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The Good Thief's Guide To Paris (2008)

by Chris Ewan(Favorite Author)

3.42 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0312376456 (ISBN13: 9780312376451)

languge

English

genre

Mystery & Thriller

publisher

Minotaur Books

series

Good Thief's Guide

review 1: Sadly, I found this novel to be quite underwhelming. I didn't really like the protagonist, and despite the hundred and one characters and plot lines it seemed to move too slowly for me. Instead of being a clever web of intrigue it seemed more like a messy trail of conflicting plots and boring characters. When answers were revealed I didn't feel satisfied, just glad another loose end had been tied. There is a lot happening but it's not particularly exciting, there's no real sense of danger and for a 'professional thief' Charlie seems pretty spineless. The relationship with Victoria seemed a bit pointless, as though she were only written in so that Charlie had someone to explain everything to. On a whole, it just wasn't clever enough for me. I have no interest to read the pr... moreeceding novel, despite the references to it in this one, as it all just seems a bit flat and unoriginal. Perhaps it would work better as a film, but as a book, it was pretty mediocre.
review 2: The real strength of the book is its premise (a crime author who is a criminal whose exploits parallel those of his novels), its plotting, which is well crafted and clever, and its pacing, with the story jaunting along at a nice trot. Where the story is probably a little weak is with respect to characterisation. Despite the first person perspective I never really got a sense of the emotional and psychological make-up of Charlie – what made him tick – and the other characters tended to be thin and underdeveloped. I think this was partly because no character, including Charlie, had a backstory; the reader never learns anything about their history or family, just their role in the caper being told. I’m aware that this probably doesn’t sound as positive as it might, so I should make it clear that The Good Thief’s Guide to Paris did win me over, mainly due to its astute plotting, and I intend to read the first book in the series. less

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