Crime is a novella about an arch criminal named Jacques with whom the narrator had relations while living in western Europe. At the same time that it explores the various facets of this man, the book examines the inner workings of a criminal enterprise. We see the narrator and Jacques build a business together involving soft and hard drugs. We follow them through the eyes of a narrator who is both fascinated and frightened by the man he has just met - a man who has spent most of his life in prison. This man operates like a one man gang and though he could be described as a street thug, has a side to him that is both friendly and caring. An engrossing portrait emerges of a man who does business with threats, guns and knives, but at the same time enjoys children and animals.

While the book follows a narrative, the focus is often on the issues surrounding criminal enterprises and those who practice it. At times the narrator treats his partner as an interviewee and he asks Jacques questions about his upbringing, time in prison, and what motivates one to become a criminal. Soon, the narrator is in over his head but it is too late to back out. Then the business starts falling apart and, as they say, all hell broke loose...

Crime focuses on timeless issues relating to underground business by presenting a story largely symbolic in nature. Though their business involves drugs, little attention is paid to this aspect and the principles examined are common to most criminal enterprises. When one works outside of the law, one may require protection. You can’t take somebody to court over a drug deal gone sour. The narrator learns this and other lessons the hard way. Jacques had once joked about him that, when it came to crime, he was an amateur. This comment, as it turned out, was more than slightly ironic in light of what happened when the gun was pulled...