Caper story
The caper story is a subgenre of crime fiction. The typical caper story involves one or more crimes perpetrated by the main characters in full view of the reader. The actions of police or detectives attempting to prevent or solve the crimes may also be chronicled, but are not the main focus of the story.
The caper story is distinguished from the straight crime story by elements of humor, adventure, or unusual cleverness or audacity. The main characters often have comical idiosyncrasies and the law enforcement individuals are characterized by ineptitude or inadequacies. The criminals comically plan a crime with details unnecessary for the nature of the crime, and humour is created when their personalities clash and their quirks are exposed. For instance, the Dortmunder stories of Donald E. Westlake are highly comic tales involving unusual thefts by a gang of offbeat characters—in different stories Dortmunder's gang steals the same gem several times, steals an entire branch bank, and kidnaps someone from an asylum by driving a stolen train onto the property. By contrast, the same author's Parker stories are grimly straightforward accounts of mundane crime—the criminal equivalent of the police procedural. Others, such as Lawrence Block's Bernie Rhodenbarr novels, feature a role reversal, an honest criminal and crooked cop, and the use of burglar Rhodenbarr's criminal talents to solve murders.
A caper may appear as a subplot in a larger work. For example, Tom Sawyer's plot to steal Jim out of slavery in the last part of Huckleberry Finn (novel)|Huckleberry Finn] is a classic caper.
Etymology
The verb to caper means to leap in a frolicsome way, and probably derives from capriole, which derives from the Latin for goat. The noun caper means a frolicsome leap, a capricious escapade or an illegal or questionable act.Examples
Literature
Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar by Maurice Leblanc- "The Ransom of Red Chief" by O. Henry: two kidnappers find that the little boy they are holding for ransom is more dangerous than the law
- early stories of "The Saint" by Leslie CharterisThe Asphalt Jungle by W. R. Burnett, adapted for film in 1950, 1958, 1963 and 1972
- novels by John Boland such as The [League of Gentlemen (novel)|The League of Gentlemen] and The [Golden Fleece (novel)|The Golden Fleece] The [Light of Day (Eric Ambler novel)|The Light of Day] by Eric Ambler
- the Modesty Blaise stories of Peter O'Donnell
- the John Dortmunder series and other novels by Donald E. WestlakeSledgehammer by Walter WagerA Tough One to Lose by Tony KenrickThe [Taking of Pelham One Two Three (novel)|The Taking of Pelham One Two Three] by John Godey— a subway car is hijacked and held for ransomThe [Great Train Robbery (novel)|The Great Train Robbery] by Michael CrichtonStealing Lillian by Tony KenrickThe Seven Day Soldiers by Tony KenrickFaraday's Flowers — adapted as Shanghai SurpriseTwo Lucky People by Tony KenrickSwindle By Gordon KormanMistborn: [The Final Empire] By Brandon SandersonThe Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott LynchHeist Society by Ally Carter
- Most books by Janet EvanovichSix of Crows by Leigh Bardugo