A South American dictator conceals millions of dollars worth of valuables in a dismantled castle being flown to Paris and a quickly assembled, international gang of thieves--each with national eccentricities--set out to steal the entire castle.

Two decades ago, the producers of the James Bond movies hired legendary crime novelist Donald E. Westlake to come up with a story for the next Bond film. The plot Westlake dreamed up--about a Western businessman seeking revenge after being kicked out of Hong Kong when the island was returned to Chinese rule--had all the elements of a classic Bond adventure, but political concerns kept it from being made. Never one to let a good story go to waste,...