Terry Pratchett's Going Postal

Moist von Lipwig is a con artist of the highest degree. Nevertheless, as the story begins he is confined to a cell in Ankh Morpork and scheduled to die within half an hour after having stolen AM$150,000. He is saved when Lord Vetinari offers him a choice: he can walk out of the door (and fall to his death), or he can become Postmaster of the city's run down Post Office. Lipwig chooses the latter.