Slick card-sharp Ernesto has spent a lifetime in the small-racket crime world but his pleasant, though decidedly small-time, lifestyle changes when he meets the elderly El Manco, a veteran of the trade who has close contacts to the mysterious and masterful Federico, the king of all conmen. The three hook up and, after ascending to the rarefied world of elegant hotels and high living, Federico proposes a real estate con that will net them millions. The only hitch is that they need the assistance of Federico's ex-lover Pilar, who once cheated him on a scam. Swindled is a stylish often witty thriller that keeps the twists coming thick and fast right up to the final denouement.