Review: The Penny Thief

The Penny Thief
Written by Christophe Paul and translated by Jennifer Adcock
Published 2013
386 pages
Thriller
Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

…and if someone was robbing a bank cent by cent without anyone realizing it…

Paris, Montmartre and La Defense, the ultra-modern business district with their skyscrapers. Henri Pichon is a quietly sharp programmer whose daily routine is altered by a fortuitous accident from which will change the fate of everyone around. A different crime/detective: a story of love, hate, greed, murder…and a refreshing touch of black humor. How far are you willing to go for the money?

The Penny Thief is a wonderful depiction on what greed can do to a human being. Greed can absolutely destroy and that was shown extremely well throughout the book. The story flowed well and was full of fast-paced action and intrigue. The race to find the money will definitely make your skin crawl due to the wickedness of greed.

I felt that Henri was a great anti-hero; he’s definitely not perfect. He begins as a victim but as the story unfolds his character becomes very complex; so complex it is very hard to view him as a hero. At times, I found him a little bit disturbing but likeable as well. I really enjoyed the romantic side of Henri. His expressions of love were so creative. Mr. Paul wrote a very interesting character in Henri Pichon.

Jean-Phillippe Maillard is another interesting character who doesn’t fit into one definitely archetype. I rather liked him; even with his greedy shortcomings. His love for his daughter, Tash, redeemed him. I’m not sure if he deserved his ending. It was incredibly harsh.

Of course, there are true villains in The Penny Thief. Pierre Gabriel turns into a complete ogre due to his greed. In the end, he would do anything to get all the pennies; no matter who got hurt. He is a prime example of what can happen when greed totally overwhelms you.

Besides the greed and betrayal, there are so aspects of true kindness in this story. Marcel, Etienne, Yvette and Valerie gave the story a sense of compassion that balanced out the awfulness of greed. Their characters gave the story more texture and emotion where you won’t drown in the corruption of money.

The Penny Thief is full of intrigue and suspense. It is, also, very intelligent and will keep you engaged until the very end.

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