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zogg's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
missnatalieann's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book, I enjoyed the whole series! There's action, suspense, thugs from different countries (I listened to all of the books on audio, the narrator's accents are fantastic!), a love interest, humor, sarcasm, wit, a good ole whodunit, but my one complaint is the ending. It felt unresolved to me. So, I went on over to Chris's website and looked around in the FAQ section. Here's what I found:
Q:"WILL YOU BE WRITING MORE GOOD THIEF’S GUIDES?"
A:"I hope so. It’s been a few years now since I’ve written about Charlie Howard and I miss the guy. I know where I’d take him after Berlin. I know why. Maybe one day I’ll get to share that with you."
Note, I have no idea how long ago the above answer was written, but regardless, I have hope. I won't hold my breath, but I like to think that there is a possibility for more someday.
Q:"WILL YOU BE WRITING MORE GOOD THIEF’S GUIDES?"
A:"I hope so. It’s been a few years now since I’ve written about Charlie Howard and I miss the guy. I know where I’d take him after Berlin. I know why. Maybe one day I’ll get to share that with you."
Note, I have no idea how long ago the above answer was written, but regardless, I have hope. I won't hold my breath, but I like to think that there is a possibility for more someday.
skconaghan's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Yes yes yes. The best of the bunch. I LOVED these novels and so sorry they’re over with this last one.
Our snappy sarky good-hearted Charlie finds himself in the middle of a clandestine investigation that for once doesn’t make him the criminal (does it?), but it does thrust him into an altogether more shocking situation—being the eyewitness to a grisly murder. The twists and punches are plentiful and unexpected, and Charlie never loses his wicked sense of humour.
But that ending…
Chris Ewan trying to kill me with that ending. Took me hours to work through it, and eventually I think I’ll get over it…but maybe not.
Our snappy sarky good-hearted Charlie finds himself in the middle of a clandestine investigation that for once doesn’t make him the criminal (does it?), but it does thrust him into an altogether more shocking situation—being the eyewitness to a grisly murder. The twists and punches are plentiful and unexpected, and Charlie never loses his wicked sense of humour.
But that ending…
Chris Ewan trying to kill me with that ending. Took me hours to work through it, and eventually I think I’ll get over it…but maybe not.
kiramke's review
2.0
Meh. Hokey and annoying but if you skim-read it's passable. Takes care to hit the checklist of expected Berlin tropes which honestly just makes me feel a little manipulated.
aspygirlsmom_1995's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
carolsnotebook's review against another edition
3.0
This is my first meeting Charlie Howard, the writer/thief who stars in The Good Thief's Guide to Berlin. This is the 5th in the series and while I felt like it stood alone well, I may a understood the characters a little better had I started at the beginning. Charlie is smart and sarcastic and I love how Simon Vance read the book. It's no surprise, really, that he seems to capture Charlie perfectly.
If you read the blurb, you know Charlie's in Berlin and has got himself involved in a bit of a mess. He's looking for a "package" that everyone else seems to be looking for too, the Russians, the Americans, the French, and none are too nice about it. He's not a step ahead either; the bad, bad guys, as opposed to our thief who is a good bad guy, always seem to know where he's going to be.
I like Charlie's attitude - he's always got a quip ready, even when it's a life-or-death situation, and it is a fun mystery, even if it feels like a little too much. Too many black cars and thugs, too odd a "package." There's kidnappings and close escapes, even a nutty man who lives under an abandoned amusement park. All of that is part of the fun, but even though it is violent, it still feels light-hearted, because really, could all this actually happen. The plot is a bit twisty, but with no really astounding moments.
There's a touch of romance with Victoria, his agent. I do wonder if this has been simmering for a while or if it's new in this installment. I hope the second, because drawn-out non-romances tend to annoy me. And of course, his "arrangement" puts her in grave danger too, not surprising.
Overall, it was enjoyable to listen too, but it didn't hold all my attention.
If you read the blurb, you know Charlie's in Berlin and has got himself involved in a bit of a mess. He's looking for a "package" that everyone else seems to be looking for too, the Russians, the Americans, the French, and none are too nice about it. He's not a step ahead either; the bad, bad guys, as opposed to our thief who is a good bad guy, always seem to know where he's going to be.
I like Charlie's attitude - he's always got a quip ready, even when it's a life-or-death situation, and it is a fun mystery, even if it feels like a little too much. Too many black cars and thugs, too odd a "package." There's kidnappings and close escapes, even a nutty man who lives under an abandoned amusement park. All of that is part of the fun, but even though it is violent, it still feels light-hearted, because really, could all this actually happen. The plot is a bit twisty, but with no really astounding moments.
There's a touch of romance with Victoria, his agent. I do wonder if this has been simmering for a while or if it's new in this installment. I hope the second, because drawn-out non-romances tend to annoy me. And of course, his "arrangement" puts her in grave danger too, not surprising.
