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Bernie Rhodenbarr #10
The Burglar on the Prowl
Bernie Rhodenbarr, burglar with a heart of gold, returns for this 10th installment in a reliable series from the versatile and prolific Lawrence Block (70-plus books to date). In Burglar on the Prowl, Bernie is recruited by an old friend to burgle the home of a crooked plastic surgeon, removing some off-the-books cash from a wall safe. A simple enough job, but Bernie complicates matters by going "on the prowl" one restless evening―-randomly cruising for an easy job.
While he's pawing through a woman's empty apartment, she returns home; Bernie hides hastily, only to overhear an act of violence that draws him into a hunt for the perpetrator and a deepening role in the victim's life.
While he's pawing through a woman's empty apartment, she returns home; Bernie hides hastily, only to overhear an act of violence that draws him into a hunt for the perpetrator and a deepening role in the victim's life.
293 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2001
211 people are currently reading
779 people want to read
About the author
Lawrence Block
767 books2,979 followersLawrence Block has been writing crime, mystery, and suspense fiction for more than half a century. He has published in excess (oh, wretched excess!) of 100 books, and no end of short stories.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he’d be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them.
His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg. The first time Lawrence Block’s name appeared in print was when his short story “You Can’t Lose” was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death. In 2005 it became the first offering from Hard Case Crime, and bore for the first time LB’s original title, Grifter’s Game.
LB is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-private investigator Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller.
Because one name is never enough, LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
LB’s magazine appearances include American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Linn’s Stamp News, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times. His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar’s Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.
Several of LB’s books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder and is scheduled for release in September, 2014.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.)
LB and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.
He is a modest and humble fellow, although you would never guess as much from this biographical note.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he’d be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them.
His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg. The first time Lawrence Block’s name appeared in print was when his short story “You Can’t Lose” was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death. In 2005 it became the first offering from Hard Case Crime, and bore for the first time LB’s original title, Grifter’s Game.
LB is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-private investigator Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller.
Because one name is never enough, LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
LB’s magazine appearances include American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Linn’s Stamp News, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times. His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar’s Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.
Several of LB’s books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder and is scheduled for release in September, 2014.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.)
LB and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.
He is a modest and humble fellow, although you would never guess as much from this biographical note.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 214 reviews
August 8, 2014
If you are willing to gloss over ethical and character problems in a significant character relationship, it might theoretically be an entertaining read.
Seriously, Block. What's the author of the finely tuned Matt Scudder mysteries thinking? Please tell me this was subbed out to a ghost writer, because your introduction of the Barbara Creely character is awful.
Burglar stared off promising, with a unique voice compared to Block's other works, and with a man who clearly enjoyed his illegal activities, even as he was aware of how problematic they were.
Bernie Rodenbarr is set up to be a somewhat loveable anti-hero, the classic criminal with ethics (he only steals from the rich, etc, etc), and it mostly works, until he's under the bed at a woman's house as she is about to get date-raped. And he just hides there and listens, because he's essentially afraid of harm from the rapist. Although I appreciate that Bernie is sharing an honest reason, it had a significant downgrading on my enjoyment level. After the rapist finishes, he tosses the apartment looking for money and valuables. He threatens to degrade the unconscious woman further, but is luckily stopped by circumstance. Bernie feels sorry for the woman and makes an effort to "clean up" the mess the rapist/robber made by putting things back, replacing money in her wallet, flushing the condom, etc. Kind, I suppose. But how fucking obtuse: I know what will solve the problem! Let me erase it for you and we'll pretend it never happened!
Later, Bernie goes back to the neighborhood and hangs out at a bar that seems like the woman's type, hoping to run into her. To see if she's okay? Nice thought, but no. To try and warn her that her she needs to start playing it safer? Wow, you're kind of a Pollyanna, aren't you?
No, he meets her, they have a creepy conversation about how it seems they've been "emotionally intimate" before, he goes home with her that night, and spends the night having sex.
Oh, not so he's a stalker or anything--he's friendly and doesn't use roofies, which makes all the difference.
Then, within a week, he's telling her the truth about his occupation... and how he first met her. And you know what? She's okay with it.
What
the
fuck?
The self-disclosure is literally taken care of in a couple of paragraphs. This is despite Bernie earlier reflecting on a conversation with his friend Carolyn about how merely feeling burgled felt like a violation. He tells Barbara she's been roofied and date-raped, along with being robbed. Her reaction? She swears for a minute and then focuses on which window Bernie was going to use to escape.
I will say it again:
What
the
fuck?
Add in a shitload of coincidences, which Bernie self-references twenty times if he does it once, and the ridiculous Hercule Poirot denouement, and I'm left with the uncomfortable feeling that this is a spoof. In which rape is how you meet your next date.
Need I say it again?
Seriously, Block. What's the author of the finely tuned Matt Scudder mysteries thinking? Please tell me this was subbed out to a ghost writer, because your introduction of the Barbara Creely character is awful.
Burglar stared off promising, with a unique voice compared to Block's other works, and with a man who clearly enjoyed his illegal activities, even as he was aware of how problematic they were.
Bernie Rodenbarr is set up to be a somewhat loveable anti-hero, the classic criminal with ethics (he only steals from the rich, etc, etc), and it mostly works, until he's under the bed at a woman's house as she is about to get date-raped. And he just hides there and listens, because he's essentially afraid of harm from the rapist. Although I appreciate that Bernie is sharing an honest reason, it had a significant downgrading on my enjoyment level. After the rapist finishes, he tosses the apartment looking for money and valuables. He threatens to degrade the unconscious woman further, but is luckily stopped by circumstance. Bernie feels sorry for the woman and makes an effort to "clean up" the mess the rapist/robber made by putting things back, replacing money in her wallet, flushing the condom, etc. Kind, I suppose. But how fucking obtuse: I know what will solve the problem! Let me erase it for you and we'll pretend it never happened!
