Books like The Grifters by Jim Thompson

Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens’s 1837-39 social novel, follows an orphan raised in a workhouse who flees to London, joins a gang of pickpockets, and uncovers family secrets while exposing child labour and exploitation.

Deputy Sheriff Lou Ford of a small Texas town hides a dark illness that once threatened his career; now it resurfaces, threatening his peace and the town’s safety.

Michael Corleone returns from a three‑year exile in Sicily to re‑enter America alongside young bandit Salvatore Giuliano, whose reckless acts have upset the Sicilian Mafia.

An Irish bouncer in a New Jersey bar must solve a series of murders, including the killing of the girl he loves, with a quirky crew of misfits in this high‑energy detective adventure.

James Sallis’s hard‑boiled crime thriller Drive follows a relentless driver‑turned‑private‑investigator in the underbelly of Los Angeles and Phoenix, where auto stunts and danger collide.

Eddie Coyle, a small‑time gun runner in Boston, must decide whether to betray his boss, Jimmy Scalisi, when police officer Foley presses him for cooperation while bartender‑turned contract killer Dillon pretends to be his ally.

Fred Fitch's inheritance leads him into a web of scams and intrigue.

A plot twist detective story featuring John Dortmunder, a thief with a conscience, and his nemesis Kelp, the FBI agent who has given up on the force to become a private detective.

When R.J. Burrow is murdered in Los Angeles, ex‑thief Errol "Handy" White must return from exile to uncover a buried secret from a 26‑year‑old heist that may have forged a deadly vengeance.

A fool and his money are soon parted, so the saying goes. And if the job is done right, the fool doesn't even realize it's happened until the wily con artist has moved on to the next victim or the next town. In this entertaining and eye-opening book, dennis m. Marlock, a retired cop and chairman of the board for the international law enforcement organization professionals against confidence crime, takes the reader into the mind and greedy heart of the con man. You'll learn the mechanics behind famous swindles such as the pigeon drop, the jamaican switch, bank-examiner schemes, three-card monte and even fortune-telling. You'll find out why a good scam artist rarely gets caught and, if he does, how he gets away with the lightest punishment or no punishment at all. If you've ever read a news story about a sucker getting taken and wondered how he could have fallen for that, you need to read this book before an honest-faced stranger offers you a deal too good to pass up.

In 1933 New York, the Corleone crime family battles for dominance.

Doc McCoy, a seasoned bank‑robber, plans a high‑stakes heist with a treacherous, insane partner and an inexperienced wife, only to discover that a perfect getaway is impossible when the crime turns bloody.

Former boxer William Collins, after breaking out of a mental institution, finds himself entangled with a charismatic con man and a seductive woman plotting kidnapping and murder.

A bumbling thief, Dortmunder, returns from the wild, sparking a police chase and a series of crimes across the city.

A collection of condensed fiction titles, covering themes of crime, law, and suspense.

Kent Walker, son of notorious con‑queen Sante Kimes, chronicles how he survived forty years of an abusive, worldwide criminal lifestyle while trying to protect his younger brother Kenny from their mother’s deadly schemes.

Hank Mitchell’s calm routine shatters when he, his brother Jacob, and their cynical accomplice Lou uncover an astonishing treasure that threatens to consume them with greed and danger.

A gripping tale of grifters and con artists as a brother and sister team navigate love, loyalty and survival on Los Angeles’ illegal streets, while an ex‑convict seeks redemption and a brighter future.

This is the funniest of the Dortmunder series

An ex-cop, John Dortmunder, reluctantly joins the criminal underworld to recover a stolen treasure, facing impossible odds and a mysterious past.

A powerful novel of organized crime in 1940s New York City.

Mario Puzo's novels explore the world of organized crime and the lives of Italian Americans in New York.