missed this series back in the day & it's so good!

This is a short, tight, breezy kinda-spy, kinda-caper novel set in the 60s and written in the 60s. Once I started, I could hardly bear to pause it because it was so much fun. Our hero is in love with lost causes, & he encounters many on his path to the stolen gold treasure.

It's a bit eerie now to think that the most lost of the lost causes in Tanner's opinion is now achieved-- Croatia, Macedonia, & the other Balkan nations exist again.

It reminds me a bit of a series I read as a kid in the 60s, The Mouse That Roared, The same fun, zany element with a light touch of satire.

.Will definitely be checking out the other books in this series.

Disclosure: I received a free review copy from the author but a review was not required.

2 people found this helpful

Good Story & Great Narrator

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. This is the first book featuring the super spy Evan Tanner (and the first of this character's exploits that I have read). The story is good, fluid and has a lot of great characters. The narration by Theo Holland is simply wonderful. I am a fan of Mr. Holland and I believe his uniqueness is his ability to voice "everyman (and woman)." He is not overly theatrical but with his timing and tone he brings each and every character to life. Mr. Holland also at times vocally presented a line of dialogue where I was able to hear the humor that I might have missed by merely reading the same.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

I won't say that the plot itself kept me riveted, but the fluidity of it kept the story from getting stale as it moved right along.

Which character – as performed by Theo Holland – was your favorite?

I forget the name, but there is a character who Tanner meets in Spain who wants to become a famous hair stylist in France. Not only was the character funny, but Theo Holland nailed him; he had down the rhythm of speech, and all. Like many characters this one was in only one segment of the book and I was hoping for more because of what Holland was able to bring to him.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed throughout. It is not a knee slapper, but there was enough to make me chuckle or smile.

Any additional comments?

I am a fan of Lawrence Blocks, but this is the first Evan Tanner I have "read." Based on this book Tanner is my least favorite recurring character of the authors but my hope is that as the series progresses the stories improve on the strengths that are present in this first one.

2 people found this helpful

Great fun, lots of adventure

A funny, old school adventure story. The charm and resourcefulness of the main character is a draw and some of the people he runs into along the way provides comic relief.

The book reminds me of a James Bond caper, action packed, but never taking itself too seriously.

Theo Holland does an outstanding job narrating this novel. The main character must have traveled through 10 countries and the narrator uses accents and character voices to bring the story to life, adding a great element his performance. Very impressed.

2 people found this helpful

Too Much Time For Trouble

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, it was very entertaining.

What did you like best about this story?

How lucky Evan Tanner was with his worldwide contacts.

Have you listened to any of Theo Holland’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, I've listened to all of them. He keeps getting better, it seems.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It was a commute book, so it helped keep me focused on the road.

2 people found this helpful

Evan Tanner

This is a good book it's about Evan Tanner. He gets in all kinds of fixes traveling the world. This book holds your attention from start to finish. There is a lot of funny sayings. I recommend this book . I enjoyed it and I will listen to it again later in about an year. It's going in my favorites. This is the type of book that will be even better to listen to again later you have a better understanding of everyone.Theo Holland does a great job narraiting this book. If my review was any help will you please click the helpful link below. Thank you

1 person found this helpful

International intrigue and adventure

Evan Tanner couldn't sleep, and neither could I. So I listened to this book instead. Unfortunately it didn't exactly improve matters since I ended up listening to the whole thing in almost one sitting. I should have known better, since Lawrence Block has in the past been known to keep me up late reading.

Over the years, I've read all of the Evan Tanner books as well as the Bernie Rhodenbarr books. They are different characters, but Lawrence Block's "voice" is very similar in both. Since I love the way Block phrases things, this is comforting to me, like settling into an old favorite armchair.

This is a fun spy/mystery/adventure with heavy international travel mixed in. Some reviews have complained about the plot, character likeability, etc. Nonsense. This story isn't meant to be a serious Tom Clancy type novel. It's lighthearted, funny, and meant to be enjoyed. Throw away your expectations of real-life and jump in and have fun with Evan Tanner on his adventure.

Theo Holland's performance in this (and other Tanner novels) highlights his versatility. The myriad characters and their various accents are brought to life in a way that makes the story that much more engaging. Coupled with Block's witty dialog, one can easily get lost in the story. That is the point, isn't it?

Great story, great characters, excellent narration. I can't wait to listen to the other Tanner novels.

1 person found this helpful

Tremendous fun

The introduction to Evan Tanner is a breezy joy filled with globe trotting, revolution, women, lost treasure, government agency, and Spanish maniacs dreaming of cutting hair in France. It is a fast paced mix of caper and espionage that flies by. If you’d like a combination of Rhodenbarr, Bond, and Dortmunder, Thief Who Couldn’t Sleep is a no-brainer. Theo Holland provides his usual excellent narration, and I was pleased to discover it was his voice that would be bringing Tanner to life. Definitely recommended.

1 person found this helpful

Thief or spy is the question

I have to say that the Tanner book isn't my favorite character or story line......that being said.....it is worth a listen. The story is very fluid, filled with constant movement and action, lots of interesting characters, and does keep your interest. Block does a great job taking a character who's main purpose is to steal gold and turns him into a super spy who without even trying starts a revolution and delivers top secret info back to the CIA. All he was trying to do was get the gold and get back to the US without getting killed. I honestly don't think I would have made it through the hard copy of the book. What kept me intrigued and listening was Holland's narration. I mean....wowzer!!!! How he kept track of that many character voices and did so many different accents just amazed me. The man has talent!!! Robles was my favorite character (the crazy guy that wanted to go to Paris to be a hair stylist). He nailed him!!! The ending of the book did leave me a lot of hope for the next book in this series though. I'm really hoping now that all the build up to the Tanner character has been done that the second book will take the character to a whole new level.

1 person found this helpful

Disappointing

I got this book as a promotion.
While the premise sounded good, and I like the narrator, the story was draggy and at one point illogical.
The first red flag was the timeline which kept referring to things in the 1960's but when Kitty's grandmother used a remote, that pushed everything into late 70's & 80's.
The character really wasn't likable, being void of common sense and completely self centered.
Not going to bother with any more of the series.

nonsense but not particularly boring

the story was weird enough that it kept my interest somewhat. it didn't really make enough sense to get me to care for the main character or anyone else really. the narrator sounded like an old man but the separation of characters and various dialects we're not bad. I personally didn't like it enough to go forward in the series.