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Author: Jeffrey Archer
Genre: Crime, Humor
Subject: Conning the Con Man
Rating: ***** (5 Stars)
Summary:
Harvey Metcalfe is the son of Polish immigrants to the U.S. Through hard work, ingenuity, and a lack of scruples, he has become quite wealthy, mostly through shady deals and con jobs. The story begins when Harvey pulls off a stock scam that nets him one million dollars from four previously well-off British professionals: James Brigsley, an earl; Stephen Bradley, a mathematics professor at Oxford; Robin Oakley, a private physician; Jean-Pierre Lamanns, an art dealer.
After learning of his financial ruin, Bradley, the professor, contacts the other three victims and persuades them to dine with him. Over dinner, they agree that they are going to take back their money. Each of them is to generate a plan to con Metcalfe out of a portion of the million dollars, with the understanding that they will take only what they have lost, plus expenses.