Later, Bernie goes back to the neighborhood and hangs out at a bar that seems like the woman's type, hoping to run into her. To see if she's okay? Nice thought, but no. To try and warn her that her she needs to start playing it safer? Wow, you're kind of a Pollyanna, aren't you?
No, he meets her, they have a creepy conversation about how it seems they've been "emotionally intimate" before, he goes home with her that night, and spends the night having sex.
Oh, not so he's a stalker or anything--he's friendly and doesn't use roofies, which makes all the difference.
Then, within a week, he's telling her the truth about his occupation... and how he first met her. And you know what? She's okay with it.
What
the
fuck?
The self-disclosure is literally taken care of in a couple of paragraphs. This is despite Bernie earlier reflecting on a conversation with his friend Carolyn about how merely feeling burgled felt like a violation. He tells Barbara she's been roofied and date-raped, along with being robbed. Her reaction? She swears for a minute and then focuses on which window Bernie was going to use to escape.
I will say it again:
What
the
fuck?
Add in a shitload of coincidences, which Bernie self-references twenty times if he does it once, and the ridiculous Hercule Poirot denouement, and I'm left with the uncomfortable feeling that this is a spoof. In which rape is how you meet your next date.
Need I say it again?
January 3, 2024
In this 10th book in the comical 'Bernie Rhodenbarr' mystery series, the professional thief/amateur sleuth investigates a nefarious scheme. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
New Yorker Bernie Rhodenbarr has two sources of income - he's a used bookstore owner and a burglar.
Bernie's larcenous proclivities are well known to his friends, who'll sometimes even tag along on a break-in. The cops also know that Bernie's a thief, but - much to their chagrin - they can't quite catch him with the goods.
As the story opens Bernie's friend Marty Gilmartin wants a favor. A married plastic surgeon called Crandall Roundtree Mapes stole Marty's girlfriend, and Marty wants revenge. He asks Bernie to break into Mapes' house and steal the pile of cash the shady doctor keeps in his safe.
Bernie agrees, but first he has to case the Riverdale house - which has security - and plan the escapade.
In the meantime Bernie gets an itch to exercise his skills, and roams around Manhattan looking for a quick score.
Bernie breaks into a woman's apartment and gets caught short when the tenant suddenly returns with a man.
As Bernie is hiding under the bed, he realizes a date rape is occurring, after which the perp robs the unconscious woman and leaves. Bernie - who feels bad about the whole thing - tidies up the apartment and replaces some of the stolen cash. In the following days Bernie makes it his business to hang out in the neighborhood, where he meets the victim, whose name is Barbara. One thing leads to another and a romance starts.
In the meantime, Bernie's perambulations around Manhattan have been caught on CCTV, and he's wrongly arrested when a man and woman are found murdered in their ransacked apartment.
The charges don't stick but trouble follows anyway because someone thinks Bernie took something from the dead couple - perhaps a book - and they want it! This misconception leads to more deaths, including a customer who bought a spy novel called 'Secret Agent' from Bernie.
To add insult to injury, Bernie's apartment is tossed, and he's robbed of thousands of dollars. Bernie realizes a scheme is afoot, but he can't quite figure out what it is.
Finally, when Bernie breaks into Dr. Mapes' home to rob the safe he finds something that leads to an epiphany. Bernie gathers all the interested parties together (a la Hercule Poirot) and explains what's been happening, why people were killed, and who did it.
Unfortunately, the scheme is SO complicated it's almost impossible to follow, which is a major flaw in the book (IMO).
Favorite recurring characters make an appearance, including Bernie's friend Carolyn Kaiser - who grooms dogs and sometimes helps with burglaries; and police officer Ray Kirshmann - a not quite honest cop who's determined to arrest Bernie.
Though the plot was over the top, the book provided a few laughs.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
October 25, 2021
This is the tenth entry in Lawrence Block's series featuring gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, and after you've read the first nine, you realize that the formula is very well established and that the tenth book is not going to contain any real surprises. Which is fine, for the most part.
As almost always happens in this series, Bernie will be in the process of burglarizing someone's home or apartment when something unexpected happens, leaving Bernie in serious trouble. Almost always someone will be dead; inevitably Bernie's nemesis, Ray Kirchmann, a more-than-slightly-slightly bent N.Y.P.D. cop, will suspect Bernie of the murder, and Bernie's only way out will be to discover the real killer and reveal him or her when all the suspects are gathered together at the conclusion of the novel.
The plots in these books never make any sense, even when Bernie attempts to explain them at the end, and that's perfectly fine. These are very light-hearted stories, and one reads them for the pleasure of Bernie's company and for the witty dialogue that passes between the characters.
In this case, though, the whole tenor of the novel is upset by one very creepy and unsettling scene that seems totally out of place in a book in this series. I'm not going to describe it, but believe me, you'll know it when you see it. It occurs about a third of the way into the book and pretty much soured me on the rest of the novel. The balance of the book is up to the usual standard of the series, but with that one scene hanging over it all, I didn't really enjoy the rest of the book and for the first time in this series, really wasn't all that keen on spending any more time in Bernie's company. Two and a half stars for a series and a character that I really like but that disappointed me this time around.
As almost always happens in this series, Bernie will be in the process of burglarizing someone's home or apartment when something unexpected happens, leaving Bernie in serious trouble. Almost always someone will be dead; inevitably Bernie's nemesis, Ray Kirchmann, a more-than-slightly-slightly bent N.Y.P.D. cop, will suspect Bernie of the murder, and Bernie's only way out will be to discover the real killer and reveal him or her when all the suspects are gathered together at the conclusion of the novel.
