The Good Thief's Guide to Paris

Good Thief's Guide #2

by Chris Ewan

The moment I'd scanned the outside of the building, I turned to Bruno and said, "First impressions, it looks straightforward." Looking back, I can't help but wonder what I was thinking. I mean, put that line at the opening of a crime novel and it's practically a guarantee that everything is about to get complicated.

Charlie Howard—globe-trotting mystery writer, professional thief, and poor decision maker—is in Paris. Flush with the success of his latest book reading, not to mention a few too many glasses of wine, Charlie agrees to show a complete novice how to break into an apartment in the Marais. Fast-forward twenty-four hours and Charlie's hired to steal an ordinary-looking oil painting—from the exact same address.

Mere coincidence? Charlie figures there's no harm in finding out—until a dead body turns up in his living room and he finds himself evading the law while becoming caught up in a quite outrageous heist. And that's before Charlie's literary agent, Victoria (who's naive enough to assume that he looks like his author photo), finally decides they should meet face-to-face.
Nobody ever said a life of suspense was easy, but Charlie, the most disarmingly charming burglar since Cary Grant, soon finds things are getting way out of control.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Audiobook, France, Thriller, Humor

280 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Writing as C.M. Ewan, my latest thriller is A WINDOW BREAKS.

I'm also the author of the popular GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO ... series of mysteries about globetrotting crime writer and thief-for-hire, Charlie Howard. The series has been praised as "crime writing at its best" (Sydney Morning Herald) and a "delightful series" (The Seattle Times) and comprises THE GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO AMSTERDAM (winner of the Long Barn Books First Novel Award), THE GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO PARIS, THE GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO VEGAS, THE GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO VENICE and THE GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO BERLIN.

To download your FREE copy of THE GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO MURDER, simply visit my website www.chrisewan.com and enter your email details.

I love to hear from readers and always respond to every email I receive.
You can contact me via:
my website www.chrisewan.com
on Twitter @chrisewan
or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/chrisewanauthor

My critically acclaimed standalone thrillers include the major bestseller SAFE HOUSE (which has sold more than 500,000 copies in the UK and was shortlisted for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award), DEAD LINE, DARK TIDES (an Observer "Thriller of the Month") and LONG TIME LOST (a "masterful thriller" The Independent). I'm also the author of the Kindle Single story SCARLETT POINT which, like many of my thrillers, is set on the Isle of Man.

I was born in Taunton in 1976 and graduated from the University of Nottingham with a degree in American Studies with a minor in Canadian Literature, then later trained as a lawyer. After an eleven-year spell living on the Isle of Man, I now live in Somerset, England with my wife and two children, where I write full time.

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Χιουμοριστική περιπέτεια μυστηρίου με φόντο το Παρίσι και κάμποσους κλεμένους - ή μπορεί και όχι πίνακες, αξίας - ή μπορεί και όχι. Πρωταγωνιστούν: ένας συγγραφέας - διαρρήκτης, όπου γράφει για όσα έχει κλέψει, ο κλεπταποδόχος του, η ατζέντισσά του, ένας μυστήριος τύπος που δουλεύει για τους καλούς αλλά συνεργάζεται με τους κακούς, ένα τσούρμο ελεύθερα πνεύματα που δουλεύουν εθελοντικά σε ένα βιβλιοπωλείο - κοινόβιο, μια υπάλληλος με ικανότητες παραχαράκτη, ένας τραπεζικός υπάλληλος με φιλοδοξίες που δεν μπορεί να καλύψει η τσέπη του και μια όμορφη πλην άτιμη πρώην υπάλληλος του εν λόγω βιβλιοπωλείου.... Και όλοι αυτοί οι τρελοί δένουν απίστευτα αρμονικά μεταξύ τους!!!

Πολύ ευχάριστο που οι εκδόσεις Mamaya έφεραν αυτή τη σειρά στην Ελλάδα, θα μου άρεσε πολύ αν το συνέχιζαν και με τα υπόλοιπα βιβλία της σειράς!

