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. ( )

Didn't love it like [b:The Good Thief's Guide to Amsterdam], but it was a fast and fairly entertaining read. Now, to finish reading the nonfiction version... ( )

Charlie Howard, crime writer and professional thief, is in Paris and, with the help of a few too many drink, is lured into demonstrating how to break into an apartment and thereby gets himself involved in a art-theft and murder mystery. This is the second installment in this series and I am enjoying following Charlie on his adventures through various citites despite some odd coincidences and sometimes ridiculous situations. I have heard others complain about grammar issues in the text, but as I am listening to the audio versions (excellently read by Simon Vance) that didn't bother me too much. ( )

The main character, Charlie Howard, is an author of mystery novels who is a professional burglar in his spare time. He's a likeable chap, and his escapades, although they can be quite bloodthirsty, are fun in a weird way. His literary agent, Victoria, goes along with it all. This time Charlie's job is to chase down stolen Picassos in Paris. ( )

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).
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