picaresque (adj.)

"pertaining to or dealing with rogues or knaves and their adventures," especially in literary productions, 1810, from Spanish picaresco "roguish," from picaro "rogue," a word of uncertain origin, possibly from picar "to pierce," from Vulgar Latin *piccare (see pike (n.1)). Originally in roman picaresque "rogue novel," the classic example being "Gil Blas."