Green-eyed Thieves

Hardly a conventional family history, "Green-Eyed Thieves" tells the story of the fortunes of a family of crooks - the green-eyed thieves of the title. The matriarch of this unusual family is a university lecturer and an accomplished shoplifter, and her husband is a master thief whose ingenious exploits include relieving the Aga Khan of his wardrobe of expensive suits-since both men happen to be the same size. An uncle, universally known as Ten-Per-Cent Farouk, lives with the family in Fordsburg, a suburb of Johannesburg. And Firoze, the narrator of this wickedly humorous novel from South African writer Imraan Coovadia, is a dreamer and a bookworm who is radically different from, but inextricably bound to, his identical twin, Ashraf. "Green-Eyed Thieves" follows this clan of skilled criminals and the twins as they embark on a series of mind-boggling adventures that include a love triangle with the twins' perfect match, a masterly heist at Sun City, and a surprise appearance at the White House. Including cameos by George W. Bush, Mohammed Atta, and a Pakistani brigadier in Peshawar, these original and lively family adventures are sure to delight.