The Good Thief's Guide to Amsterdam: 1 (Good Thief's Guide 1)

An impressive very funny debut novel . . . featuring Charlie Howard who is the very model of a modern master criminal. -The Raleigh News & ObserverCharlie Howard travels the globe writing suspense novels for a living about an intrepid burglar named Faulks. To supplement his income---and to keep his hand in---Charlie also has a small side business: stealing for a very discreet clientele on commission. . When a mysterious American offers to pay Charlie 20000 euros if he steals two small monkey figurines to match the one he already has Charlie is suspicious; he doesnt know how the American found him and the job seems too good to be true. And of course it is. Although the burglary goes off without a hitch when he goes to deliver the monkeys he finds that the American has been beaten to near-death and that the third figurine is missing. . Back in London his long-suffering literary agent Victoria (who is naive enough to believe he actually looks like his jacket photo) tries to talk him through the plot problems in both his latest manuscript and his real life---but Charlie soon finds himself caught up in a caper reminiscent of a Cary Grant movie involving safe-deposit boxes menacing characters and of course a beautiful damsel in distress. . Publishers Weekly called Chris Ewans The Good Thiefs Guide to Amsterdam one of the best books for grownups.