[Λίνα Θωμάρεη · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Λοιπόν αυτό το βιβλίο, πολύ το χάρηκα" Μία φράση που δεν περίμενα ότι θα την πω όταν ξεκίνησα να το διαβάζω.

Στα 2 πρώτα κεφάλαια βαρέθηκα. Σχεδόν έκλαψα τα λεφτά που έδωσα... Αλλά είπα οοοοοοοοοχι διάβασε το μέχρι την μέση και αν δεν αλλάξει κάτι παράτα το... (όπως τα τραγούδια ας πούμε, που για να καταλάβεις αν είναι καλά πρέπει να τα ακούσεις μέχρι το ρεφρέν).

Και επίσης τσαντίστηκα φοβερά όταν κατάλαβα ότι αυτό που διαβάζω στην ουσία είναι το 2ο βιβλίο του Τσάρλι... (Η ίδια ιστορία ξανά και ξανά.. τελικά μυαλό δεν θα βάλω ποτές.)

Και να που φτάνω στο σημείο να πω ότι ΧΑΙΡΟΜΑΙ που δεν το παράτησα. Γιατί από το 3ο κεφάλαιο και μετά ξεδιπλώθηκε η απόλυτη περιπέτεια με αρκετές δόσεις χιούμορ και αγωνίας.

3,5 αστέρια... και ναι θέλω να ταξιδέψω ξανά με τον Τσάρλι τόσο στο Άμστερνταμ όσο και στο επόμενο άγνωστο προορισμό του ...

Απορία: Αλήθεια θα εκδώθουν και τα υπόλοιπα???

[George K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Πρόκειται για το δεύτερο βιβλίο της σειράς με ήρωα τον συγγραφέα αστυνομικών μυθιστορημάτων και εξαιρετικό διαρρήκτη Τσάρλι Χάουαρντ, τον οποίο γνωρίσαμε την εποχή που ζούσε και δρούσε στο Άμστερνταμ. Τώρα βρίσκουμε τον αγαπητό Τσάρλι στο μαγευτικό Παρίσι, όπου προσπαθεί να γράψει το επόμενο μυθιστόρημά του.

Μια μέρα, θα γνωρίσει έναν νεαρό, ονόματι Μπρουνό, ο οποίος θα τον πείσει να του μάθει όλα τα κόλπα του επαγγέλματος. Με το αζημίωτο, βέβαια. Και που θα εξασκηθεί ο νεαρός; Στο ίδιο το διαμέρισμά του. Την επόμενη μέρα, ο Τσάρλι θα δεχτεί μια δουλειά από τον κλεπταποδόχο και μεσάζοντα του: Να διαρρήξει ένα διαμέρισμα και να κλέψει έναν (άσχημο) πίνακα ζωγραφικής. Το πρόβλημα; Είναι το ίδιο διαμέρισμα που "διέρρηξε" την προηγούμενη μέρα! Σύμπτωση; Που να δείτε και την συνέχεια, όπου το πτώμα μιας γυναίκας θα εμφανιστεί στο διαμέρισμα του Τσάρλι, ενώ θα μπλέξει και με μια ερασιτεχνική συμμορία κλεφτών. Χώρια ότι θα του κατσικωθεί και η Βικτώρια, η ατζέντισσά του, που την έχει φλομώσει στο ψέμα για την εμφάνισή του... Πολλά τα προβλήματα για τον κακομοίρη τον Τσάρλι...

Το βιβλίο μου φάνηκε εξίσου καλογραμμένο, ευκολοδιάβαστο, απολαυστικό και ψυχαγωγικό με το προηγούμενο. Ευχαριστήθηκα δράση και μυστήριο, ανατροπές και εκπλήξεις στην πλοκή, όπως επίσης αρκετό μαύρο χιούμορ, ωραίες περιγραφές των διαφόρων τρελών σκηνικών αλλά και των ωραίων δρόμων, πάρκων και κτιρίων του Παρισιού, ενώ συμπάθησα με τον ένα ή τον άλλο τρόπο όλους τους περίεργους και μοναδικούς χαρακτήρες που παρουσίασε ο συγγραφέας.

