Recommended reading - The Big Bounce by Elmore Leonard (1969):

The Big Bounce

By Elmore Leonard.

Published by Mariner Books.

First published 1969.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0062184288

ISBN-13: 978-0062184283

Description:

Jack Ryan always wanted to play pro ball. But he couldn't hit a curveball, so he turned his attentions to less legal pursuits. A tough guy who likes walking the razor's edge, he's just met his match – and more – in Nancy. She's a rich man's plaything, seriously into thrills and risk, and together she and Jack are pure heat ready to explode. But when simple housebreaking and burglary give way to the deadly pursuit of a really big score, the stakes suddenly skyrocket. Because violence and double-crosses are the name of this game – and it's going to take every ounce of cunning Jack and Nancy possess to survive . . . each other.