To Catch a Thief

David Dodge’s writing style often reminds me of Montgomery Clift’s acting style; five minutes into the film or the narrative, you forget either exist. Clift’s fine performances were sometimes overlooked, because he became the character he was portraying so completely, that Clift no longer existed. In a David Dodge novel, the writer no longer exists, just the character and the story. In this case the character is John Robie, or Le Chat, the retired thief. As Somerset Maugham noted, the reader should never realize the writer exists if a story is told properly. Everything should happen as if by some magic happenstance where we are privy to a great story. That style isn’t showy, it doesn’t call attention to itself, but when it’s show more done to perfection, as Dodge so often did, it’s a heck of a read.

I love the film based on the book, but since it has been many years since I’ve viewed it, I’ll only state that a few differences certainly exist. Francie here is a blue-eyed brunette, for example, and the romance more intellectual. Robie, in fact — or Jack Burns throughout much of this book — doesn’t even realize romantic feelings toward him exist inside Francie. He believes — for good reason — that she in fact dislikes him. Only Robie’s friend Bellini is emotionally aware enough to realize Francie’s reason for living.

In many ways To Catch a Thief is the quintessential thief story. The colorful locations along the French Riviera make it all sparkle with glamor and elegance. Yet there is something more going on here, as Dodge subtly explores Robie’s own nature, and the world of the classic high-end thief. Beneath a fast-flowing and entertaining narrative are insights into Robie’s psyche, which encapsulates all those to whom he is loyal, and who are loyal to him. In Robie’s world, there is indeed honor among thieves, most of whom served beside him in a kind of Resistance during the war, called the Maquis. Once the war was over, the Sûreté looked the other way in regard to their prior crimes, and the great Le Chat — The Cat — simply ceased to exist. But someone has made it seem as though he has returned, their acrobatic feats as they plunder priceless jewels across the Riviera pointing to one man — Le Chat. If the American Robie is to remain a free man in France, rather than leave all he loves behind, and flee, he must gather his old loyal confederates and try to capture the imposter himself.

What follows is fun and exciting, as Robie changes identities, sets up surveillances, and hires an escort in Danielle, who it turns out mirrors the dead wife of his loyal friend Paul. It is Robie’s loyalty, however, which causes him problems, making him reluctant to reveal his predicament, and explain why he’s pretending to be Jack Burns. In Paul’s case, he doesn’t want to involve him on the chance that something will go wrong. But in Francie’s case, it is because she is not a thief, therefor she cannot be trusted. It is an interesting psychological insight, and is fully explored in a swiftly-moving narrative full of color and elegance. Francie does at first appear to warrant Robie’s reticence to allow her in, because she appears to be a very strange girl only out for kicks. Robie is chained to her by blackmail, because she’s guessed who he is, even wants him to steal her mother’s jewels.

A big party, an exciting and dangerous chase across rooftops — which is also how the book begins — and the startling discovery of who has been mimicking Le Chat, brings about a truly unconventional solution that once again, plays into the loyalty and psychology of thieves.

Is the ending of the book as romantic as the film? Does Robie finally realize what his pal Bellini has known all along? You’ll have to read it to find out. There is no existential, stream-of-consciousness, experimental nonsense here. This is simply an elegantly atmospheric narrative of crime and romance, wonderfully told by a writer who understood that the best way to tell a great story, was just to tell it. It makes for a smooth, enjoyable ride along the French Riviera. show less

Just shy of the 70th anniversary of its release, David Dodge’s To Catch a Thief remains as clever and suspenseful as ever. How grateful I am to Poisoned Pen Press for reissuing this heart-stopping thriller!

American-born cat burglar John Robie has been retired from jewel robbery for years now, leaving in obscurity in Vence in southeastern France, near the French Riviera. The local commissaire, Oriol, realizes that Robie was Le Chat, an acrobatic cat burglar who was an international sensation before being arrested. Robie’s unofficially pardoned for his part in the French Resistance during World War II and looks the other way.

Robie’s placid existence ends when a copy-cat cat burglar begins stealing jewels during the high season in show more the French Riviera. Their styles are so similar that Robie flees and, through his Resistance pals (nearly all of them still a bit crooked) masquerades as an American insurance agent newly arrived from New York City. The gang decides that the only way to clear Robie is to nab the cat burglar because “To catch a thief, it takes a thief.”