Ίσως και να μην είναι για όλα τα γούστα από άποψη γραφής και πλοκής, ίσως σαν πλοκή να έχει κάποιες ευκολίες και χρήσιμες συμπτώσεις, ίσως να μην αρέσει σε μερικούς το συνήθειο του συγγραφέα να κρύβει πράγματα και να τα εμφανίζει στο τέλος για να μείνουμε έκπληκτοι από τις αποκαλύψεις, όμως προσωπικά ευχαριστήθηκα την κάθε ξεχωριστή σελίδα. Το στιλ και το ύφος της γραφής του Γιούαν μου αρέσει πάρα πολύ, ενώ νιώθω σαν ένα καλό φιλαράκι τον συμπαθητικό διαρρήκτη-πρωταγωνιστή της σειράς. Τι να σας πω, πέρασα πολύ ωραία.

Υ.Γ. Η ελληνική έκδοση (Mamaya) κλασικά πολύ όμορφη, με προσεγμένη μετάφραση και ωραίο εξώφυλλο. Ελπίζω να δούμε και τα επόμενα βιβλία της σειράς από τις εκδόσεις αυτές.

[Agnieszka Mauch · Rating 1 out of 5]

Alas, I could not bring myself to finish this book. It's truly a wonder I've managed to read more than a half of it, as it bored me to death. The first chapter planted a seed of hope, and was actually a promising one. Then, as I expected, it went downhill from there.
The characters seem flat to me, the plot uninteresting. As if the book was written in a hurry. The main protagonist is an idiot, through and through, and does not fit the synopsis printed on the back of the book. He is slow, childish and has multiple personalities, as if the author wanted to grant him a deep personality and ended up creating an incorrigible mesh. With all honesty, I love it when the characters are flawed and seem real, but this one.. something's quite off with him.
That said, I do not recommend it to anyone.

[Tiffany E-P · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charlie is a little cocky and the mysterious wanna be a bad boy but at heart has a conscience albeit a bit skewed persona is a bit much at times. However the art and the books and Paris were right up my alley. And I liked the book enough to check into other books in the series

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bettie's Books

[Hermien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light entertainment but I enjoyed it.

[Seth Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Good Thief’s Guide to Paris is the second in the series. The first was Amsterdam. The three main characters from the first book are here in Paris – Charlie Howard (he is the narrator so I guess he has to be there), his literary agent Victoria, and his fence Pierre. Victoria’s voice was in the Amsterdam book – being on the end of the phone. She acts in both books as a sounding board for Charlie – and, maybe, a love interest? There is also an interesting new character – who may only appear in this book although I would like to see him come back – called Mr Farmer. Farmer is a fixer for a number of people. He reminded me of the Fat Man from the Maltese Falcon, although based on his description I think he is probably more Robert Morley. (And now I’d really like to watch a Robert Morley film.)


The humour form the first book is here again. It’s a nice accompaniment to the plot and is usually at Charlie’s own expense. The plot is confusing in a good way (a lot happens and we are as lost as Charlie is, almost anyway) – I’m not going to try to explain it because I don’t want to spoil the book for anyone who hasn’t read it, and I doubt I could remember all the twists. I was quite pleased not to have gotten the final twist – if I’d stopped to think about it I probably could have worked it out, but I didn’t want to stop I wanted to carry on reading. The book ends with some useful French translations which made me laugh out loud.

I liked the feel of Paris in the story. In this book the Pompidou Centre is a central focus. I could picture it clearly. I have been there twice – once for the excellent Surrealist exhibition, then a year or so later for the not so excellent Dada exhibition. The Dada one had too much material and not enough space – one of André Breton’s notebooks was open in a display and people kept bumping into me as I was trying to read it. We did conceive my eldest daughter, Minty, on that trip so I can’t complain.

If you haven’t read any of these books yet then you should start now. There are three in the shops already. You can advance order the guide to Venice – which is out at the end of April.