The plots in these books never make any sense, even when Bernie attempts to explain them at the end, and that's perfectly fine. These are very light-hearted stories, and one reads them for the pleasure of Bernie's company and for the witty dialogue that passes between the characters.
In this case, though, the whole tenor of the novel is upset by one very creepy and unsettling scene that seems totally out of place in a book in this series. I'm not going to describe it, but believe me, you'll know it when you see it. It occurs about a third of the way into the book and pretty much soured me on the rest of the novel. The balance of the book is up to the usual standard of the series, but with that one scene hanging over it all, I didn't really enjoy the rest of the book and for the first time in this series, really wasn't all that keen on spending any more time in Bernie's company. Two and a half stars for a series and a character that I really like but that disappointed me this time around.
August 20, 2013
The prolific Lawrence Block is at it again with THE BURGLAR ON THE PROWL, the tenth book in the Bernie Rhodenbarr series. Thankfully, Block never loses his skill at creating an excellent tale featuring the antiquarian book seller cum burglar.
The book opens with a friend of Bernie's, Marty Gilmartin, asking for his help. His mistress has given him up for another, and Marty wants to avenge the act by having Bernie rob the affluent plastic surgeon, Crandall Roundtree Mapes. Since burgling is in Bernie's blood, he's more than happy to help his friend out. Bernie plans the heist, but a couple of days before he's set to execute it, he can't resist the allure of another robbery. He's in the middle of robbing an apartment, when its occupant and her date return home. He quickly hides under the bed, and in horror, realizes that the woman has been given a Roofie and is a victim of date rape. There's nothing he can do about it except to try to minimize the effects after the villain leaves the apartment and the victim is unconscious.
That little extra burgling foray has a lot of ramifications for Bernie. First of all, he was seen on a security camera in the neighborhood and is accused of an entirely different crime where 2 people ended up dead. In the meantime, the real perpetrators of that crime think he ended up with the goods and are after him; and he is robbed by the robbers. On a positive note, he ends up in a relationship with the date rape victim.
As always, Block tells a good tale. It was great to see a favorite character from the books, Bernie's friend, Carolyn Kaiser, take a leading role in this book. The plot branches off in many directions, but it all comes together at the end in a reasonable solution and a very happy ending for both Bernie and Carolyn. There are lots of little humorous touches woven into the book. One of my favorites was that Bernie was reading a mystery by John Sandford. The title? Lettuce Prey.
I love how Block provides Bernie with a conscience and allows him to do some good deeds amidst the crimes he commits, but he is never too good or out of character. THE BURGLAR ON THE PROWL may have a few more plot threads than it really needs; but overall, it is a very enjoyable and well-written book.
The book opens with a friend of Bernie's, Marty Gilmartin, asking for his help. His mistress has given him up for another, and Marty wants to avenge the act by having Bernie rob the affluent plastic surgeon, Crandall Roundtree Mapes. Since burgling is in Bernie's blood, he's more than happy to help his friend out. Bernie plans the heist, but a couple of days before he's set to execute it, he can't resist the allure of another robbery. He's in the middle of robbing an apartment, when its occupant and her date return home. He quickly hides under the bed, and in horror, realizes that the woman has been given a Roofie and is a victim of date rape. There's nothing he can do about it except to try to minimize the effects after the villain leaves the apartment and the victim is unconscious.
That little extra burgling foray has a lot of ramifications for Bernie. First of all, he was seen on a security camera in the neighborhood and is accused of an entirely different crime where 2 people ended up dead. In the meantime, the real perpetrators of that crime think he ended up with the goods and are after him; and he is robbed by the robbers. On a positive note, he ends up in a relationship with the date rape victim.
As always, Block tells a good tale. It was great to see a favorite character from the books, Bernie's friend, Carolyn Kaiser, take a leading role in this book. The plot branches off in many directions, but it all comes together at the end in a reasonable solution and a very happy ending for both Bernie and Carolyn. There are lots of little humorous touches woven into the book. One of my favorites was that Bernie was reading a mystery by John Sandford. The title? Lettuce Prey.
I love how Block provides Bernie with a conscience and allows him to do some good deeds amidst the crimes he commits, but he is never too good or out of character. THE BURGLAR ON THE PROWL may have a few more plot threads than it really needs; but overall, it is a very enjoyable and well-written book.
September 14, 2015
Bernie Rhodenbarr strikes again! Very enjoyable and entertaining book from Lawrence Block.
September 2, 2018
Another convoluted plot for our bookshop owner and slightly reluctant burglar, as a number of different threads come together, involving date-rape, plastic surgery, Latvian exiles and much more. With a happy ending. For me, not the best of the Bernie books.
December 6, 2019
I found the entry in the Bernie Rhodenbarr series disappointing. The mystery was convoluted (which isn't necessarily a bad thing) but Bernie's involvement seemed too tangential. Plus, Bernie himself was not his usual charming and fun self...
My Kindle edition had some short pieces by Block about the series and a short story "The Burglar Who Dropped in on Elvis", which was entertaining.
My Kindle edition had some short pieces by Block about the series and a short story "The Burglar Who Dropped in on Elvis", which was entertaining.
January 11, 2014
The dialogue was light and clear. However when I reached the part where the character hid under the bed and let someone get hurt, I stopped reading. Shame on you Lawrence.
May 27, 2022
I like the characters in this series that the convoluted story in this novel doesn't ruin the book. Not my favorite volume in the series, but I will read the next one. Bernie is breaking into homes and catching murders yet again, but the circumstances are a little hard to believe.
January 21, 2019
Disclosure: I quit reading at the 65% mark.
Now in order to review it I'm going to need to borrow this doll:
But first I want to say a little about how I came to be in the situation where this book was able to give me the "bad touch". When I was a kid I found Lawrence Block's Burglar series at the library and loved it. I enjoyed them immensely and wished there were more of them. So recently when I learned LB was issuing some old stuff including some Burglar short stories as ebooks I snagged a few and then ended up buying all three of the Burglar novels which had been written after he'd fallen off my radar. So hadn't read Lawrence Block in a long time, but Lawrence Block wasn't a stranger, I knew him well enough not to expect deep characterization, or especially realistic and plausible plots, but I was confident he'd entertain me with a fun and funny story. Unfortunately when I decided to actually read one of those novels, I picked this one.
I'm going to turn on the spoiler tag here before I continue, but those of you too scared to peek behind the curtain should know the problem with this book relates to rape.
Now in order to review it I'm going to need to borrow this doll:
But first I want to say a little about how I came to be in the situation where this book was able to give me the "bad touch". When I was a kid I found Lawrence Block's Burglar series at the library and loved it. I enjoyed them immensely and wished there were more of them. So recently when I learned LB was issuing some old stuff including some Burglar short stories as ebooks I snagged a few and then ended up buying all three of the Burglar novels which had been written after he'd fallen off my radar. So hadn't read Lawrence Block in a long time, but Lawrence Block wasn't a stranger, I knew him well enough not to expect deep characterization, or especially realistic and plausible plots, but I was confident he'd entertain me with a fun and funny story. Unfortunately when I decided to actually read one of those novels, I picked this one.
I'm going to turn on the spoiler tag here before I continue, but those of you too scared to peek behind the curtain should know the problem with this book relates to rape.
August 5, 2014
You'd think by now I'd be a bit tired of reading the books featuring Manhattan bookstore owner and occasional thief Bernie Rhodenbarr - this is the 10th in the series - especially since the formula doesn't change much. Bernie sets out on a mission to steal, Bernie gets "cornered" while inside, someone gets bumped off and Bernie becomes the suspect, Bernie figures the whole thing out and gathers all the potential culprits together for a "come to Jesus" meeting and everyone lives happily ever after (well, maybe except for the killer, who's off to the pokey).
But the fact is, I'm not weary of it all; rather, these have been my go-to books when I'm looking for a mystery on the lighter side that is guaranteed to elicit a chuckle or two. What's more, the realization that I have just one more left to read (Burglars Can't Be Chosers), is bumming me out.
This one begins as an old friend asks Bernie for help in getting revenge on a wealthy mob-connected plastic surgeon who stole the friend's gal of the hour. Bernie agrees, but in casing the joint he decides to make a random stop on his own just for fun. But when he finds himself stuck in a woman's apartment as she makes an unexpected return (with a male in tow), the fun comes to an also unexpected halt. Upset over the violence that ensues while he's hiding under the bed, Bernie sets out to find the guy who did the evil deed.
After he subsequently does the break-in as requested by his friend, things start happening fast. A man and wife with a mysterious past get murdered in an apparent robbery - their apartment is ransacked - and a bookstore customer is run down and killed just after he buys a book (a book that the killers jump out of the car and steal). Later, when Bernie's apartment is ransacked as well, he begins to put two and two together and start thinking about connections, aided by his pet-groomer friend Carolyn Kaiser and in-it-for-me cop Ray Kirshmann.
As usual, in the end Bernie gathers a bunch of suspects together in the plastic surgeon's home to sort things out. If I have a nit to pick with this book, it's that there are way too many characters (the count in the room is 22, I believe, although admittedly that counts Ray, Carolyn and a couple of other law enforcement officers). It was a good story that involves a former Latvian war criminal, but after all the confusion at the end I'm still not quite sure who really did what and why.
But the fact is, I'm not weary of it all; rather, these have been my go-to books when I'm looking for a mystery on the lighter side that is guaranteed to elicit a chuckle or two. What's more, the realization that I have just one more left to read (Burglars Can't Be Chosers), is bumming me out.
This one begins as an old friend asks Bernie for help in getting revenge on a wealthy mob-connected plastic surgeon who stole the friend's gal of the hour. Bernie agrees, but in casing the joint he decides to make a random stop on his own just for fun. But when he finds himself stuck in a woman's apartment as she makes an unexpected return (with a male in tow), the fun comes to an also unexpected halt. Upset over the violence that ensues while he's hiding under the bed, Bernie sets out to find the guy who did the evil deed.
After he subsequently does the break-in as requested by his friend, things start happening fast. A man and wife with a mysterious past get murdered in an apparent robbery - their apartment is ransacked - and a bookstore customer is run down and killed just after he buys a book (a book that the killers jump out of the car and steal). Later, when Bernie's apartment is ransacked as well, he begins to put two and two together and start thinking about connections, aided by his pet-groomer friend Carolyn Kaiser and in-it-for-me cop Ray Kirshmann.
As usual, in the end Bernie gathers a bunch of suspects together in the plastic surgeon's home to sort things out. If I have a nit to pick with this book, it's that there are way too many characters (the count in the room is 22, I believe, although admittedly that counts Ray, Carolyn and a couple of other law enforcement officers). It was a good story that involves a former Latvian war criminal, but after all the confusion at the end I'm still not quite sure who really did what and why.
October 22, 2018
Bernie Rhodenbarr is just too much fun. I suppose, all things being equal, I'm not supposed to like the burglar/criminal. But Bernie? He's such a good-hearted fellow. His burglary business is sort of like a compulsion that he knows he should stop, that it really isn't the way things are supposed to be. He simply can't help himself. He learned at a young age that he has an aptitude for picking locks and, what the heck, why not go with what you're good at?
