A Beginner’s Guide to Breaking and Entering

by Andrew Hunter Murray

One perfect house. One dead body. One bad day.

There are thousands and thousands of decent homes - very nice homes - with nobody living in them.

There are thousands and thousands of broke young people - very nice young people - with nowhere decent to live.

This is where Al comes in.

Al lives in wealthy people's second houses, when the real owners are away. He's charming, convincing, and easily lost in a crowd. Life is perfect.

But unfortunately for him, Al and his friends have just broken into the wrong place, on the wrong day - and found a body. And now they're in a whole heap of trouble.

Featuring crooked builders, dodgy coppers, and some very dangerous spies, A Beginner's Guide to Breaking and Entering is a gripping thriller about what it's like to be young, skilled, unemployed - and on the run.
__________

Love for The Sanctuary ...

'Imaginative and intriguing ... Andrew Hunter Murray is a young writer to watch.' Anthony Horowitz
'Absolutely brilliant. I'm thinking it needs to be made into a movie!' Zoe Ball
'Gripping, unsettling and original. Andrew Hunter Murray is a fabulous storyteller.' Tim Harford
'Rich in imagination and stylishly written ... Totally absorbing.' Paul Burke, Crime Time FM

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Crime, Audiobook, Thriller, Humor, Book Club

400 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 6, 2024

About the author

Andrew Hunter Murray is a writer from London. His first novel, The Last Day, is a high-concept thriller set in a world whose rotation has slowed to a halt. The Last Day will be published in the UK and USA in February 2020 by Penguin Random House.

For ten years, Andrew has been one of the writers and researchers behind the BBC show QI. He is one of the co-hosts of QI’s spin-off podcast, No Such Thing As A Fish, which since 2014 has released 250 episodes, been downloaded 200 million times, and toured the world. It has also spawned three books (The Book of the Year, The Book of the Year 2018 and The Book of the Year 2019), and a BBC2 series, No Such Thing As The News.
Andrew also writes jokes and journalism for Private Eye magazine, and hosts the Eye’s in-house podcast, Page 94. In his spare time he performs in the award-winning comedy show Austentatious, which plays in London’s West End and around the UK.

Reviews

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

I'm sorry, but this really wasn't for me. I thought it would be a fun sort of read (going by the cover and blurb) but what I got was an overly complicated, overlong story and I'm still not sure what was going on - and no, I didn't skip any of it.

I think the story was about a guy who called himself Al (even though that wasn't his name) who broke into other people's homes and stayed there FOC ... and that was his life. Then he inadvertently does something wrong and ends up with three other people doing basically the same thing. Which is fine but they stumble across a murder and, because they've left evidence at the scene of the crime, they decide to solve the case, thus absolving themselves of the blame. The rest of the book is a very complicated explanation of why the murder happened and who did it.

So I know it wasn't just me that found it hard to follow because there's at least three separate occasions where one of the characters summarises the plot "so far". I think that apart from getting a bit of a headache the other bit I didn't understand was why the computer expert (one of the three other housebreakers) didn't just hack into the Police database and delete all the incriminating information? Maybe it was explained and I simply didn't understand.

I'm notorious at not guessing whodunnit but in this book I didn't really understand anything. My fault. Just not the book for me.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Random House, Cornerstone for the advance review copy.

[Jannelies (living between hope and fear) · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my country we have a lot of Als, Ella's and others who somehow fell through the cracks of the housing market and trying to find a roof above their head. Part of this group is like Al - he is always very careful not to attract attention and he leaves the homes he temporarily lives spotlessly clean. Part of this group is completely different - they break in by vandalizing the home and leave it only after they completely wrecked it and the police had to come to get them out.
Of course, it's no fun to write a book about someone in the latter group! But this book about Al and his reluctant group of friends is very funny at times although slightly ridiculous.
Things go from good to wonderful and from bad to worse in a short period of time and at one point it looks like there will be no 'happy ending'. The fun thing is, that the whole story end very differently from what I thought it would, and it tied the whole story nicely up.
Not a spectacular tale, but engaging and entertaining with some good characters.

Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for this review copy.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It’s probably a good rule of thumb that if being on the run from a murderer and the police in the company of three professional squatters is the first time you’ve felt normal in a few months, maybe it’s time to re-examine the choices that brought you to this point.”

A Beginner’s Guide To Breaking And Entering is the third novel by British author, Andrew Hunter Murray. From a clunky old PC during weekly IT Literacy sessions in the Information Suite at HM Prison Brixton, a man not yet thirty, whose name isn’t Al, relates the series of events that cascaded to put him there in medium security, awaiting trial.

Even though he has a job he enjoys, it doesn’t pay much, so Al has become skilled at living rent-free, as an interloper. He’s enacting his belief that “We’re taking space that isn’t used and making it useful again. Frankly, we’re battling the housing crisis. These places are all – all – unoccupied. And the ones I go for are all second homes (or third, or fourth). Why not put them to good use?” although he later admits “I’m a vagrant, a youngish man whose only skill is breaking and entering, a parasite.”

He follows a long set of rules that have seen him successfully living undetected in the luxury homes of owners who are absent for a period: overseas for work or vacation, or living in their primary residence. But then a few unwise decisions find him in the company of interlopers Em, Elle and Jonny at Larksfoot, a former vicarage near Bridling in the Cotswolds.

The owner, though, isn’t in Dubai, where he’s supposed to be. He’s sitting in his study pointing a gun at the intruders, until he answers the front door and is shot dead for his trouble. Al and company make a quick exit, inadvertently leaving behind some traces that might identify them to the cops, or to the murderer who might want to eliminate potential witnesses.

Of their few viable options, Al’s idea to leave the country and lie low until the cops find the murderer is outvoted by the rest, who feel that discovering the identity of the murderer, and the motive, is their best chance of shifting the police focus off them. Given that he’s awaiting trial, it perhaps wasn’t a huge success, but how it all plays out, and the aftermath, is definitely entertaining.

In the lead up to Al’s arrest, as well as multiple luxury properties changing hands, there is mention of money in an outbuilding, there are lots of impersonations, there’s big-money fraud, international espionage and high treason. He advises his reader “…don’t ever, ever swallow your better judgement” because, of his list of rules, Al ends up resorting to his last one: “To save your skin, break any of the above rules.“ An eye-opening and thoroughly fun read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Random House UK Cornerstone.

[Stace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Al (not his real name) finds himself behind bars, penning a memoir all about his life of breaking into vacant properties, second homes, etc that are not being used. He gets in, lives the life of luxury for a few days/weeks, and leaves making sure the place looks just how it did when he arrived and without taking any mementos.

When one of his breaking attempts goes wrong he opts for one of his more frequent houses to crash at but there is a problem, he arrives to discover it occupied by a group of twenty-somethings with similar intentions.

What follows is a rollercoaster ride as Al soon realised that he should just have walked away when he had the chance as his drifting from property to property for years may well just be behind him thanks to the actions of his new friends and a hitman.

A Beginner’s Guide to Breaking and Entering is a delightfully light and humorous book that chronicles the escapades of Al, the seasoned interloper. Al is quite a fun character. I loved his enthusiasm for moving from place to place, never having to spend a penny on mortgages, rent, utilities, etc, though he does recognise that he is getting a bit too old now to be breaking into people’s homes. He has a lot of rules that he follows and is very successful at his ‘job’.

The story flowed well and I enjoyed the read. There was plenty of sarcasm and wit between the pages alongside a great plot. The book is written with the reader in mind and Al talks directly to you about his life and how he ended up in the nick.

Overall, I found the book to be engaging and entertaining and I read it in just a few days.

[Fran McBookface · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sharp, funny and hugely enjoyable read.

Al is an interloper - he breaks into high end houses to stay when the owners are away. All is going well until he meets up with a group doing the same thing and they find themselves caught up in a murder. In an effort to evade capture, they try and solve the murder before the police catch them.

If you’ve ever fancied a career as a blagger, then this is the book for you! It’s filled with tips as Al and his friends try and wheedle into places and peoples confidences to find out about the victim.

Cleverly observed, fun and with an engaging writing style this is a book I’d definitely recommend

Thanks to Hutch Heinemann for an early copy

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and well paced, a good holiday read.
I did find some plot points a bit confusing (financial crimes ?? Am I right) and due to the very obvious social commentary in the book, I felt that the millennial vs wealthy boomer stereotypes became a bit over done.
Otherwise, an interesting mystery that kept me hooked!