[John Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have you ever read a book for the second time and immediately been transported back to where you were the first time that you read it? It was a similar experience with this book for me as I had read TGTGT Amsterdam only a short while ago and as I started to read this I was back on board our little cruise ship.
Chris Ewan is certainly one for the complex plot and I wouldnt expect anyone to guess/work out this one before it is fully explained.
A pleasant enough read but I fear that I didnt 'get into' some of the characters as well as I should have done and this marred the story a bit for me.
I do wonder if I have found a fault with a passage at the end of the book. Can anyone turn up at an Airport anymore in these high security days with just a passport and money and try to buy a last minute ticket?

My wife also spotted an interesting problem too. It doesnt detract from the story and so I dont consider it to be a spoiler but when our hero Charlie is on a roof he finds the door locked with a padlock - on the outside? How did the person who locked it get back inside?. Surely the padlock should be on the inside. Just a little thing but it seemed wrong.

I am not 100% sure why I have scored this one lower than Amsterdam. Others may feel it is the other way round and I wouldnt argue. Perhaps both were 3.5.

[Debra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read the first book - The Good Thief’s Guide to Amsterdam which was intriguing enough to read this second. I’m done. This thief is not Cary Grant. This author can’t write. On a single page “her eyes...threatened to caress my face” (ew) “her pupils crammed with question marks” (ow) and then “she searched behind my eyes” (yuck).

Everyone and everything is described in tedious detail except him. The tease is that we know what he doesn’t look like (his author photo). Tedious excruciating detail with no insight. Tedious excruciating confusing narrative. And don’t even get me started on the girl de jour who -oh gee- isn’t nice at all. (One might continue the series to see if his agent Victoria provides any improvement. But nah)

[Erin L · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review of the audiobook.

This book suffers from a lot of over-description. The author describes everything in so so so much detail that I lost interest in the story. Adding to that problem, he tends to have his hero spend a lot of time thinking about what's going on rather than acting. There are far too many scenes speculating on who/what/how.

So much potential here, sadly, it's not handled well.

[David Lucero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chris Ewan's book takes the reader back to a time of Cary Grant dazzling audiences as a handsome thief. It has humor, mystery, suspense, and a lot of twists that keep the reader turning the pages.

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was OK. It's a good concept but it just doesn't quite deliver in this book.

[Sidney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A relaxing companion for a trip to Paris or when you’re craving a little pretend action in your life.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are fun capers that get you excited about the locations.

[Wanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

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[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Charlie Howard is a thief. Charlie Howard is also a writer of crime fiction. Seems like a good fit? Having had a little bit too much to drink after a book signing engagement in Paris Charlie agrees to put his “literary expertise” to use by helping a fan break into his own apartment. Unfortunately, nothing is ever as innocent as it appears and when he sobers up the next day he discovers that the apartment actually belonged to someone else and, that owner is now lying dead in Charlie’s own apartment. What ensues is a bit of a comedy of errors as Charlie and his literary agent try to solve the murder, uncover the mystery of a supposedly stolen painting and hide out enough to evade the police.

This is an entertaining concept for a book series and Charlie Howard is a charming and likeable character, despite the fact that he is a self-confessed thief. However, it was not quite as engaging a read as I had hoped for after reading the book jacket. Although I finished the book I don’t think I’ll be following Charlie on any of his other adventures in the series (Amsterdam, Vegas and Venice).

[Krystal · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 preceding 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.

[Hannah F · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh.

I SO wanted this to be funny clever,witty and MOVE; so I could finally have a new series to read .Based on the plot it sounded like it might .

It didn't .

It dragged and dragged..I had to skim read to finish, ignoring all the mind-numbing useless descriptions if everything NOT important to the plot . Maybe he had to fill a word quota and is good at using adjectives but not verbs or adverbs.

As for Charlie ? He's boring. No personality not charming or clever. There is no character to him . Stupid reviewers and blurbs need to quit comparing him to Cary Grant. Grant was smoke suave and had a personality. Charlie fumbles
around and is as interesting as paint drying .

