If you can't be good vs Mysterious Mr. Sabin: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Spy Fiction, Fiction
If you can't be good
An old CIA connection brings trouble for a Washington, DC, barman in this thriller from "America's best storyteller" (The New York Times Book Review).   As the saying goes, you can't pick your friends. If you…
vs
Mysterious Mr. Sabin
"The mysterious Mr. Sabin is an unscrupulous French royalist who aids the German government in a conspiracy of war against England. His part in the plot is that of securing valuable papers recording the coast defenses…
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- If you can't be good is the quickest read — about 4 hours vs 6 for Mysterious Mr. Sabin.
- If you can't be good has the widest readership — 201 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| If you can't be good | Mysterious Mr. Sabin | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.1 (201) | — |
| Apple Books | — | 4.5 (11) |
Reception
| If you can't be good | Mysterious Mr. Sabin | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 201 | 11 |
| Editions | 8 | 46 |
| Film adaptations | — | 1 |
| Wikipedia attention | — | 55 |
| Pages | 249 | 370 |