Hot Plastic

[A] compulsively readable joy ride. —Richard North Patterson

As close to the day-to-day workings of modern con men as any sane person would want to get. Hot Plastic is a fascinating look at changing times on the grift. —Nicholas Pileggi, author of Wiseguy and screenwriter of GoodFellas

Buy an extra copy of Hot Plastic and keep it in mint condition. Peter Craig’s novel of outlaw life at the end of the century will be a collector’s item. It’s a winner. —Tony Hillerman, author of The Wailing Wind

Kevin’s dad, Jerry, is a crook. And he taught his son every trick in the book. Masters of identity theft, Kevin and Jerry move from one seedy motel to another, always trying for the big score. Colette is a runaway who dreams of conning her way into the upper echelons of high society. Just a teenager, she’s already a tough and talented grifter, and soon becomes Jerry’s girlfriend and accomplice.

When Jerry is arrested, Colette makes Kevin her willing shill, dragging him along in her endless pursuit of sophistication. Meanwhile, Kevin’s compulsive pursuit of new cons, bolder hoaxes, and better forgeries leads them to violent and unimagined retributions. When Jerry is released on parole, the three are reunited for one final scam, a patchwork of old and new techniques that should set them all up for life. The question is, would they rather work together or show each other up?

Hot Plastic is a hugely satisfying suspense novel about family and criminal intent from a fresh new voice.