The Good Thief's Guide to Vegas

May 31, 2010
Charlie Howard, the self-mocking narrator of Ewan's Good Thief Guide series who's both a mystery writer and smallscale thief, once again shows he's not terribly good at either in his diverting third outing (after 2008's The Good Thief's Guide to Paris). Set largely in the fictional Fifty-Fifty hotel and casino in Las Vegas, Nev., the book opens with Howard picking the pocket of Josh Masters, the casino's resident magician. Armed with Masters's wallet, Howard visits Masters's suite (with a nice bit on breaking into the magician's personal safe) only to discover what appears to be a dead body floating in the bath. The stakes rise when Masters disappears during his own magic show— during a trick using Howard's literary agent, Victoria, as a volunteer—and the casino's security men detain the pair. Those looking for suspense or intricate plotting will be disappointed, but fans of light comic capers will be rewarded.

Simon Vance is the perfect voice for Charlie Howard, crime writer and thief. Vance's delivery is dry with just a hint of ennui, which echoes Ewan's writing to a tee. While in Vegas with his literary agent, Charlie picks the pocket of celebrity illusionist Josh Masters. But Masters was scamming the casino, and when he disappears, the casino owners think Charlie is in on it, and they want their money back--or else. With time running out and safecracking and blackjack not bringing in the money fast enough, Vance's narration remains suave and unflappable. Will the "good thief" live to write another guide? C.A.T. 2013 Audies Finalist (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine