, but I wanted to ask a favor before I go. I’ll be paying a visit tonight, and there’s something I need.” view abbreviated excerpt only...

Discussion Questions

From the author:

1. A couple of times, John and Francie see the exact same thing, but see it differently. What does this say about each character? Is there someone in your life who sees the same things differently from how you see them? If so, what?

2. The theme of the book is selflessness, and John’s character development moves him from being selfish to selfless. At first, John rationalizes his selfish behavior; is that a normal response? For most of the book, John’s selfishness is invisible to him. Is that a scenario you have experienced?

3. The portrayal of women is interesting in To Catch a Spy. What are the main differences in women from the 1950s compared to today?

4. The author carried forward elements from the original story (book and film) into To Catch a Spy. Have you recognized any?

5. What are your key takeaways from the book? Did the plot twists and suspense in "To Catch a Spy" keep you engaged? Were there any reveals that genuinely surprised you?

6. Imagine that To Catch a Spy was made into a film using today’s actors. Who should play Francie Stevens and John Robie? Who would you cast as other characters such as Vittoria, Luca, Lepic, Danielle, Paul, or Mother?

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