The Good Thief's Guide to Murder by Chris Ewan is a short story in the Good Thief's Guide series featuring master thief Charlie Howard. Read Kristin Centorcelli's review and learn how you can read the entire story for free!
Have you ever read any of the Good Thief’s Guides by Chris Ewan? If not, this story is a perfect jumping-on point. You don’t need any background, and it gives you a good idea of who “gentleman thief” Charlie Howard is. In The Good Thief’s Guide to Murder, we find our favorite thief in Antibes, but he’s not there for vacation. His idol, American novelist William Brandt, will be making an appearance in Cannes, and of course, Charlie is always excited to catch a glimpse of him. But this time, Charlie is more interested in a certain set of jewels in Brandt’s safe.
Did I also mention that Charlie writes mysteries when he’s not thieving? Well, he does, and the thought of discovering unpublished manuscripts in Brandt’s villa sends a chill up his spine.
And what was inside Brandt’s secluded French villa? Again, nobody knew. One persistent myth had it that the place was filled with completed manuscripts that would be published following Willie’s death. It was a theory I could believe in. I was a mystery writer myself. And sure, I wasn’t a success like William Brandt. The thrillers I penned about a burglar called Faulks had never troubled the bestseller lists or stirred much interest among critics. But I had ambitions to change that one day. I was a thief, it’s true, but in my heart I was a mystery writer. I’d been bitten by the bug early and I couldn’t imagine a time when I might stop writing. So to think that a novelist with Brandt’s talent could call it quits seemed inconceivable to me.
Brandt hasn’t published anything since the ‘60s when two of Charlie’s favorite books were made into film. It was said that after the death of Betty Franklin, the love of Brandt’s life, he was inconsolable and turned into a recluse. However, there was one thing of Betty’s that Brandt still had: a set of sapphire jewelry that he keeps snug in his safe. And Charlie plans to get his hands on it.
After all, Brandt will be leaving the house for an event at Cannes, and Charlie plans to take full advantage of the rare outing. Unfortunately, someone beats Charlie to the jewels, leaving a dead body behind to boot. Add in an attractive woman on a motorbike, and you’ve got the makings of a charming little romp. Will Charlie get his hands on those jewels, and who is the lovely lady on the motorbike?
If I had any complaints, it’s that it was so short, and I wanted more! Always fun, always exciting, this is the perfect series to fall into when you want to escape and travel the world—from the comfort of your own home, of course. There’s also an extract from the first book, The Good Thief’s Guide to Amsterdam that will have you wanting to get your hands on the whole series.
“I dearly would’ve loved an Aboriginal elder like me to come and tweak my conscience.