Chris Ewan (1) (1976–)

The Good Thief’s Guide to Amsterdam - Chris Ewan
audio performance by Simon Vance
3 stars

Charlie Howard is a mystery novelist who freelances as a burglar, or maybe he is a thief who writes on the side. His books aren’t selling as well as he would like. He takes a suspicious, ‘too good to be true’ burglary commission to help support his lifestyle. Naturally, his life becomes a bit complicated.
Charlie has a nice sense of humor and this mystery had some satisfying twists and turns. Also, show more I could be happy listening to Simon Vance read a stock report. I’m sure I’ll go to other cities with Charlie Howard when I need an undemanding book to pass the time. show less

Charles Howard is a suspense writer visiting Amsterdam for inspiration to the ending of his latest crime-thief thriller. He shouldn't ever get writers' block because he happens to be one of the very thieves he writes about in his "fiction." As a petty thief he steals things just because he can. In addition, the thefts stave off boredom and supplement his writing career. One of his sidekicks is his literary agent, Victoria, who he has never met. He tells he everything about his thieving show more escapades. This time word has gotten around - he's a good a thief as they come - and he is approached by an American willing to pay him to steal the matching plaster monkey figurines to his "See No Evil." The figures are cheap and the job seems to simple. Howard rightly thinks there has to be a catch and of course, there is. After successfully stealing "Hear No Evil" and "Speak No Evil" all hell breaks loose when the American is murdered and his death is pinned on Howard.

Chris Ewan's writing is fun and furious. It's easy to read 100 pages in a single lunch break without looking up once. His Charles Howard character is entertaining with just the right amount of cheeky sarcasm contrasted with humble likeability. Like other reviewers I enjoyed his sly and flirty relationship with his literary editor. Of course the ending is wrapped in a "Who Dunnit" ending with a neat little bow, but because Ewan kept many details out this play by play was almost necessary to make the ending complete. show less

Daniel Trent is a hostage negotiator, working alongside fiancée Aimee, but he could not have expected Aimee to go missing, or his chief suspect to be kidnapped as well. All of which is setup with breathtaking speed in DEAD LINE, dragging the reader into the story from the very first page, and not letting up until the end. Every now and again I did find myself rechecking the opening pages though - the sense of pace, the tension and the sheer wild ride of DEAD LINE didn't seem like THE DEAD show more THIEF'S GUIDE series at all. And I really liked those books from this author.

There's something deeply satisfying about Trent's single-minded pursuit of Aimee. Anybody who gets in his road, anything that prevents him from finding where she is, who has her, swept aside with extreme prejudice. He's thinking all the time and whilst the reader might not always be in on the innermost logic of what he's up to, there's never a moment of doubt about his commitment to the cause.

What's really interesting is that there's a sneaking suspicion of an unreliable narrator as well. Trent obviously has a plan, and even the suspect's family aren't going to be allowed to get in the road, but just sometimes, there was the disquieting feeling that nobody is exactly who they seem to be - even Trent. At one point I was even starting to wonder what on earth Aimee's story was. Cleverly done, the reader can both like and not be sure about Trent at the same time as not really know who to trust.

Charging headfirst to a cliff hanger of an ending that really works in this context, DEAD LINE is a book that made this reader pay attention.

http://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/dead-line-chris-ewan show less

Mystery writer and part-time thief, Charlie Howard, is in Vegas with his publisher Victoria for some relaxation. The antics of Charlie as he performs some minor theft is always entertaining. As usual there are a number of laugh-out-loud moments. Victoria has picked up some gambling tips from her Monte Carlo gambling father, which comes in handy for paying debts to the local gangsters. Let's hope Charlie's mystery writing is better than his light fingers. For light reading, you can't beat show more Ewan's Good Thief series. show less