Andrew Hunter Murray

'A Beginner's Guide To Breaking And Entering' was a gentle, drôle book that kept me engaged, curious and amused without ever putting me through the kind of stress that hard-edged thrillers deliver.

Its tone reminded me of Ealing comedies like "Kind Hearts And Coronets" and "The Ladykillers" because the reader was invited into the main character's confidence while being aware that they can't have confidence in the main character to tell their tale honestly and straightforwardly and because, even when people were being killed, the thrust of the narrative was "Wow! That was unexpected. Now what will our hero do?"

Its content is thoroughly modern, drawing on the challenges faced by young people trying to find somewhere affordable to live in London and the very particular crimes, committed by the wealthy so that they can become wealthier, that London attracts and facilitates.

Our hero, who keeps a roof over his head by moving into the second homes of the rich and absent describes himself as an Interloper rather than a squatter. He's convinced himself that he's playing a game that he finds satisfying and which he's proud of being good at. He's encoded his skills and experience into a list of numbered rules by which he lives his life, except when he breaks them.

We know from the first chapter that he's sharing his story with us from a medium-security prison and that he ended up there after a series of unfortunate events that led to him and the companions he acquired along the way, being hunted by the police, criminal gangs and the security services of more than one country. He tells his story with an endearing mix of quiet pride at his own ingenuity and resourcefulness and rueful regret for his naivety and his mistakes.

The tale he tells is one in which disaster follows disaster and each disaster results in him and his companions being at greater risk from a larger number of unpleasant people. It's also a tale of a loner, who had not been willing to face that he had grown tired of being alone and entirely self-reliant, becoming part of team and even, against his better judgement, putting other people's safety ahead of his own.

The plot is inspired by modern London and so touches on murder, money laundering, international espionage, and real estate fraud facilitated by corrupt politicians and police officers with connections to the global rich.

The writing is packed with drôle observations on class and the behaviour of the wealthy.

The young people are resourceful, resilient rule-breakers who are also fundamentally nice.

I enjoyed following our hero through disaster after disaster both because it was fun to watch them unfold and because I was engaged enough with the characters to want them to find a way through, even when that seemed impossible.… (altro)

I just didn't want this to end. The narrator's voice is very, very engaging: a little cynical, very witty and all round jolly good fun. It tapped right into my sense of humour.

Al (the narrator) is, as he likes to call himself, an 'interloper'. Others would probably describe it as 'breaking and entering'. He is very particular about the difference. He merely stays in empty houses whilst their owner(s) is/are away on some exotic far-away holiday or in one of their other houses. He doesn't steal anything. He merely temporarily resides in an empty house. He's managed to do this for a good decade, following a meticulous set of rules and always on his own: until events lead him to co-'interloping' with three others, which is when it all goes wrong. Very, very wrong.

This is wonderfully easy to read and even easier to immerse yourself into the characters, all of whom are really rather captivating and fascinating. It's very well written and keeps you entertained right to the end.

Al never explains what led him to an 'interloping' career, he never explains what the nefarious deeds of his past were, but quite often alludes to, and never tells the reader his real name. I was just slightly miffed that these questions remained unanswered, but it doesn't alter my five-star rating and very certainly won't prevent me seeking out this author's other books.… (altro)