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Al’s career as an ‘interloper’ has been governed by a set of self-imposed rules that have seen him successfully occupy a number of empty properties and leave without their owners ever knowing he was there – or so he thinks. However, a single breach of one of his rules – that he always works alone – proves a costly mistake, threatening to bring the whole edifice tumbling down. The location from which he’s writing his account of events is a sign of how badly things went wrong. (Think Kind Heart and Coronets but without the potential death sentence.)

Teaming up with three other ‘interlopers’ – Jonny and sisters, Em and Elle – Al’s persuaded they really need to discover the person responsible for the compromising position in which they find themselves. It turns out their situation is more precarious than they realised and there is potential danger from many directions, including the menacing individual they nickname Mr Bowling Ball. Soon Al, Jonny, Em and Elle find themselves in a world of financial shenanigans and international espionage. By the end of the book you may find yourself knowing more than you ever imagined about offshore trusts, unless of course you already possess one.

I loved technology wizard Jonny who’s almost umbilically connected to his laptop, has a wardrobe consisting solely of T-shirts with quirky slogans and who can secrete a microphone in the most unlikely places. Em and Elle I did find a little bit interchangeable although they both displayed a healthy dose of chutzpah.

Told in conversational style, Al’s self-deprecating humour runs through the book and there are some great puns. (You’d expect nothing less from an author who also writes jokes for a living.) My favourite was ‘The camera is going to ruin my life. I am literally Canon fodder.’ I also loved some of the set pieces such as when Em and Al brazenly crash the opening of a ultra hip boutique.

Al comes across as confident, even slightly cocky, and he can certainly create an intricate life story that’s almost completely untrue. However, as the book progresses we begin to appreciate that it’s a bit of a facade and that perhaps his ‘interloping’ isn’t as much a lifestyle choice as he’d like us to believe but the symptom of a rather rootless existence. But even when your luck seems to have finally run out, never underestimate the kindness of half an orange KitKat.

There’s a more serious aspect to the story as well. Al’s position mirrors that of many young people these days who find themselves homeless, not necessarily sleeping rough, but sofa-surfing or living with their parents because they cannot afford to rent or buy a home. Okay, so Al’s sofa-surfing is done on other people’s sofas without their knowledge but at least he’s careful not to leave any crumbs or move your favourite coaster. And, in case you weren’t aware of them before, the book introduces us to the existence of ‘poor doors’ and even ‘poor floors’.

Although the book didn’t have quite the outrageously audacious ending I was hoping for, A Beginner’s Guide to Breaking and Entering is a thoroughly entertaining crime caper and tremendous fun.

[Mike Finn · Rating 3 out of 5]

'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.

[Sophie Simmonds · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very very average. I was intrigued by the blurb and prologue, but was ultimately a struggle to finish. Predictable ending.

[Büşra Tekin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Konu: Zengin muhitlerdeki evlere gizlice girip ev sahibi dönene kadar hiçbir şey çalmadan yalnızca o evde bir süre yaşayarak hayatını geçiren Al’ın girdiği mekanlardan biri bir gün cinayete ev sahipliği yapar. O evde hem kendisi gibi hareket eden bir grup insanla tanışır hem de cinayet şüphelisi olarak bu işin içinden sıyrılmak için cinayeti çözmesi gerektiğiyle yüzleşir.

Özet: Al kimliğini gizleyen, tek başına çalışmayı seven, zengin evlere girip orada ev sahipleri dönene kadar vakit geçiren birisidir. Bir gün girdiği evlerden birinde kendisi gibi hareket eden bir ekiple tanışır ve her ne kadar gönüllü olmasa da onlarla biraz vakit geçirmeye karar verir. Ancak bu ilk kararının ardından denk geldikleri evde bir cinayet işlenir. Cinayeti çözmek için hem katilden hem polislerden kaçmalı hem de rol yaparak farklı kişileri sorgulamalılardır. Bir ekip olarak kimi zaman zorlansalar da maktulün eski karısını, kızını, iş ortağını, iş arkadaşlarını, yakın dostlarını çeşitli yöntemlerle sorgular, onlardan bilgi alırlar. Bu sırada katilin adamları ve ajanlar peşlerinde olduğu için her adımlarını dikkatli atmaları gerekiyordur.

