Dancing Aztecs

The president asks a sculptor to make sixteen copies of it for sale abroad. The sculptor replaces the original with one of his fakes, and ships the real one to New York City for an under-the-table sale to a museum. The statues travel to America spread out among five crates, labeled to ensure that delivery goes as planned. But it doesn't work. Asked to pick up the crate marked "E" at the airport, delivery man Jerry Manelli, confused by his client's Spanish accent, takes crate "A" instead. The statue disappears into the city, leading him on a baffling chase, which--if he comes up with the wrong Aztec--could cost him his life.

Donald E. Westlake (1933-2008) wrote over a hundred novels under his own name and pseudonyms, including Richard Stark. Many of his books have been made into movies, including ＂The Hunter,＂ which became the brilliant film noir ＂Point Blank,＂ and the 1999 smash hit ＂Payback.＂ The winner of the three Edgar Awards, he was named a Mystery Writers of America Grand Master, the highest honor bestowed by the society, in 1993.