The Best Thing You Can Steal by Simon R. Green

The Best Thing You Can Steal (Gideon Sable)

by Simon R. Green

Welcome to London, but not as you know it. A place where magics and horror run free, wonders and miracles are everyday things, and the dark streets are full of very shadowy people . . .

Gideon Sable is a thief and a con man. He specializes in stealing the kind of things that can't normally be stolen. Like a ghost's clothes, or a photo from a country that never existed. He even stole his current identity. Who was he originally? Now, that would be telling. One thing's for sure though, he's not the bad guy. The people he steals from always have it coming.

Gideon's planning a heist, to steal the only thing that matters from the worst man in the world. To get past his security, he's going to need a crew who can do the impossible . . . but luckily, he has the right people in mind. The Damned, the Ghost, the Wild Card . . . and his ex-girlfriend, Annie Anybody. A woman who can be anyone, with the power to make technology fall in love with her.

If things go well, they'll all get what they want. And if they're lucky, they might not even die trying . . .

Reviewed by annieb123 on

5 of 5 stars

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Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Best Thing You Can Steal is a standalone urban fantasy novella (and I hope) the start of a new series by Simon R. Green. Released 6th April 2021 by Severn House, it's 192 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook versions. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

Simon Green will be familiar to many (most?) fans of urban fantasy and this is a good example of the kind of writing we've come to expect from him. There's a large dose of bravado, lots of imagination, cleverly wrought characters who are that little bit extra, and an extravagantly intricate plot full of twists and turns. The denouement was exciting and engaging and the resolution was very satisfying. A one sentence precís would say: Ocean's 11 meets the BPRD with a dash of Neverwhere. It's a not entirely fair assessment, since Mr. Green adds his own inimitable stamp to the narrative, but it's not far off either.

The language is *relatively* clean and would probably rate PG. Vernacular and spelling are UK standard (the author's a Brit, it's set in London - most of the North American audience likely has a favo(u)rite Dr. Who actor - so concessions must be made).

Very entertaining and a quick and humorous read. The author has a definite gift with repartee and I found myself smiling often whilst reading. This series will likely appeal to fans of Charles Stross' Laundry Files, Jasper Fforde, and similar.

Four and a half stars. Well worth a look.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 6 April, 2021: Finished reading
  • 6 April, 2021: Reviewed