I read a review of something else recently that spoke to when a novel is called "light" it means the prose isn't very good. I am reminded that comedy and the ability to get the timing right, is very much harder to accomplish than drama. I'm going to start thinking the same about "light" novels, as this is. Perhaps it is why I often don't find humor in literature that is called humorous - the writer hasn't the skill to pull it off. Lawrence Block certainly possesses that skill.
It's been awhile since I've read Block, and apparently only one since I've been a member of Goodreads. Either this is actually better, or I was just more receptive. In any case, this gets 4-stars, my top rating for the genre.
"A wall safe? I never yet found a really difficult one. And if he's got the mother of all wall safes, well, all that means is I'll have to pull it out of the wall and take it home and work on it at leisure. That's another thing about wall safes, they're portable. They have to be or you couldn't stick them in the wall."As you can see, there is no hard edge to this series. I met Lawrence Block back in my racewalking days at a weekend clinic and had online conversations about walking marathons, and I tend to think Bernie Rhodenbarr is equipped with Block's personal sense of humor. These are certainly not in any way autobiographical, but still, when I picture Bernie, he's a young Lawrence Block. I haven't read his Matthew Scudder series, but I'd bet dollars to donuts I wouldn't consider having Block and Scudder merge.
I read a review of something else recently that spoke to when a novel is called "light" it means the prose isn't very good. I am reminded that comedy and the ability to get the timing right, is very much harder to accomplish than drama. I'm going to start thinking the same about "light" novels, as this is. Perhaps it is why I often don't find humor in literature that is called humorous - the writer hasn't the skill to pull it off. Lawrence Block certainly possesses that skill.
It's been awhile since I've read Block, and apparently only one since I've been a member of Goodreads. Either this is actually better, or I was just more receptive. In any case, this gets 4-stars, my top rating for the genre.
May 21, 2016
Bernie Rhodenbarr is at loose ends. He recently broke up with his girlfriend, and things just aren't going right with his life, so he goes on the prowl.
Randomly breaking into an apartment, he witnesses a date rape. Then, of course, there's a murder in the neighborhood, and good ole Ray wants to finger Bernie.
So once again, Bernie goes into the breach, burgling and detecting, finding an age old revenge plot, a crime doctor, and assorted other threads before he gets to the solution.
Good stuff, like all these books.
Randomly breaking into an apartment, he witnesses a date rape. Then, of course, there's a murder in the neighborhood, and good ole Ray wants to finger Bernie.
So once again, Bernie goes into the breach, burgling and detecting, finding an age old revenge plot, a crime doctor, and assorted other threads before he gets to the solution.
Good stuff, like all these books.
September 3, 2017
Another slice of Rhodenbarr sponge... drizzled with whisky, probably Laphroaig. Formulaic to a fault with even Block signposting his lazy adherence to the cliche:
And, yet, not without its charms. Perhaps more than most, this featherlight book is built on silly coincidences, but Block makes them a feature and brazens his way to another satisfying conclusion.
... what a less original narrator might characterize as that fateful day...
And, yet, not without its charms. Perhaps more than most, this featherlight book is built on silly coincidences, but Block makes them a feature and brazens his way to another satisfying conclusion.
February 6, 2017
Bernie is asked to help out a friend get revenge. That simple act lead to Bernie, diving through milk chutes, hiding under a bed, getting shot at and robbed before he manages to acquire a girlfriend, add to his Get Out of Dodge fund, and maybe bring a Russian war criminal to justice while assisting Ray in burnishing his reputation. A fun read!
June 23, 2022
I seem to remember the Bernie Rhodenbarr books being 250-300 pages each or so. This is 350 pages. Is that absolutely necessary, Lawrence?
Anyway, on with the summary and review. Bernie Rhodenbarr is asked by his friend Marty, the baseball card collector from a previous novel, to rob a fellow named Mapes, because Mapes has stolen his girlfriend.
So as not to put Mapes onto Marty once he has been robbed, Bernie decides to commit a robbery in the same neighborhood a few days earlier.
He is in the process of robbing a place when the apartment owner returns with a man. He slips under the bed to hide. It turns out the woman has been roofied and the man is raping her. I found this uncomfortable to read and was mad at Bernie and Block. This wasn't necessary for the plot.
When he leaves, Bernie returns what he stolen and leaves.
In the morning, Bernie is arrested for a robbery someplace else and in which several people were murdered. He is eventually released when they can find no evidence to link him to the crime.
One day somebody comes into his bookstore and wants to buy a book for which he pays $1300. Bernie goes out on the street to return his change only to witness the man being gunned down on the street.
Bernie decides to go ahead with the Mapes robbery. He gets away with a quarter of $1 million and the book that he had sold to the man who had visited his store.
This makes him very curious and he’s determined to solve that crime. Meanwhile he contrives to catch Barbara���s assaulter. Instead, he meets Barbara and goes home with her. He goes back to her favorite bar several nights later and asks for information from the bartender but then the man himself enters the bar. William Johnson. The bartender gives him extremely strong drinks and very quickly Johnson is very nearly unconscious. Bernie and the bartender take him out into the alley steal his wallet and leave him there. Bernie goes to his apartment and robs it.
Bernie calls a meeting with Mapes and Marty and Marisol and Barbara’s rapist and a number of other people and then-Poirot-style-proceeds to explain how all of these events are connected. Mapes pulls a gun and kills two people before he is subdued by Bernie’s lawyer, Wally.
The conversations were too long, Bernie’s internal dialogues were too long, so I began to skip things and only go back when I got puzzled. All in all, it was an entertaining book.