No less than Alfred Hitchcock turned this Golden Age gem into a 1955 film starring Carey Grant and Grace Kelly. I can assure you that — as usual — you’ll love the book more than the movie. Highly, highly recommended.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review. show less

To Catch a Thief (1952) is the novel that made David Dodge famous. Or at least, made those four words famous since most of us know it through the Hitchcock film which is considerably different. That is too bad as the novel is so very good. Although a fairly short book the plot grips you, the characters are interesting and the dialogue brisk. There is a recipe: exotic location, pretty young dangerous women in the French bikini, dashing male leads, thrilling plot. It is reminiscent of Ian Fleming's first bond novel Casino Royal .. which btw Fleming started work on about 4 weeks after Thief was published (hmm... caught a thief?). It is more literary and believable than Bond and also more lighthearted but no less engrossing. It is also a show more sort of travel book of the French Riviera in the early 1950s, one of the coolest places in the world to be at the time. Dodge was living there when a jewel heist occurred the building next to his and he was briefly suspected as being a cat burger, thus the inspiration for the novel. show less

I really enjoyed reading this classic crime novel, made famous by the Alfred Hitchcock movie of the same name, starring Cary Grant (John Robie) and Grace Kelly (Francie Stevens).

Robie is a “retired” jewel thief. Known as “the cat” for his daring rooftop escapades, he had spent some time in prison but was released to fight with the resistance against the Nazis during World War II. Now he lives in a secluded villa, enjoying a quiet life with friends in the nearby village. But a new series of daring jewel thefts have the police on his trail. The thief is using Robie’s own MO – climbing walls and escaping over rooftops. He must find the thief himself, he thinks, to escape the clutches of the police once again.

Robie is a great show more lead character. He’s intelligent, cunning, charming and resourceful. Francie (vacationing in Cannes with her Texas-oil-rich mother) is every bit his match: smart, beautiful, astutely observant. And when it comes to the push/pull attraction between them – well, it’s clear who will with that contest.

The supporting cast is equally well-drawn. Danielle is the young woman who helps her boyfriend with the beach concessions and occasionally escorts Robie to the casinos to add to his disguise as an American businessman on holiday. Paul, the Comte du Pré de la Tour, is a friend and confidante, whose trust in Robie is taxed by the thefts. Commissaire Oriol has also been a friend to Robie in his villa life, but now suspects him. Mr Paige, an investigator for the British insurance company that has had to pay out so much to thief’s victims. And the marvelously over-the-top Texan widow, Mrs Stevens, who is a real hoot.

The pace is a bit slower than today’s mystery thrillers, but still kept me turning pages. I liked the romantic relationships (there is more than one), and appreciated that Dodge left much to the reader’s imagination.

There is a new musical in the works based on the book (not the movie, which deviated somewhat from the plot). I had the opportunity to see a minimally staged read-through (including songs) a few months ago, which is what made me seek out the original book. show less

This is the book on which the Alfred Hitchcock film was based. John Robie, aka "Le Chat", has retired from his life as a jewel thief after spending time in prison. Now, it seems another jewel thief is copying his methods. John knows he must clear his name by stopping the thief. He steps into a disguise to try to trap the thief. Meanwhile, he is intrigued by a beautiful, rich woman who believes she knows who John really is, and propositions him to steal her mother's jewels. Can he catch the thief before the police lock John up again? A fun, classic mystery.

Well deserved reputation as a great story. A travelogue of Provence, a love story. The jewelry gets returned, the reward provided by the insurance company keeps the thieves happy. The characters are well realized. I need to find more of Dodge’s stories.

This is the book on which Hitchcock's movie of the same name is based, starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly, one of my favourite movies.

The movie follows the plot of the book mostly faithfully, and each of them capture very well the dilemma of John Robie (the retired cat burglar) wanting to enjoy his retirement at the time that a copy-cat burglar is on the loose, though the police do not accept the copy-cat theory, and continue to try to capture John Robie in the act.

Robie, had some years before, been captured and tried and sentenced to jail for previous thefts but was, along with many other prisoners in France, released by the invading Germans during WW2. Many of these, including Robie, joined the French Resistance, and following the show more end of the war, enjoyed an informal pardon and were not sent back to prisons for the remainder of their sentences.

But with these new thefts, with the police under pressure to solve these crimes, Robie and his colleagues are under pressure and threatened with being sent back to prison if they did not spill what the knew about those thefts (indeed if they did not deliver Robie up).

This led Robie to re-enter the fray, not to steal but to try to trap the new culprit.

A cat and mouse chase ensues.

And this is against the background of a potential romance between Robie (Grant) and Francie (Frances in the movie, Kelly) an American heiress. Hence the second cat and mouse (which is played up even more in the movie).

There are some differences between the book and the movie:
- as already noted in passing, the name of the Kelly character is Francie in the book and Frances in the movie. Not a big point and perhaps revealing a personal opinion only, but Frances seems more akin the American heiress trope;
- the book has a relatively minor (in scenes/words etc) character (Paul) who nevertheless has an important role to play at the end of the book. I cannot remember him in the movie (or if it existed there it was as to his interactions/relationship with Robie, as opposed to another central character).

As a fan of the movie, I quite enjoyed reading for the first time the book. In an odd way, reading/seeing both adds to each other.

But there is certainly no need to see the movie first.

So go off and read/ see what you can get to first, and then turn around and do the other!

Highly recommended

Big Ship

22 September 2023 show less