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A review by carolsnotebook
The Good Thief's Guide to Berlin by Chris Ewan
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.