Under Locke's leadership, the Gentleman Bastards are known as a small gang of gentrified but petty thieves and pickpockets, and their dues, though regularly paid, are relatively small. The criminal underworld of Camorr is ruled with an iron fist by the Capa Barsavi, who collects a commission on all criminal activity under his purview. Their wayward female associate Sabetha is mentioned, but resides elsewhere during the events of the novel. After Chains' death, Locke becomes garrista of the group, consisting of Jean Tannen, an expert fighter Calo and Galdo Sanza, jack-of-all-trades identical twins and Bug, a young apprentice. Through a series of confidence tricks on the rich, they defy the Secret Peace, an unspoken agreement between the criminal underground and the Duke’s government which allows for the existence of organized crime with the understanding that the peerage and the servants of justice are off limits. He buys troublesome youth Locke for his gang. Father Chains, their 'garrista' (leader), is a priest of the Crooked Warden, the god of thieves. The Gentleman Bastards are masters of deception, disguise, and fine cuisine. Two stories interweave: in the present, the Gentleman Bastards fight a mysterious Grey King taking over the criminal underworld alternate chapters describe the history of Camorr and the Gentleman Bastards, in particular Locke Lamora.

Elite con artists calling themselves the 'Gentleman Bastards' rob the rich of the city of Camorr, based on late medieval Venice but on an unnamed world. The Lies of Locke Lamora is a 2006 fantasy novel by American writer Scott Lynch, the first book of the Gentleman Bastard series.

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch