Robert Rivers is a crook. No excuses, no apologies. But he’s a thief with honor, plotting heists where no shots are fired, no blood is spille...
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reviews
Feb 03, 2011
Paul
rated it: 
This mystery is about a crook, Robert Rivers, and his partner, Switch, who have made a living stealing. The make no excuses or apologies, they are what they are. The are in the process of holding up a restaurant, Cow Town, after they close for the evening. Everything goes well, except Rob finds a naked picture of a beautiful young girl in the cash box. The cash box also has more money in it than one would expect tko find in this typr of business.
Rob becomes obssessed with the gir More...
Rob becomes obssessed with the gir More...
Apr 19, 2010
JW
rated it:
A stick up man that's a bit too conscientious, an author whose writing is slightly florid and overly concerned with Orange County geography, an ending that doesn't quite qualify as deus ex machina (YMMV). I got this book to satisfy a sudden thirst for crime novels, but it's far from hard boiled. Crime lite, maybe?
It started off good, paced well and nicely procedural but the story changed and the first person protagonist swerved in ways that I couldn't fully accept. Repeated refe More...
It started off good, paced well and nicely procedural but the story changed and the first person protagonist swerved in ways that I couldn't fully accept. Repeated refe More...
Aug 05, 2009
Donald
rated it: 
I was blown away by this book. Exciting, entertaining and beautifully written, it is one of the best crime fiction books I have ever read -- and I’ve read a lot of them. It is hard to believe that it is Steven M. Thomas’s first book. The action starts when Robert “Rob” Rivers and his partner Switch rob a restaurant in Orange County that gets them tangled up with a psychopathic criminal and puts them on the trail of a kidnapped girl who they try to rescue. The villain is one of the scariest -- a
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Oct 22, 2009
Eugeneson
rated it:
I read this in two sittings. It is a powerful page-turner. The story drew me in and wouldn’t let me go. The “good guy” in this book is actually a criminal who gets mixed up in some dirty business in Orange County, California and ends up rescuing a kidnapped girl from a businessman/gangster/murderer who is in the process of going insane! The book doesn’t need the afterward, which is a bit of an anticlimax, but other than that it is a first-rate read.
Nov 11, 2011
"Robert Rivers is a superb character, and I loved his sidekick. The opening heist was so wonderfully done, so much going on in that opening scene alone....Send me anything this guy writes, he's the rare and real deal." - Ken Bruen, author of The Guards
Listen to Criminal Paradise on your smartphone.
Listen to Criminal Paradise on your smartphone.
Mar 08, 2010
Steve
rated it: 
This is a fun reverse-detective novel. Our antihero is a burglar. If you compare this to Lawrence Block's Burglar novels, you'll find Rob Rivers a touch less funny than Bernie Rhodenbarr, though he runs in seedier crowds. We spend less time burglarizing and more time trying to deal with the aftereffects of theft. The author is just OK with characterization but excels in describing the southern California surroundings. Lots of fun, if not groundbreaking. I'm reading the sequel now.
Oct 09, 2009
Saul
rated it:
I heard about this when it was nominated for best first novel at thrillerfest this year and I love it. It has one of the darkest and most diabolical villains I have ever come across and one of the most interesting and charistmatic heroes -- who just happens to be a criminal.
Nov 30, 2009
Jmrathbone
rated it: 
Rob Rivers is a small time criminal, who discovers that the owner of a restaurant he robs is heavily involved in the sex trade. Rivers is off to the rescue. I grew up on Balboa Island and appreciated Steven Thomas’s description of that area. Some of his writing is lyrical. However, there are too many coincidences in this book, and the ending is really disappointing. Over-all I think that Steven Thomas would be better off sticking to short stories.
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