Charlie Howard is a popular (in wide circles) author of detective novels. And he is also a popular (in narrow circles) professional thief who carries out only SERIOUS orders. When a mysterious American invites Charlie to steal two simple figurines for him in Amsterdam, Howard does not immediately, but agrees, realizing that there is SOMETHING behind this order. And there really is a lot hidden there: an old story about missing diamonds, a bloody murder of a mysterious American, a lot of money, a hunt for Charlie himself, gangsters, the police... A thief detective turns into a thief detective. At the same time, he is most concerned about three things: will he be able to get that big money? Will he be able to defend his good name as a writer? And finally, will he get out of the dead end into which his last, unfinished novel has led him?