Anyway, on with the summary and review. Bernie Rhodenbarr is asked by his friend Marty, the baseball card collector from a previous novel, to rob a fellow named Mapes, because Mapes has stolen his girlfriend.
So as not to put Mapes onto Marty once he has been robbed, Bernie decides to commit a robbery in the same neighborhood a few days earlier.
He is in the process of robbing a place when the apartment owner returns with a man. He slips under the bed to hide. It turns out the woman has been roofied and the man is raping her. I found this uncomfortable to read and was mad at Bernie and Block. This wasn't necessary for the plot.
When he leaves, Bernie returns what he stolen and leaves.
In the morning, Bernie is arrested for a robbery someplace else and in which several people were murdered. He is eventually released when they can find no evidence to link him to the crime.
One day somebody comes into his bookstore and wants to buy a book for which he pays $1300. Bernie goes out on the street to return his change only to witness the man being gunned down on the street.
Bernie decides to go ahead with the Mapes robbery. He gets away with a quarter of $1 million and the book that he had sold to the man who had visited his store.
This makes him very curious and he’s determined to solve that crime. Meanwhile he contrives to catch Barbara���s assaulter. Instead, he meets Barbara and goes home with her. He goes back to her favorite bar several nights later and asks for information from the bartender but then the man himself enters the bar. William Johnson. The bartender gives him extremely strong drinks and very quickly Johnson is very nearly unconscious. Bernie and the bartender take him out into the alley steal his wallet and leave him there. Bernie goes to his apartment and robs it.
Bernie calls a meeting with Mapes and Marty and Marisol and Barbara’s rapist and a number of other people and then-Poirot-style-proceeds to explain how all of these events are connected. Mapes pulls a gun and kills two people before he is subdued by Bernie’s lawyer, Wally.
The conversations were too long, Bernie’s internal dialogues were too long, so I began to skip things and only go back when I got puzzled. All in all, it was an entertaining book.
March 14, 2019
This is my first read from this author. No way would I read anymore past the rape and the absurd discussion with by the robber and his friends about his robbery gone awry. Appalling!
I WILL NEVER READ ANOTHER ONE OF HIS BOOKS,.
The protagonist burglar, who has robbed the victim’s apartment, stays under the bed while the roofied woman gets raped??? WTF ? After the rapist leaves, then he “straightens up her apartment” cause he “feels bad” that she was raped, and the rapist stole money out of her wallet and took her class ring?? WTF??? But the kindly burglar still steals her $1200 hidden in the freezer - minus the $120 he so benevolently puts in her wallet - why? WTF?
Lawerence Block, YOU ARE A MISOGYNISTIC ASSHOLE. AND YOUR EDITOR AND PUBLISHER ARE LOWLIFE SCUM FOR SUPPORTING YOU.
I WILL NEVER READ ANOTHER ONE OF HIS BOOKS,.
The protagonist burglar, who has robbed the victim’s apartment, stays under the bed while the roofied woman gets raped??? WTF ? After the rapist leaves, then he “straightens up her apartment” cause he “feels bad” that she was raped, and the rapist stole money out of her wallet and took her class ring?? WTF??? But the kindly burglar still steals her $1200 hidden in the freezer - minus the $120 he so benevolently puts in her wallet - why? WTF?
Lawerence Block, YOU ARE A MISOGYNISTIC ASSHOLE. AND YOUR EDITOR AND PUBLISHER ARE LOWLIFE SCUM FOR SUPPORTING YOU.
August 2, 2025
This book lot of fun and big ??? questions that took a looooong time to reveal. This really is a long book and full of padding and goofy dialogue. It's a good book and I recommend it and all his burglar books.
May 15, 2009
Bernie Rhodenbarr is a burglar who only targets the wealthy, and who generally only steals valuable objets d'art, or very rare collectibles, mostly from undeserving jerks, which I guess is supposed to make it OK. Most of the "Burglar" books contain some kind of Sexcapade or other, and as Bernie's best friend is a lesbian, her romantic ventures must usually creep into the plot line somewhere. I could personally do without all of that, but I do have to tip my hat to the author for at least skimming over it all discreetly, and with humor. I'd rather he left it out altogether, but hey, you can't have everything.
As this mystery falls into the "caper" subgenre, Bernie the Burglar is also the story's hero. As is usual in the Burglar books, Bernie stumbles into a murder, and as usual, it's up to him to find the killer, since he himself is a prime suspect. Block's plot lines are all remarkably similar. His characters are a bit "stock" (overweight, bumbling police detective in a bad suit, swarthy foreign spies, etc). His writing, however, is snappy, smart, and funny, which saves the book from itself. The plot is so heavily dependent upon random coincidences as to be almost insultingly unbelievable. By the end of the last chapter my eyes were crossing with the extent of the coincidences presented. Also, I don't think Block plays fair with the reader. His endings are never something that we, the readers, have a fair chance of figuring out. There are always people involved that we never meet, motives that are never plausibly presented, and huge, missing gaps of information that we never have access to until Bernie does his final "reveal" in the cliched room full of people.
I gave this three stars because it was an enjoyable, light piece of brain candy. I wouldn't necessarily advise anyone to go out and spend money on the thing, though. Cheers!
As this mystery falls into the "caper" subgenre, Bernie the Burglar is also the story's hero. As is usual in the Burglar books, Bernie stumbles into a murder, and as usual, it's up to him to find the killer, since he himself is a prime suspect. Block's plot lines are all remarkably similar. His characters are a bit "stock" (overweight, bumbling police detective in a bad suit, swarthy foreign spies, etc). His writing, however, is snappy, smart, and funny, which saves the book from itself. The plot is so heavily dependent upon random coincidences as to be almost insultingly unbelievable. By the end of the last chapter my eyes were crossing with the extent of the coincidences presented. Also, I don't think Block plays fair with the reader. His endings are never something that we, the readers, have a fair chance of figuring out. There are always people involved that we never meet, motives that are never plausibly presented, and huge, missing gaps of information that we never have access to until Bernie does his final "reveal" in the cliched room full of people.
