The Road to Ruin

"Pariah!" Monroe Hall wishes that people would stop using that word. So what if he was born rich but scammed his own conglomerate for more than the boys from Enron and WorldCom combined? And so what if he takes a little pleasure in reporting people to the IRS, or stealing quarters from visitors to his home? Does that mean he has to be a "pariah"? The truth is, poor old Monroe can't find anyone to staff his sprawling, antique-laden Pennsylvania estate. Until, by a stroke of utterly undeserved luck, a wonderful group of servants arrives at Monroe's door with spotless credentials and a remarkable willingness to please.

For Dortmunder's crew, going to work for Monroe is like being kids let loose in a candy store. When it comes time to start emptying the place of its treasure-especially those vintage automobiles-Dortmunder makes a sobering discovery: There are some people out there who just hate Monroe Hall. Now the pariah has vanished and the police are at the door. And as everyone knows, whenever there's mischief in a mansion...the butler did it!