c69gbymsmdfw's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
ella_s93's review against another edition
3.0
Took me some time to get into the story, but it was fun to read. Had a really surprising ending, which I loved! Didn't leave any questions unanswered, which is also nice.
minchowski's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
mlklein1's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this novel for two reasons - one basic, and one atypical. The basic reason is that the story was well-imagined, well-written, and the narrator had a great, entertaining voice.
The story of a writer of crime novels, who happens to be a criminal himself, was fun. I especially liked the backstory Ewan provided on our hero - how he came to be a thief, or at least a habitual B&E specialist. (Semi-interesting to note that I was reading this as I was watching "Following," an early, almost student film, of Hollywood (now) big shot, Christopher Nolan. That film is about a guy who starts following strangers because he's bored, then becomes curious about them. He meets a guy who loves to break into people's homes, just for the hell of it. Well, things spiral out of control, but at any rate, I thought the backstory on Ewan's protagonist, mirrored that of Nolan's and it was an interesting coincidence. Or a coincidence, at least.)
The atypical reason I enjoyed the novel is that, as an aspiring novelist myself, I appreciated the time Ewan spent with his protagonist thinking about, and practicing, the craft of writing. He is, after all, a thief AND a writer. So the times when he took a break from thieving and sleuthing to work on his own novel, deal with writers block, an anxious editor, and a plot hole he painted himself into, was fun and rang especially true.
I'll continue reading the series for this reason...I think "Paris" is next.
The story of a writer of crime novels, who happens to be a criminal himself, was fun. I especially liked the backstory Ewan provided on our hero - how he came to be a thief, or at least a habitual B&E specialist. (Semi-interesting to note that I was reading this as I was watching "Following," an early, almost student film, of Hollywood (now) big shot, Christopher Nolan. That film is about a guy who starts following strangers because he's bored, then becomes curious about them. He meets a guy who loves to break into people's homes, just for the hell of it. Well, things spiral out of control, but at any rate, I thought the backstory on Ewan's protagonist, mirrored that of Nolan's and it was an interesting coincidence. Or a coincidence, at least.)
The atypical reason I enjoyed the novel is that, as an aspiring novelist myself, I appreciated the time Ewan spent with his protagonist thinking about, and practicing, the craft of writing. He is, after all, a thief AND a writer. So the times when he took a break from thieving and sleuthing to work on his own novel, deal with writers block, an anxious editor, and a plot hole he painted himself into, was fun and rang especially true.
I'll continue reading the series for this reason...I think "Paris" is next.
mary412's review against another edition
3.0
Audible.com offered this as a Daily Deal and I couldn't resist because it is narrated by Simon Vance. As usual I was interested during the set up, but found the resolution unsatisfactory. I should just stay away from mysteries.
cricklewood's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Setting/Worldbuilding: 5/10
Main characters: 4/10
Side characters: 2/10
Dialogue: 4/10
Plot: 7/10
Technique: 5/10
Prose: 5/10
Romance: 4/10
Ending: 3/10
Overall enjoyment: 3/10
Total: 42/100 (2.1)
I don't know what it is about this one. It had all of the ingredients that would have almost assuredly guaranteed a good read for me - a wry, humorous undertone, quirky feels, a murder mystery plot, the meta-feel of a book about a writer writing abook ... but it all fell short somewhere. Nothing clicked and I found that neither the characters nor the plot managed to hold my interest throughout.
Main characters: 4/10
Side characters: 2/10
Dialogue: 4/10
Plot: 7/10
Technique: 5/10
Prose: 5/10
Romance: 4/10
Ending: 3/10
Overall enjoyment: 3/10
Total: 42/100 (2.1)
I don't know what it is about this one. It had all of the ingredients that would have almost assuredly guaranteed a good read for me - a wry, humorous undertone, quirky feels, a murder mystery plot, the meta-feel of a book about a writer writing abook ... but it all fell short somewhere. Nothing clicked and I found that neither the characters nor the plot managed to hold my interest throughout.
zogg's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75