Семь новых дел героев «Дневника грабителя» Бекса и Олли — достойных представителей британского криминального братства. Семь анекдотически забавных ограблений, каждое из которых приводит к совершенно невероятным результатам. В сущности, стырить можно все, что угодно, — партию ЖК-телевизоров, остатки имущества в опустевшем после развода хозяев доме, сомнительного качества кожанки, антикварный чайник, подержанные компьютеры… Проблемы начинаются на уровне сбыта краденого. И вот тут-то Бекса и Олли поджидает масса приключений — иногда веселых, иногда опасных, но всегда — ЗАХВАТЫВАЮЩИХ.
Danny King was born in Slough, Berkshire, the second son of Michael and Dorothy King. He and his two brothers, Ralph and Robin, lived on the Britwell Estate until 1979, when they moved to Yateley, Hampshire. He attended Yateley School but failed to gain any qualifications before leaving at the age of 16. He stacked shelves for a short stint in the Yateley branch of Somerfield (then Gateway), before working on various building sites as a hod carrier. In 1991 he took an Access course at Farnborough College of Technology, which helped him land a place at The London College of Printing studying journalism. Between 1993 and 2002 he worked on various magazine titles, eventually becoming Editor of the Paul Raymond Publications title Mayfair (magazine). He now writes full-time. In the late 1980s, he was arrested several times and convicted of burglary at Winchester Crown Court and car theft at Camberley Magistrates Court. It is largely due to receiving these convictions that he cites as his reasons for giving education a second go.
More Burglar Diaries won't have you pondering the infinite. It won't bring you any answers to the deep philosophical question of life such as: Why is there never a complete pair of socks in my sock drawer? Why does the wife keep moving everything around? Where the feck is the TV remote? And finally it won't tell you why Jeremy Clarkson and Piers Morgan are such a pair of annoying... What it will do, if you're not careful, is have you spraying the tuna sandwich you were eating across the nearest wall or hapless old lady who just happens to be in front of you on the bus (sorry Ethel).
Bex and his hapless sidekick Ollie blunder from one botched burglary to another creating mayhem as they go. The dialogue is smart and hilarious. In particular Bex's wisecracks guarantee more than a chortle a chapter. The running gags are excellent. On the face of it a lighthearted comical read but King effortlessly weaves in little twists to the various jobs the boys find themselves on. A great mix of recurring characters, witty banter and slapstick humour.
I found this to be very funny with two very likeable main characters, despite the fact that they were unrepentant criminals! Bex and his best mate, Ollie, make their living carrying out jobs. Big jobs, little jobs, usually to order, but sometimes simply taking advantage of what is available. Ollie is shown as the "nice but dim" character, while Bex regularly comes up against the old Bill, and usually comes out on top. Yes, they are the bad guys, but they are likeable rogues, with a cast of supporting characters who are brilliant foils to their crimes. I wasn't aware when I first read this that it had been made into a TV series - I wish I'd seen it! Very funny, and a perfect antidote on a long bus journey...once you get past the fact that these are the law-breakers!
You get what it says from this book: it's written as a series of stories told by a burglar about his exploits, along with his dodgy friends. While there is a good deal of humour in the book, and it's quite readable, I found it hard to sympathise with the main character, who is a crook. No matter how hapless he seems, you just know that there's a victim for each one of these 'jobs' and while Bex does have to face justice, he rarely has to face his victims.