A Beginner’s Guide to Breaking and Entering

By the Sunday Times bestselling author Andrew Hunter Murray and shortlisted for the Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction 2024, 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.

Property might be theft. But the housing market is murder. 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.

'A comic delight' Financial Times

'A thoroughly entertaining mix of whodunnit, social satire and a cunningly smuggled-in love story. Highly recommended.' Mail on Sunday

'Smart, satirical, knowledgeable, accurate, punchy, laugh-out-loud funny, surprising, shocking, thought-provoking... Loved it.' Matt Chorley, The Times

Property might be theft. But the housing market is murder.

My name is Al. I live in wealthy people's second homes while their real owners are away.

I don't rob them, I don't damage anything... I'm more an unofficial house-sitter than an actual criminal.

Life is good. Or it was - until last night, when my friends and I broke into the wrong place, on the wrong day, and someone wound up dead.

And now... now we're in a great deal of trouble.

Praise for A Beginner's Guide to Breaking and Entering...

'A propulsive plot, an ingenious narrator and lashings of intrigue make this a genuine and thoroughly enjoyable page-turner.' Guardian

'It's laugh-out-loud funny, proceeding at a pace that makes it almost impossible to put down.' Sunday Times

'Filled with humour, shocks, love, and hate - and a few tips on how to beat the housing crisis.' Daily Express

'The plot is corset-tight and lavish with its surprises. An amusing crime caper... a delight.' Strong Words Magazine

'Fantastic' Zoe Ball

'Madly fun and exciting' Lisa Jewell

'Who knew murder could be so funny. A joyous read from start to finish. I loved it!' Clare Mackintosh

'Legit brilliant, FUN and FUNNY and I couldn't recommend it more' Stevie Martin

'Dark, funny, and deeply twisted' Val McDermid

'Witty, dazzling and incredibly addictive' Jenny Colgan

'A bloody brilliant, fantastic book... I'm bereft now I've finished it' Philippa Perry

Andrew Hunter Murray has written something so funny and clever, you will want to give him a badge.' Cariad Lloyd

'Tremendous fun - a quirky, gripping and insightful novel that kept me reading late into the night.' Elizabeth Macneal

'This is a giddy, addictive thrill ride of a book - who knew accidental espionage was so much fun?!' Daisy Buchanan

'An excellent pacy caper' Professor Sophie Ratcliffe

'Filled with humour, shocks, love and hate - and a few handy tips on how to beat the housing crisis... Funny, thoughtful and all-round entertaining.' Press Association