by Chris Ewan (Author), Simon Vance (Narrator), Blackstone Audio, Inc. (Publisher)

An Audiobook

THE GOOD THIEF’S GUIDE TO BERLIN, by Chris Ewan is the third “Good Thief’s Guide” mystery I’ve read, and although they all have a similar plot line, this one is especially twisty. Charlie Howard is a gentleman burglar, an expert at his job, polite and thoughtful towards his, er, clients. 

In this book, someone hires him to find and steal back a “package” that has been taken from the British Ambassador to Germany. Annoying to both Charlie (and to readers) is that neither he (nor we) know what this “package” is.  “You’ll know it when you see it,”  Charlie is told. “It’s in one of four suspects’ homes. Search them one by one. You’ll get paid for each one until you find it.”

The job is pretty straightforward, except for that big “?” but Charlie seems to find “it” in the very first person’s flat. But what else does he see (or not see) there? From then on the story gets complicated and mysterious … and painful for Charlie.  (I don’t remember him getting so beat up in the other books, but perhaps he did.)   Turns out what he found was not “it,” or all of “it,” and now multiple foreign agents are vying for what he found, or maybe didn’t find.  Um, yes. Confusing.

Who are the “good” guys, and who are the “bad” guys? You don’t know until the very last pages. 

Chris Ewan has given Charlie a sense of humor, and a comedian’s quick way with puns.  It’s funny and gives the book a lighter feel, but often it gets our hero into deeper (more painful) trouble.  I recommend the book for mostly light reading, but you have to suspend belief in calling a thief, a “good guy.”