It seemed too good to be true. Without a cargo, Ockham couldn't afford the berthing fees for his small merchantship, Razor. And then Murgatroid contacted him about a cargo to ship. They agreed to meet... It WAS too good to be true. Ockham should have known better. Now he needs to find Murgatroid - or the Barrold police will put him in jail and impound Razor. Without any clues to Murgatroid's real identity, Ockham is stuck. He could try searching through Barrold's criminal underworld... but he suspects that will only get him deeper in trouble. Once again, Ockham should have known better... TO CATCH A THIEF is a fast-paced and exciting space opera novel that will appeal to fans of everything from Star Wars to Firefly, from Traveller RPG to modern space operas by writers such as Iain M Banks, Ken MacLeod, David Weber, Walter Jon Williams, or Neal Asher.
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By Linda Welch
Jan 1, 2009
"Great Story!" To Catch a Thief is an enjoyable and engrossing story with thoroughly engaging characters. The plot is a good one and sucks you in and I like the touch of dry humor. The book is also very well written. The author has the knack of making his characters three-dimensional personalities and their relationships are still developing, particularly between Ockham and Mistra Onsoon. There's a bit of a mystery - just who or what is Onsoon, and what deep dark secret does Mongries hide, that he refuses to talk about his past? Of course, when judging the worth of a book to you, personally, you ask yourself: Do I want to read more? I definitely do. I look forward to the further adventures of the Razor's crew.
"great fun" This is a fast-paced, exciting piece of very competent story-telling. It’s a quick read, because it’s short—99 pages—and because the narrative style is very straightforward and direct. There is little in the way of literary affectations or artsy obscurity. It moves right along—Sheffield has a knack for story-telling. To Catch a Thief is not a stand-alone book, and readers should note the words on the cover, “The first book in Ockham’s Razor.” Obviously there’s a lot more of the story to come. Sheffield will have to produce the next volume quickly to maintain momentum, or (I would hope) re-publish the stories later, in a longer anthology. The protagonist, Ockham, is a classic action hero. He has quick reflexes and keeps his cool under pressure, even if at times he seems a bit of a dupe. Like Chandler’s Phillip Marlowe, his apparent gullibility is related to his rigid sense of right and wrong. The basic theme for Ockham’s character is the tension between expediency... More > and principle, between profit and honor. He always tries to make the right decision, trying to be an honest man in a world of deception, so he is always right on that razor’s edge between right and wrong—as he sees it. But the most intriguing character is the mysterious Shadow woman Onsoon—she is a deepening mystery and a great character. Completely hidden by a strange alien fabric—at least, that’s what it appears to be—she exhibits no emotions at all, and yet Sheffield manages to make her compelling, and strangely alluring. There are some beautiful subtleties of the relationship between Onsoon and Ockham. It is mainly because of my curiosity about Onsoon that I’ll be ordering the second book when it comes out this year.< Less
"Great!" To Catch A Thief is the story of Ockham, an ex-military type who retired and invested his pension in buying the Razor, a small interstellar cargo ship. In chapter 1, we learn that he’s struggling financially, and so he takes a meeting on the backwater world of Barrold, hoping to get a cargo so his ship doesn’t get hocked for back dock fees. Perhaps needless to say, things don’t go according to plan, which makes for an entertaining read. Sheffield is a pretty good writer, and he tells an entertaining story. I have to admit I have a bias to like this story. Sheffield, like myself, is tired of the current trend in science fiction, which is to produce 150,000 word doorstops labeled as “Book One of Ten.” Typically, it seems that if you haven’t read the first couple of books, don’t bother with the later in the series, as you’ll be lost. The story is entertaining and reasonably-well told, and presented (at least in e-book form) in a professional manner, both in terms of... More > proofreading and layout. I have to say that I enjoyed To Catch A Thief, and look forward to seeing more from this author.< Less