Overall, it was enjoyable to listen too, but it didn't hold all my attention.
nikkisdudley's review against another edition
3.0
Just finished a great read! I have to say, I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the Good Thief series! What struck me first was the chemistry between the characters, particularly Charlie and Victoria. Charlie Howard, the thief cum writer, is witty and likeable, drawing similarities with other hardboiled detectives that we all love (Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe, Kemel Kayankaya etc). Victoria is also a believable ally who challenges Charlie and displays an unusual ruthless streak due to the fact that she earns commission on Charlie's endeavours, whether criminal or not.
The Good Thief's Guide to Berlin provides a good mystery straight off. Charlie is half-heartedly enlisted to investigate a missing item which was stolen from the British Embassy in Berlin. However, the catch is, Charlie isn't allowed to know what he's looking for. What follows (without too many spoilers) is a tempestuous search, hampered by other interested parties muscling in, as well as threats to the safety of both Charlie and Victoria.
What I enjoyed about the novel was the sharp dialogue, the page-turning plot, and as I said before, the solid relationship between Charlie and Victoria. My only gripe might be that Charlie goes through a lot, albeit as it is with a lot of hardboiled novels, that sometimes you wonder just how many injuries the character can realistically withstand. However, it's a well-written novel with a rich bank of characters to draw on, which makes it an enjoyable ride. You know you're reading a good novel when you're interested in seeing the side characters and they have real stories behind them.
The retrieval of mystery item, which at first seems like it could be straightforward, soon becomes a complex and messy task, which has far-reaching and serious repercussions.
Much recommended and I will definitely be looking at Ewan's other novels.
madanburg's review against another edition
3.0
Another fun installment in the Charlie Howard series. Aw, Charlie, the life of a thief is a hard one, and not getting any easier when the British Embassy gets involved.
I like Ewan's voice very much, and even though I'm not always interested in the machinations that get Charlie into trouble, I always enjoy his machinations to get out of it... if he can.
I like Ewan's voice very much, and even though I'm not always interested in the machinations that get Charlie into trouble, I always enjoy his machinations to get out of it... if he can.
enidkeaner's review against another edition
Guys, I tired. I tired really, really hard. I SO wanted to like this but it just didn't work for me. That's not the fault the the writer - it's entirely on me.
For the most part, I've never really been big on mysteries. I'd read a few Agatha Christie's in my youth and liked them fine, though they were nothing I couldn't have lived with out.
I tend to feel the same about most "genre" fiction and I really want to branch out and read stuff that perhaps I normally wouldn't have read.
I'd read a few mysteries recently that I quite liked and this looked fun so I tried to give it a whirl.
I made it about half way through. And it was such a struggle for me to get there. The struggle was real.
This is not the author's fault, I don't think. Most of the literature I love best tends to be very much character driven. I tend to struggle with more plot driven works as what really gets me into a book are the characters. Literature fiction, of course, is my jam.
It doesn't matter if I love, hate, or want to kill a character - as long as I'm feeling something for them, I tend to be in for the long haul.
I didn't feel anything for Charlie or Victoria or any of the other characters in the novel. I just could not make myself care what happened to them, which made me really not care what happened, which made it hard for me to keep reading. So finally, i just threw in the towel. I hate not finishing an author's work, especially one I so wanted to love.
This just wasn't for me and I'm really sorry about that.
For the most part, I've never really been big on mysteries. I'd read a few Agatha Christie's in my youth and liked them fine, though they were nothing I couldn't have lived with out.
I tend to feel the same about most "genre" fiction and I really want to branch out and read stuff that perhaps I normally wouldn't have read.
I'd read a few mysteries recently that I quite liked and this looked fun so I tried to give it a whirl.
I made it about half way through. And it was such a struggle for me to get there. The struggle was real.
This is not the author's fault, I don't think. Most of the literature I love best tends to be very much character driven. I tend to struggle with more plot driven works as what really gets me into a book are the characters. Literature fiction, of course, is my jam.
It doesn't matter if I love, hate, or want to kill a character - as long as I'm feeling something for them, I tend to be in for the long haul.
I didn't feel anything for Charlie or Victoria or any of the other characters in the novel. I just could not make myself care what happened to them, which made me really not care what happened, which made it hard for me to keep reading. So finally, i just threw in the towel. I hate not finishing an author's work, especially one I so wanted to love.
This just wasn't for me and I'm really sorry about that.
cricci's review against another edition
3.0
A fun adventure! I loved the ease with which Ewan's writing reads. Charlie's humor as a defense mechanism and flaws, including arthritis, make him all the more lovable. My only issue was that Charlie definitely broke his eardrum partway through the story, but Ewan never mentions how this might hinder or effect the rest of the story. What happened? Was that just something that Ewan threw into the story and forgot about?
Overall, I enjoyed Ewan's writing style, and the plot itself was fun, light, and interesting. I will definitely have to pick up the first ones in the series to find out what happened. I hope Ewan returns to this series soon.
Overall, I enjoyed Ewan's writing style, and the plot itself was fun, light, and interesting. I will definitely have to pick up the first ones in the series to find out what happened. I hope Ewan returns to this series soon.
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