Klişeleri (Tropes):
• Gizem
• Polisiye
• Cinayet çözme

Artıları:
• Giriş, gelişme, sonuç bölümleri detaylı işlenmiş. Okuru hem merak ettiriyor hem de detaylarla ipuçları vererek kurgunun içine çekiyor. Sonuç bölümünde olayların çözülmesi de yeterince güzel bağlanmıştı.
• Merak unsuru güçlü bir şekilde işlenmiş.

Eksileri:
• Bana kalırsa çok fazla detay verilmiş ve kimi yerde betimlemeler çok uzun. Dürüst olmak gerekirse bu tür tam olarak bana hitap etmediği için kitaba pek çekilmedim ama akıcıydı.

Çokça sevgiler!

[Shhshs · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5- It pains me to write a bad review because I love NSTAAF but I Did Not Like This !! I listened to it over the course of about three days but it was a slog by the end.

I didn’t get the humour, I found the plot so unbelievably unrealistic that it felt incredibly pointless. I get that its fiction but no one would make ANY of the choices the group made in this book. The whole plot could be resolved by them calling the police and saying ‘we heard a gunshot so ran in and found him dead’. No need to say about squatting or give their actual details so they can later be linked to it.

The group are SO dumb it hurt at times. On the way back from their research mission abroad (also incredibly unbelievable) they decide not to answer calls so they can surpise the other two when home, it never occurs to them that they might be about to get a warning. Also turning off the phone while the sister is texting potentially lifesaving advice is so dumb. Every single decision they made was stupid and unrealistic.

The ‘Im writing this from prison’ doesn’t make sense considering the ending because the charges are all dropped so presumably he can leave but he still has time to write on the prison computer about being told the charges are dropped etc. Did he go back to the computer room or something lol. Also the action is all being told after the fact so ‘Al’s’ account is probably completely distorted but not in an unreliable narrator way. It didnt feel like a plot device.

They broke about ten thousand crimes but when they are eventually arrested the police say ‘we’ll find something to sentence you for’ like they killed a man maybe start there???

In order for his daughter to get access to the bank account she would have to find the outhouse planning permission and notice the dimensions, find out about his fantasy football shirt number, and type her middle name on an old school phone? I’m 26 so older than Lulu and it would never occur to me to take my middle name and type it on my dad’s old school phone to access a bank account I didnt even know exisited. I think AHM was trying to be too clever and drag out the book a bit.

So much of the tricks to get out of trouble rely on some super cool and fast comp sci hacker wizardry and the people the group are talking to immediately believing them when they say ‘we are from [organisation]’. Apparently thats enough to start spilling all your secrets.

[Simon Alphonso · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reviewed this based on comments seen about the humour within being non-stop, etc.

I didn’t find it fantastically funny, but I did find it to be a really well-written adventure story with added humour and for that, I was pleasantly surprised. There is a good storyline, a misdirect from the beginning that held fast all the way through the story until the end wrap-up, a degree of farce, but with subtlety that just made the engagement really enjoyable.

Well worth the read.

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

So you find yourself in a predicament and you dig a hole to get yourself out of said predicament... but you don't learn and so keep repeating the process, for what felt like 1,000,000 times before fate eventually intervened and Al was finally caught. I'm honestly not sure how much was exactly true and how much was made up as most of the stuff you read seemed weird/stupid/daft to be true! Sadly not a book I'd recommend.

[Alice Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was very tasty. Exactly the genre of crime-based comedy written by a British man that I strive to read. Maybe slightly overcomplicated in places with a few too many characters but idec. It was comparable to The Satsuma Complex in some ways but with characters who are significantly less traumatised and isolated and with a much more positive-feeling story. I think I slept through the odd bit of this, but I still thoroughly enjoyed. It's a chuckler...

[Jason McCracken · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unlikeable characters, unbelievable dialogue, ridiculous plot and an idiotic ending. Other than that I guess it was okay :-D

[Nicole Mumford · Rating 2 out of 5]

I regret reading beyond the blurb.

[Lily Twyford · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a funny(ish) and an easy read, however it just felt so unrealistic and illogical (and yes I appreciate the unrealistic nature of the story, but like damn some of the choices they made made no sense).