I gave this three stars because it was an enjoyable, light piece of brain candy. I wouldn't necessarily advise anyone to go out and spend money on the thing, though. Cheers!
August 4, 2016
It's been quite a while since I've read a Bernie Rhodenbarr story. Somehow, I missed this one 12 years ago. Whatever, it's a good one.
In this volume, Bernie, the lifelong career burglar, takes on an assignment to clean out the safe of Crawford Mapes, a dodgy Plastic Surgeon, who had stolen the girl friend of Bernie's pal, Maury Gilmartin. Bernie, though, gets antsy before carrying out the intended job and goes on the "prowl", hence the title of the book. Prowling, as Bernie realizes, is dumb as so many things can go wrong. He does it anyway and ends up in a compromising position in the apartment he's broken into. Exacerbating the situation, he is arrested the next day for 3 murders in the neighborhood he was prowling. He is quickly released but gets his name in the papers and as a result becomes involved in a very complicated situation involving a number of characters, many of whom are dangerous.
The plot evolves from there and after a number of blind alleys and a large number of coincidences, Bernie figures it all out and solves the mystery and a number of crimes in the process.
As in all the Bernie Rhodenbarr books, there is a lot of wordplay humor and gentle joshing between Bernie and his good friend Carolyn Kaiser, a neighboring merchant who has a shop called the Poodle Factory down the street from Bernie's legitimate front, a used bookstore. The book is also populated with a number of interesting, if not captivating, characters, all of whom have quirks, which Block, through Rhodenbarr, obviously enjoys describing.
Block has the ability to take someone in an unsavory occupation like burglar or hit man and make them not only human but likable. I totally enjoyed this volume in the series and recommend it even if you haven't read any of the others in the series.
In this volume, Bernie, the lifelong career burglar, takes on an assignment to clean out the safe of Crawford Mapes, a dodgy Plastic Surgeon, who had stolen the girl friend of Bernie's pal, Maury Gilmartin. Bernie, though, gets antsy before carrying out the intended job and goes on the "prowl", hence the title of the book. Prowling, as Bernie realizes, is dumb as so many things can go wrong. He does it anyway and ends up in a compromising position in the apartment he's broken into. Exacerbating the situation, he is arrested the next day for 3 murders in the neighborhood he was prowling. He is quickly released but gets his name in the papers and as a result becomes involved in a very complicated situation involving a number of characters, many of whom are dangerous.
The plot evolves from there and after a number of blind alleys and a large number of coincidences, Bernie figures it all out and solves the mystery and a number of crimes in the process.
As in all the Bernie Rhodenbarr books, there is a lot of wordplay humor and gentle joshing between Bernie and his good friend Carolyn Kaiser, a neighboring merchant who has a shop called the Poodle Factory down the street from Bernie's legitimate front, a used bookstore. The book is also populated with a number of interesting, if not captivating, characters, all of whom have quirks, which Block, through Rhodenbarr, obviously enjoys describing.
Block has the ability to take someone in an unsavory occupation like burglar or hit man and make them not only human but likable. I totally enjoyed this volume in the series and recommend it even if you haven't read any of the others in the series.
April 23, 2013
1st book of the Bernie Rhodenbarr series that I've read. Bernie is a bookseller of used books, but he also happens to be a burglar. I liked Bernie's character, but I had issues with parts of this story and will have to see if it's a common thread in Block's storytelling.
Spoiler alert: Without going into much of the story, which is a subplot, a woman is raped and has no memory of it because her attacker used the date rape drug. Bernie was a witness to the rape, because he had broken into her apartment and had to hide under the bed to avoid being caught.
He later tracks down this woman and they begin a relationship, he later returns what he stole (by breaking back into her apt) and later confesses that he burgled her place and tells her about the rape. Her reaction to learning of being raped, let alone that she's in a new relationship with a man that violated her in another way by breaking into and out of her home? There is none. Hardly a blip in her life. Perhaps Lawrence Block didn't want to get into the emotional side of things to avoid dragging down the main story, but he breezed right through it.
At the end of the book, it made no sense why Bernie brings the entire cast of characters together..meaning those from the subplot along with main story characters...to "solve" the mystery like Hercule Poirot in an Agatha Christie book. It was confusing and a mess in my opinion. I can only hope this was not a indication of how the rest of the series is written. I'll have to read another to find out.
Spoiler alert: Without going into much of the story, which is a subplot, a woman is raped and has no memory of it because her attacker used the date rape drug. Bernie was a witness to the rape, because he had broken into her apartment and had to hide under the bed to avoid being caught.
He later tracks down this woman and they begin a relationship, he later returns what he stole (by breaking back into her apt) and later confesses that he burgled her place and tells her about the rape. Her reaction to learning of being raped, let alone that she's in a new relationship with a man that violated her in another way by breaking into and out of her home? There is none. Hardly a blip in her life. Perhaps Lawrence Block didn't want to get into the emotional side of things to avoid dragging down the main story, but he breezed right through it.
At the end of the book, it made no sense why Bernie brings the entire cast of characters together..meaning those from the subplot along with main story characters...to "solve" the mystery like Hercule Poirot in an Agatha Christie book. It was confusing and a mess in my opinion. I can only hope this was not a indication of how the rest of the series is written. I'll have to read another to find out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2017
My second time through this book. I collect Lawrence Block who always entertains with personable characters and plot twists that are unexpected but fun. So I decided to line up my "Burglar Who" series and read from oldest (copyright date) to newest. This is the newest in my collection, copyrighted in 2004.
