Considered Thompson's masterpiece by many critics, this is a satirical crime novel unlike most others. The "hero" is a bright, psychopathic, scheming sheriff who pretends to be a dimwit. Not only does he enforce the law as little as possible, he commits a series of egregious crimes against innocent people and manipulates everyone around him. Adapted into a highly-acclaimed Bertrand Tavernier-directed French noir film, Coup De Torchon, in which the setting was changed to French West Africa.