[Cara Edwards · Rating 2 out of 5]

(2.5) Plot holes? Main character was a bit insufferable

[Paul Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was a great deal of fun, akin to a rather less violent, sweary and Scottish Chris Brookmyre

[Tracy Fenton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every now and then I like to take a break from the darker side of fiction and read some light hearted crime and having seen Andrew Hunter Murray talk at Capital Crime Festival in London in July I knew I had to read his book.

Al is the main character and the voice behind the story. He’s an “interloper” which means he house sits large and luxurious properties whilst the owners are away. However, the owners don’t actually know he’s there, he researches the properties meticulously, tracks the owners whereabouts and breaks in living rent free until they return and then finds another property to “house sit”. He’s been successfully living this way for several years and using a strict number of rules hasn’t been caught YET.

However, as Al is now telling the reader his story from prison, it’s fair to assume something has gone terribly wrong involving a dead body, another group of interlopers, a police hunt, some criminal gangs, missing millions and several spies.

This is an amusing story and I particularly enjoyed Al’s self depreciating and dry humour. My only quibble was that it was a tad too long for my taste and I found my attention drifting on a few occasions. If, however, you are looking for a fun escape from reality, then give this a go.

[Helen_t_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Al has his own solution to the unaffordable cost of buying or renting a home these days. He's not a squatter or a burglar - oh no, his standards, morals and methodology are much higher, and far more particular than that - he's an "interloper", a sort of unsanctioned house sitter of high-end luxury houses and second homes, whilst the legitimate owners are away.

Up until now he's been a loner, and each and every incidence of interloping has been meticulously researched and impeccably conducted.

But, after some very unexpected events occur, Al finds himself, albeit reluctantly, working with three other interlopers, and when they become prime suspects in the murder of one of the house-owners they've focused on, they are forced to turn detective.

The moment Al reveals that he is writing his story on a prison computer, we know that things didn't quite go to plan though, and this quirky, propulsive murder mystery unfolds as Al fills us in.

ABGTBAE is a real page-turner, with lots of twists and turns, and plenty of suspense and unexpected developments to keep you gripped.

I found it hugely entertaining, really enjoying the strong comedic element and the increasingly bizarre and bonkers situations the characters found themselves in.

Speaking of characters, the four main ones are all well drawn and likeable, especially, our jaunty narrator, Al. (I loved his character so much, and I definitely think there is scope for a sequel here!)

Beneath the bonkers situations and the tongue in cheek comedy, the book features contemporary issues like the huge inequalities in the housing market, tax havens, corruption and money laundering, but this is all done with a very light touch and often form part of one of Al's rants.

This is a really likeable, enjoyable, funny murder mystery, with a thread of a love story woven in. It would make a perfect holiday read, and is out now!

Thank you to Sam from Hutchinson Heinemann for a my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Jemma Crosland · Rating 2 out of 5]

I initially requested this book because I liked the concept and the book definitely does live up to the blurb.
A minor spoiler that is right at the beginning of the story but I'll hide it in case... the book does start off with Al in prison, reflecting and retelling the events leading up to present day, and for me I just don't enjoy this way to start a story as you know where the story is going to lead.
The plot itself is quite convoluted, it does feel like you're chasing your tail and going around in circles, slowly finding scraps of clues but they just don't feel important enough revelations. I will say I didn't solve the murder mystery but I didn't find the reveal very triumphant.
I think the main issue I had was the humour which I didn't get. The style of humour wasn't for me but I can see other people enjoying it and I think this is what the book relies upon.
I don't think the characters were very well developed, I didn't learn much about them at all because you don't know what they're lying about to protect their identities. However it meant that I wasn't very attached to them, but I did enjoy the impersonations, these I did find quite funny. There is also an unnecessary romance which I didn't particularly enjoy.
Another minor spoiler, for the ending... there is a HEA (happily ever after) which coincides with the romance and I just don't think it works for a mystery. I prefer an open ending or a last minute twist I think.
Overall I found this to be more chaotic than clever. This wasn't the book for me but I do think if you enjoy the humour and writing style of Andrew Hunter Murray you will like this main character, the interloping adventures and being amateur detectives.
2 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Cornerstone and Andrew Hunter Murray for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Al breaks into houses. He doesn’t do it to steal.. He does it to have a place to stay. When he leaves, the house will be exactly as he found it on entering the property. When he discovers people are doing a similar sort of thing to him, he decides to go along with their methods and join them for once.

