Dirty White Boys is the sixth novel from acclaimed author Stephen Hunter and follows the escape from a state penitentiary by Lamar Pye, his cousin Odell, and artist Richard Peed. Lamar is an intelligent criminal who leads his gang on an adventure across Oklahoma and into Texas, leaving bodies in his wake. Bud Pewtie is a state trooper assigned to the collection of cops looking for the escapees. Bud becomes determined to catch Lamar after he kills a fellow trooper and leaves Bud injured. Dirty White Boys is a novel about crime, intelligence, and fear that will keep the reader guessing until the final showdown.

Lamar Pye has just murdered a member of a rival gang and knows he must get out of the prison before nightfall or he will be the next victim. Lamar arranges a prison break with the help of an old guard, escaping with his cousin and fellow inmate, Richard Peed. Lamar and his newly-formed gang immediately begin seeking out weapons to keep them protected while on the run. They break into the home of an older couple who reportedly like to hunt. Lamar keeps the couple hostage overnight while he collects the guns and feeds his gang. At the same time, Bud Pewtie has been called to team up with fellow state trooper, Ted Pepper, and join the search for Lamar and his gang. During this search, Bud learns that a regular customer at a local diner failed to come in for his morning coffee. Bud and Ted decide to do a welfare check while awaiting news on Lamar.

Unbeknown to them, Bud and Ted walk up to the front door of the home in which Lamar and his gang have taken up residence. Lamar ambushes them, shooting down Ted immediately. Bud is able to get a few rounds off at Lamar, but Odell cuts him down. As Lamar and his gang prepare to leave with their hostages, they shoot Ted in the head and turn the shotgun on Bud. Luckily, however, the rifle was filled with bird shot and left Bud injured, but alive. Ted was not as lucky.

Lamar and his gang need a place to hold up now that they have doubled their trouble by killing a state trooper. Richard remembers a letter he received from a woman who lives on a remote farm. Lamar takes his gang to this farm and discovers that quiet farming life is rejuvenating. Lamar settles quickly into the hard work of the farm, enjoying a sexual relationship with the young farmer's daughter. However, a need for money soon spurs Lamar into action once again. Lamar plans to rob a Denny's in Texas.

Richard is point man inside the restaurant but fails to see a state trooper who came in through the back door. The robbery goes wrong from the moment Lamar and his gang walks into the restaurant. The trooper is killed immediately and a parole officer who tries to take control of the situation is also gunned down. Within moments, the police arrive. A gun battle ensues. Several more cops are killed as Richard, Ruta Beth, and Odell escape out the front while Lamar is forced to make his escape out the back.

Bud arrives at the restaurant after the fact and finds a group of drawings Richard had done while watching the restaurant. These are the second set of drawings Bud had found among Richard's things which gets Bud thinking, but it will take some time before he realizes what they are for. In the meantime, Bud is part of a group who is dispatched to find the getaway car based on tire tracks left near where the getaway car was dumped. Bud has no luck. However, he finally realizes what Lamar plans to do with the drawings. Lamar wants Richard to design a tattoo.

Bud begins checking out tattoo parlors and happens on one while Lamar is in the middle of receiving his tattoo. Another gun battle begins. Odell is killed; Lamar looses several fingers, and Bud is injured. Lamar falls into a dark depression as a result of his grief over Odell. Lamar decides to punish Bud for what he has done. Odell and his gang discover the identity of Bud's son through local newspaper articles and attend one of his baseball games. Afterward, Lamar and his gang follow Bud home. However, Bud does not go home but to the residence of his lover, Holly Pepper. Lamar kidnaps Holly, believing her to be Bud's wife, and starts Bud on a wild goose chase that will end with Lamar's torture and murder.

Bud calls an old retired colleague and asks for his help. This colleague discovers the identity of Ruta Beth through old news articles and is able to send Bud to her home. Bud sneaks up on Lamar and his gang and is able to separate them. Ruta Beth is killed almost immediately by cross fire. Bud then chases Lamar into the woods. Bud and Lamar battle in the trees and it appears for a short time that Lamar is going to get the better of Bud. However, Bud eventually gets the upper hand and kills Lamar. The cavalry arrives shortly afterward. Unfortunately, Richard appears and shoots both Bud and his retired colleague in revenge for them killing Lamar. Bud survives, but his colleague does not.