Scan barcode
katykelly's review against another edition
2.0
Disappointing. I didn't find it very funny and wasn't interested in the main character. Bit dull and didn't add much to the genre.
missnatalieann's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this audio book. I went in thinking "Ok, I'll listen to the first 10 or so minutes to see if I like this." When I checked to see how far in I was, 2 hours had passed and I hadn't even noticed. The story pulled me in right away and was pretty fast paced. Before this audio book I had yet to find a male narrator that I enjoyed listening to, but Simon Vance does a fantastic job! On to A Good Thief's Guide to Paris!
esmeej's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
book_concierge's review against another edition
4.0
Charlie Howard is a successful mystery author, writing a series that features a professional burglar, Faulks. As a sideline – and I guess you could call it research – he also occasionally accepts a commission to steal certain items. When a stranger offers him an unusually high fee to steal a couple of seemingly worthless monkey figurines, his instincts tell him to decline while his curiosity urges him to comply. Before long he’s embroiled in a major intrigue, and a suspect in a murder.
This was a highly entertaining mystery. I couldn’t help but think of Lawrence Block’s Bernie Rhodenbarr series, but the comparison is a good one. The pace is quick, the characters interesting, and the charms of Amsterdam (a city I have visited) evident. I didn’t really like the way he revealed the culprit; bringing everyone together and having a long speech to lay out the crime and point out the responsible party (or parties) seems a bit tedious. Still, I was charmed by Charlie and want to read more of this series.
UPDATE / SECOND reading: 12Aug2019
I listened to the audio, capably narrated by Simon Vance. I enjoyed it just as much, but then I'd listen to Simon Vance read his grocery list.
This was a highly entertaining mystery. I couldn’t help but think of Lawrence Block’s Bernie Rhodenbarr series, but the comparison is a good one. The pace is quick, the characters interesting, and the charms of Amsterdam (a city I have visited) evident. I didn’t really like the way he revealed the culprit; bringing everyone together and having a long speech to lay out the crime and point out the responsible party (or parties) seems a bit tedious. Still, I was charmed by Charlie and want to read more of this series.
UPDATE / SECOND reading: 12Aug2019
I listened to the audio, capably narrated by Simon Vance. I enjoyed it just as much, but then I'd listen to Simon Vance read his grocery list.
sarahlreadseverything's review against another edition
2.0
A fantastic series idea - the author of novels about a thief who is actually a thief - woefully under used with a plot that just tries too hard and becomes uninteresting rather than suspenseful. It's almost too much of a mystery. . .an explanation at the end shouldn't take 10 pages, and should have you kicking yourself that you didn't see that earlier rather than going "oh, righteo." Didn't appreciate the spelling/grammer mistakes either!
darkzem's review against another edition
3.0
It really wants you to think "Danny Ocean meets the Maltese Falcon in a daring tale of adventure and mystery!" and it doesn't not deliver that. Engaging enough to read and good enough I'll try the sequel but don't expect the moon.
saazhar's review against another edition
3.0
well, it was....okay, I guess. if you want a quick read that doesn't take too much mental or emotional commitment, it is good. but as a story, it didn't impress me too much.
sandin954's review against another edition
2.0
One of those books that I would have not finished if I had actually been reading it instead of listening to the audio. The premise of a mystery writer who moonlights as a burglar sounded great but the characters were kind of flat and the plot was not all that engaging. The narration by Simon Vance was the highlight of the whole enterprise.