However, on the first property they enter they are greeted by the owner in an agitated state. His friends have obviously not done the reconnaissance that he would’ve done. Now the owner is dead. Al and his friends must try to discover who could’ve wanted this person dead in order to save themselves.

I really enjoyed this book, and it gave me an insight into the way. Other people may live. I was gripped to the very end and certainly didn’t figure out the guilty person a book, well worth reading .

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to see DRC

[Nancy Pickering · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advance copy of this book in return for a review.

I very much enjoyed reading this story about a rather unorthodox house sitter who ends up caught up in a murder mystery with a gang of likeminded interlopers. There was plenty of action as the interlopers tried to solve the mystery before the police with lots of comic moments mixed in.

I felt as if the book veered a little bit off course in the third act, with new locations and plot points introduced late on, But overall very enjoyable and I will definitely read more of Andrew Hunter Murray.

[Karen Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the idea of this book and it started out well. Sadly, it didn’t keep my interest. It felt very slow to progress and I didn’t particularly like any of the characters which made it hard for me to engage and follow what was happening.

I think readers that enjoy a lot of dialogue between characters rather than action may get more from this one than I did.

Many thanks to #NetGalley and #RandomHouseUK for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[cloudybooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Allegedly funny.
Actually annoying.
Happy to chuck it.

[Not Quite A Bookshop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Al house sits for people they just don’t know it! He’s respectful of properties always leaving them clean and tidy, not a thing out of place and so these empty houses usually due to holidaying owners mean that Al is able to live a comfortable and quiet life. That is until he returns to one of his regular properties to find that someone has beaten him to it. Oh and then there’s the dead body and its gang connections. Life is suddenly far from quiet. In fact all their lives are on the line.
This was an interesting premise with some likeable, but not quite enough, characters. If it was funny it wasn’t funny enough, the drama wasn’t quite dramatic enough. You catch my drift - it didn’t quite deliver. My first Andrew Hunter Murray book. I’ll try another of his books but won’t dash out to buy one.

Thanks to Netgalley, Random House UK and the author Andrew Hunter Murray for this uncorrected proof advanced reader copy in exchange for my personal, honest review. This review will also appear on my bookstagram account www.instagram.com/not_quite_a_bookshop

[Pallab Ghosh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before I read this book I thought it be like if the no such thing as a fish team decided to solve a murder.

It was.😊

Breaking and Entering is a light read which quietly raises issues about housing, money laundering and obscene wealth.

My three stars- for an enjoyable read - would have been four - for a great read - if a few more brushstrokes had been added to the characters who were not the protagonist.

Even a breezy tale benefits if the characters are relatable and entertaining, rather than there simply to enable the story to progress.

So, should there be a sequel, maybe a few foibles, some good natured bickering and witty quips borrowed from Andrew, Anna, James and might be an idea!

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Al is an interloper - he lives in the homes of wealthy people when they are away and carefully leaves everything as he finds it. He has a strict list of rules which have always served him well - until he meets a group of fellow squatters and before long they break into a place which isn’t in fact unoccupied. Within minutes the owner is killed, and Al and his new friends find themselves on the run.

This was good fun and I enjoyed Al’s witty and sadly cynical voice. The plot is quite complicated but well put together. The book is quite slow to get going, but I didn’t mind that as I was quite taken with the concept of interloping and enjoying getting to know the characters. Eventually the action begins and everything speeds up as we move towards the final revelations.

Very entertaining and sharply humorous, this was a real pleasure to read.

[Emmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had a good premise and I enjoyed the beginning. But it faded for me personally. An overly complex and convoluted story. I struggled to stay focused on this one. Especially when a character summarises the plot “so far” several times??
A big murder mystery fan, and I felt this was perhaps too long? If it was condensed by a 100 pages or so, I think it would have that gripping effect and kept me wondering.

It is well written with the reader in mind. It was something different from the norm and the sarcasm and wit added to the fun, light mood of the atmosphere. I think if you can connect with the characters and put traditional murder mysteries (Christie style) aside, this will be an enjoyable one.

Thank you Hutchinson and Heinemann for my review copy.


Not the book itself, it’s just a case of not the book for me.