This image is the cover for the book I Come as a Thief

I Come as a Thief

A novel about a fortunate man tripped up by temptation, from the New York Times–bestselling author of The Embezzler and The Partners.

Tony Lowder is the able and good-looking grandson of an Irish immigrant who prospered as a contractor—and left behind a family whose station in life is on the decline. That is except for Tony, who has a promising future in politics.

He has married into an old New York family, and his wife, Lee, cares for their two children and tolerates Tony’s continuing affair with wealthy Joan Conway, the mistress who dates back to his single days.

But there is always pressure for more money, and it has become acute with a recent drop in the market. Suddenly, temptation emerges from a brokerage house under investigation, and some Mafia figures ready to pay for a slight change in timing that may rescue the firm. What follows shocks the city—and upsets the tightrope upon which Tony has been balancing . . .

“Auchincloss is one of the most accomplished and distinctive writers this country has known.” —The Washington Post

Louis Auchincloss

In 2000, Louis Auchincloss was honored as a “Living Landmark” by the New York Landmarks Conservancy. During his long career he wrote more than sixty books, including the story collection Manhattan Monologues and the novel The Rector of Justin. The former president of the Academy of Arts and Letters, he resided in New York City until his death in January 2010.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (www.hmhco.com)