This is probably the twistiest book in the series. It shows a Bernie that, although he really would like to reform giving in to his burgling urges, just cannot. After going through the entire series again, the reader really is rooting for him to overcome, knowing that he won't and it will get him into one of the biggest jams to date. Your reading of the "Burglar" series is not complete until you read this. That's all I'm going to say.
This is probably the twistiest book in the series. It shows a Bernie that, although he really would like to reform giving in to his burgling urges, just cannot. After going through the entire series again, the reader really is rooting for him to overcome, knowing that he won't and it will get him into one of the biggest jams to date. Your reading of the "Burglar" series is not complete until you read this. That's all I'm going to say.
June 10, 2017
In a hilariously funny tale of the most striking coincidences, Bernie finds himself trapped under a homeowner's bed when she returns home from a date with her date, finds himself accused of a burglary and multiple murder he didn't do, and rushes out of his bookstore to see a customer gunned down. Much of the book is dialogue and witty thoughts. It is intentionally funnier and lighter than the Matthew Scudder series, but it is not difficult to see the connections between the two series. Both take place in Manhattan. Both involve drinking and crime. A series of odd connections or coincidences ties things together often in both series. Fans of Scudder who read about Bernie will miss the darkness, the grittiness, the gloom of the Scudder series. Nevertheless, the Burglar On The Prowl is a captivating book and, once you start reading it, you find yourself curious about who pulled off the heist and murders, why they think Bernie has hidden away, whether there is a Latvian connection, and whether it would be odd for him to date someone whose house he burgled.
April 25, 2022
I’m generally a star it and leave it rater, but I feel compelled say something about this. I would give it zero stars if that were an option. I read all the previous titles in the series and enjoyed them immensely. But this book disgusted me. I can’t understand what purpose it served in the story to have Rhodenbarr hiding under the bed and listening while the woman whose home he violated is raped. And then Block has this coward and his pal pat him on the back for cleaning up the mess the rapist left, including flushing the evidence the rapist left behind. The book was ruined the moment I understood Rhodenbarr would not intervene. All of the consideration Block says Rhodenbarr gives to those he burglarizes (I guess we were supposed to see him as an ethical burglar) turned into hot air with this choice. ZERO STARS
March 27, 2015
I spent some time finding the right audio edition to recommend: the unabridged version recorded by BBC's Audiobooks America in 2004. The reader, Nick Sullivan, has the vocal flexibility and impeccable timing to make the most of the subtle word usage and hilarious dialogue typical of the Bernie Rhodenbarr series.
Lawrence Block is a prolific author, and those familiar with only his very popular Matthew Scudder books should be happy to know that, in the Bernie Rhodenbarr series, he's as skillful with humor as he is in depicting the more serious and rather noir life of the New York detective.
A word of caution, however: When listening in the car, be prepared to pull over, if necessary, to finish laughing. It's hard to drive with tears in your eyes.
Lawrence Block is a prolific author, and those familiar with only his very popular Matthew Scudder books should be happy to know that, in the Bernie Rhodenbarr series, he's as skillful with humor as he is in depicting the more serious and rather noir life of the New York detective.
A word of caution, however: When listening in the car, be prepared to pull over, if necessary, to finish laughing. It's hard to drive with tears in your eyes.
January 1, 2022
Block is a great writer and this book has many of the good qualities of the rest if this series, however it was much darker. Bernie hides under a bed while a woman is date raped, which as a woman I found very disturbing. Also, this book had much more profanity than the other burglar books I've read. Later in the book, the woman who was raped lets loose a long string of nauseating expletives that could make a sailor blush. The plot was also more confusing. I finished it, but really didn't like it. The Burglar who Traded Ted Williams and The Burglar who Thought he was Bogart were both much funnier and lighter. I wondered if Block was in a bad mood when he wrote this one.
March 22, 2008
This was a fun book, and I would definitely read others from the Burglar series, next time I'm looking for a light mystery (that also provides tips on breaking and entering -- always a plus). I might have bumped this up to three stars if there hadn't been one incident in the story that icked me out a little. I'm still thinking about why it bothered me -- is it because the author treated the incident too lightly, or because it bothered me that a character I wanted to like lacked chivalry and balls when the chips were down. Sorry to be cagey, but I don't want to spoil it for you.
May 4, 2009
Lawrence Block is VERY good at making you like people on the other side of the law. My favorite of all of his characters is Bernie Rhodenbarr. This, his tenth book of the series, is his best Bernie book to date. Aside from admiring Bernie's impeccable style and somewhat peccalbe class, I almost always learn something culturally from these books. This book, while a tribute to coincidences, is no exception...
I can't wait for book 11...
I can't wait for book 11...
Read
March 28, 2016The “Burglar” series books are always charming and this one is no exception. Bernie is on the prowl for a score but is soon (as usual) enmeshed in a murder that brings new meaning to the word “complicated.” The plot is intricate and the “long arm of coincidence” sets off his internal alarms and you might think it overreaches, but these books are read for the style and dialogues. In classic style, Bernie gets everyone together for the final denouement.
Lots of fun.
Lots of fun.
March 1, 2017
This is my first Bernie Rhodenbarr novel. One would think that starting a series at book #10 might be confusing...it wasn't. Upon starting reading I had a sense that I was reading Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. Witty and a taste of old English. Little did I know that it was contemporary and based in New York City. Bernie is a thief. A rather honest and sentimental burglar. How can we enjoy the persona of a thief? Well we can. I highly recommend The Burglar and Block.
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