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

Holiday in Amsterdam!

Simon Vance's narration is what drew me to this book and he was spectacular, as always. The story was a fun little diversion in the city of Amsterdam, and having spent time there myself, I enjoyed all the references and geographically staged events. Interesting plot and outcome. . . just a nice listen!

Light and Quick Read

This is a nice quick read with a fast and interesting story line.
I just didn't care for the ending all the much... All the loose ends were tied up, but it felt a little chopped off for me.
Nevertheless, I think I will pick up the next book in the series, just to see where the character develops to.

Enjoyable read, too much exposition

I enjoyed this book very much, but there's a long exposition at the end that drug on for too long. Parts of the story were predictable, but enjoyable none the less.

Mystery neatly tied up

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

The first half was good. Set up and character development.

Would you recommend The Good Thief's Guide to Amsterdam to your friends? Why or why not?

No. Seems like the author got tired. Unrealistic ending with all the players meeting in one room to be spoken to by the thief and the whole plot is neatly wrapped up. Ruined the ending for me.

Which character – as performed by Simon Vance – was your favorite?

The "lawyer"

Did The Good Thief's Guide to Amsterdam inspire you to do anything?

Be careful selecting books.

Any additional comments?

Could have been do much better with proper editing and ending.

I passed this up for several years...

...but finally bought it because of Simon Vance. I'm still deciding if I want to continue the series.

old fashioned sluething

struggled to finish. wanted more interpersonal relationships, like his flirting and saucy interactions with his
publisher that we are few and far between

A Fun Find

Glad I followed the reviews and picked this up. I needed a lightweight mystery to entertain me while I do some mindless photo retouching. This fit the bill. A good romp with a burglar / mystery writer anti-hero.

Surprisingly good

I don't usually read this kind of stories, but it was recommended and Simon Vance was the narrator, so I thought why not?

And I'm glad I got it. It is a fun, lighthearted mystery with interesting characters and a clever plot. The ending actually got me.

Bernie Has a New Friend

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

I would listen again, and will someday. It is a fun novel, full of great characters, plot, atmosphere, and bad decisions by the main character-Charlie.

What other book might you compare The Good Thief's Guide to Amsterdam to and why?

No need to think about this one-the fantastic "Burglar" books by Lawrence Block. Both books are about a gentleman burglar, both books have a faithful sidekick who knows their secret, both books have nasty cops, and finally and importantly-both books have the "I bet you all wonder why I summoned you all here moment"!

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

Simon Vance's narration is first rate. He brought a depth to this novel that reading alone could not have obtained.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I loved the moment when Charlie is hiding in the attic crawl space while a second burglar is trashing the apartment he has just finished lifting a valuable object from. Too funny!

Any additional comments?

If you enjoy a classic and lighthearted "who done it" you will like this book. I also recommend the novel to Block's "Burglar" fans who are suffering from withdrawals.

Not his best effort

Not bad but I felt that the ending was a bit fantastic; the author pulled a lot of rabbits out of hats to keep the plot cohesive. His first novel was better. The main character is charming and fun however.