The Thief Who Couldn't Sleep

Keller and Scudder are great characters with great stories. Now I can add Evan Tanner to the list. This is the first book in the Tanner series and it's a blast! Keeping in mind that it was written in the mid-1960's (note the political and geographical references), it's a great "road' book (in a manner of speaking). Like Ian Fleming's "entertainments" starring James Bond, this book is not meant to be taken seriously, but simply meant to provide several hours of reading enjoyment. And it does! Don't miss this one!!

The first Evan Tanner Novel, where our hero, a bit of a con-man and thief, who has a disorder which prevents him from sleeping, accidentally finds himself on an espionage mission.While the later novels are spy stories with satirical overtones, this one is a crime caper with spies in pursuit and a comedy of errors in progress.I can't recommend the series highly enough. It's literate, it's funny, and the commentary on European ethnic nationalism is still extremely valid.

I like this character even more than Matthew Scudder

When the Berlin Wall fell, my first thought (ok, maybe my forty-third) was: "Please, Mr. Block, let us know what Evan Tanner thinks about this!" Tanner's view of the world is humane, educated and hopeful; after he explains the centuries of strife between Armenian and Turk even I can remember the details. This is a very welcome, long-awaited reprint of the first book in a series of top-rate thrillers; it's not the best (either Tanner's Twelve Swingers or the Cancelled Czech), but it's not the worst (Me Tanner, You Jane--still a decent book). They all have a light touch evocative of Mrs. Pollifax (Mr. Block, did you ever consider phoning Dorothy Gilman and suggesting a crossover adventure?); their solid grounding in the obscure passions that drive real people make them unique.