The Good Thief's Guide to Amsterdam

By: Chris Ewan

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

Charlie Howard travels the globe writing suspense novels for a living. To supplement his income - and keep his hand in - Charlie has a small side business: stealing for a very discreet clientele on commission. When a mysterious American offers Charlie 20,000 euros to steal two small monkey figurines to match the one he already has, Charlie is suspicious; the job seems too good to be true, and of course, it is. He soon finds the American beaten nearly to death, while the third figurine has disappeared. Back in London, his literary agent, Victoria (who is naive enough to believe he actually looks like his jacket photo), tries to talk him through the plot problems in both his latest manuscript and in his real life - but Charlie soon finds himself caught up in a caper reminiscent of a Cary Grant movie, involving safe-deposit boxes, menacing characters, and a beautiful damsel in distress.

©2007 Chris Ewan (P)2011 AudioGo

Really good

I really enjoy this book the plot was good the characters exciting the story flows and holds my attention the narrator was very good I will be reading from this author again

Great narration enhances the slight plot

Simon Vance is an excellent reader, and he elevates this rather light story into a quick, entertaining listen. I'd rate it as one for fans of "cozy" mysteries. For those who like plot complexity and character development, they're not in this book.

Great story and great ending

Would you listen to The Good Thief's Guide to Amsterdam again? Why?

Would listen again just to catch the clues along the way

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Good Thief's Guide to Amsterdam?

interplay with characters made for great read

Murder mystery

What did you love best about The Good Thief's Guide to Amsterdam?

That every time I thought I knew who did it, there was another plot twist.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Many perfect plot twists, that kept me wanting more

Which scene was your favorite?

The finale in the diamond factory with all the main characters in one place

Too much at the end

If you could sum up The Good Thief's Guide to Amsterdam in three words, what would they be?

Tidies everything up

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Definitely an intriguing plot, lots of different, seemingly interrupted characters acting with motives that are hard to understand until the end.

What does Simon Vance bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Great voice and pacing. His quasi-European voice matches perfectly with the book's Amsterdam setting and British protagonist.

Any additional comments?

Really enjoyed the book until the end when everything was wrapped up a little too directly and neatly.

Fun Story, Well Written, Well Narrated

Would you consider the audio edition of The Good Thief's Guide to Amsterdam to be better than the print version?

Couldn’t ask for more. The story is excellent, the narrator is excellent and in all, a pleasure to listen to, fun, good plot and a generally likeable mystery.

A fun read

If you could sum up The Good Thief's Guide to Amsterdam in three words, what would they be?

Fun
Fascinating
Educational

Who was your favorite character and why?

The thief. I am enjoying understanding a bit more about how thieves operate. The icing is having things go wrong and how he extracts himself from the situation. Oh and his morals are very interesting.

Have you listened to any of Simon Vance’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No experience

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Kept me half the night listening to the story.

Another good one!

Couldn’t put it down. Only towards the very end did I have an idea of who it could be!

A suspenseful way to tour Amsterdam

An entertaining, wry crime novel, and a quick read. Clever turn that the “good thief” Chris Howard doubles as a suspense novelist, with an agent who helps him solve both his manuscripts and the real “whodunnit” crime he gets tangled with. We have the classic get everybody in the room to figure out who the real perps are, and of course it’s a surprise. Give the Good Thief series a whirl.

Great Narration, Story a Little Predictable

Simon Vance's narration was great...but the story didn't offer up enough of Amsterdam, and the mystery itself was a little predictable.