The other characters ? eh .

Too bad it could been damn funny and clever
What a waste .

PS cheap publishers need to quit using proofreaders who are lazy and sloppy .I see based on reviews of the first book its just as bad .

[May · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another entertaining installment of the mess that is Charlie's life. Thief and author writing about a thief and getting into trouble yet again while thieving and trying to finish his latest novel.
Setting of Paris is always a joy even if plot wise this one wasn't as cleanly resolved as the previous book. I like the character of charlie and his agent Victoria and the audiobook reader is part of why I like the series. I get the feeling that if I was reading the books instead of listening to his excellent performance that it might possibly be less fun. Looking forward to the next one in the series.

[Shuriu]

The book jacket copy is really off. The main character, Charlie, is far closer to the Horowitz character on Anthony Horowitz's "Hawthorne & Horowitz" series than Cary Grant's in , which is closer to a kind of James Bond knowingness and level of control. Charlie is quite hapless and n'er-do-well, a bit bumbling. I'm not saying this makes for a bad read, but it's hardly glamourous like the Hitchcock film tends toward.

[Dantanian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I should like this series more but find something lacking. Thinking about it whilst the titles make a point of this thief's
travels, the cities he's in take a real back seat for the most part, making the plots soon seem samey . There is soon little sense of atmosphere and the character soon loses appeal and interest. The books aren't bad but soon seem to be a mental chewing gum.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it. Like the first book, the mystery is fairly difficult to figure out. This book is complicated by the fact that Victoria, his editor, decides they should meet, and that doesn't go so well for him, when he pretends to be Scottish. He definitely needs to learn some of the languages of the countries he keeps going to! Not sure if I'll keep reading the series. Charlie is pretty dopey.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun mystery with fiction writer/high-end thief as the main character with his female publisher staring as his confidant. A complex plot done with a light touch. Likable characters. I would read more by this author.

[Traci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever, fun read. Great if you like mysteries!! Plus - lots of Paris references so great for Francophiles too!

[Marchot7 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very funny mystery book with a lot of references to many places in Paris !I did enjoy it !

[Una Tiers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice prose but a the plot passed twists and reached convoluted. Still a pleasant, if felonious protagonist.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really involved and interesting mystery with some twists.

[Book Concierge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book two in the Good Thief’s Guide mystery series, has author and thief Charlie Howard in the City of Lights. He agrees to a reading at a bookstore and following the event joins a few people for drinks. Under the influence he agrees to show one of the patrons how to break into a building. Of course, they are breaking into the man’s own apartment. The next day, Charlie is contacted by his usual fence with a new “commission” to steal a painting … at the same apartment. And then things get complicated.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but this one fell flat for me. Oh, I still like Charlie and I like the way he thinks. He’s fiercely independent but possibly not so good at truly hiding his identity as he has always thought. I enjoyed the introduction of Victoria, his agent; she really added a lot to this episode.

But this plot went all over the place. I never did really figure out the role of a few of the players. One thing I expect of mysteries is that the conclusion answers all my questions, and this one did not. Though he did set up the next in the series rather nicely, so I’ll probably read more.

[Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

For a professional art thief and a crime writer Charlie Howard is a bit of a dolt. I mean what kind of an idiot gets drunk and accepts a stranger’s proposal to break into his own apartment? With the barest of verifications that Bruno actually lives there? Without any gloves so Charlie gets his fingerprints all over the front door handle? And the apartment handle when Bruno can’t get break the lock? And the apartment itself once inside? And the elevator? And makes sure the concierge now recognizes Charlie because he enters via the front door and some very bizarre behavior? With patronizing step by step instructions along the way, which are supposed to illustrate what an expert Charlie is even though his actions prove all evidence to the contrary.
Don’t understand the back of book blurb comparison to Cary Grant (wishful thinking?!) when Charlie is definitely more of an Inspector Clouseau without any of Peter Sellers self deprecating wit or charm.
Think I’ll save myself for the Raffles series instead for time better spent.