What do you think?
Rate this book
Bernie Rhodenbarr #8
The Burglar in the Library
Bernie Rhodenbarr, burglar extraordinaire and bookseller ordinaire has left the Big Apple and gone country. The setting is Cuttleford House, a delightful English-style inn, where Carolyn and Raffles the Cat join Bernie for a wintery weekend. Carolyn isn't Bernie's first choice for a romantic weekend, but his intended, Lettice Runcible, turned out to be someone else's intended.
But healing his wounded heart isn't Bernie's sole concern. Bookselling Bernie's always in search of a valuable edition - this time it's a rare first edition of Raymond Chandler's 'The Big Sleep', autographed to, of all people, Dashiell Hammett. And it's somewhere in the Cuttleford House library. But during his nightly prowl, Bernie finds unexpected company in the form of a corpse.
Next morning everyone else finds the body too. Now, with everyone pointing fingers at everyone else, Bernie's got to catch the culprit - before there's another murder. And let's not forget that book, which has mysteriously disappeared from the library shelves ...
But healing his wounded heart isn't Bernie's sole concern. Bookselling Bernie's always in search of a valuable edition - this time it's a rare first edition of Raymond Chandler's 'The Big Sleep', autographed to, of all people, Dashiell Hammett. And it's somewhere in the Cuttleford House library. But during his nightly prowl, Bernie finds unexpected company in the form of a corpse.
Next morning everyone else finds the body too. Now, with everyone pointing fingers at everyone else, Bernie's got to catch the culprit - before there's another murder. And let's not forget that book, which has mysteriously disappeared from the library shelves ...
342 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1997
155 people are currently reading
856 people want to read
About the author
Lawrence Block
767 books2,980 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 280 reviews
July 14, 2021
This is among the better books in Lawrence Block's series featuring Bernie Rhodenbarr, a bookseller and professional burglar. It's also a great homage to the classic English mystery novels of the twentieth century by authors like Agatha Christie, et al.
Bernie has booked a reservation for a romantic weekend at a cozy New England inn with his latest flame, but at the last moment the woman announces that she can't go with him because she's getting married that weekend. Stuck with the reservation, Bernie asks his best friend, Carolyn Kaiser, to go with him. As readers of the series know, Carolyn is gay and so this will now be a friendly, platonic weekend and not a romantic getaway.
All is not lost, however, because Bernie actually had an ulterior motive for scheduling this weekend sojourn. Through skillful research, he has deduced that the founders of the hard-boiled detective genre, Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, met briefly one weekend in New England and that Chandler presented Hammett with an inscribed copy of his novel The Big Sleep. The book would, of course, become a classic in crime fiction. Bernie believes that the book is still in the library at Cuttleford House, and that no one realizes its significance. Bernie plans to "liberate" the book, which would be worth a small fortune.
Bernie and Carolyn arrive at the inn in the middle of a terrible snow storm and before long, they and the other guests, all of whom are more than a little eccentric, are snowed in and isolated. Within hours someone is dead and it's clear that there's a killer lurking among the inhabitants of the cozy little inn. The bodies will keep piling up and Bernie begins to investigate the murders in the manner of Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple. Block invokes all the clichés of the genre and for people who have read and enjoyed these sorts of books, The Burglar in the Library will be a great deal of fun. As always in this series, this is a very light entertainment and the dialogue alone is worth the price of admission. With this book, Block proves that he's not only a great writer of crime fiction, but an astute student of the genre as well. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Bernie has booked a reservation for a romantic weekend at a cozy New England inn with his latest flame, but at the last moment the woman announces that she can't go with him because she's getting married that weekend. Stuck with the reservation, Bernie asks his best friend, Carolyn Kaiser, to go with him. As readers of the series know, Carolyn is gay and so this will now be a friendly, platonic weekend and not a romantic getaway.
All is not lost, however, because Bernie actually had an ulterior motive for scheduling this weekend sojourn. Through skillful research, he has deduced that the founders of the hard-boiled detective genre, Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, met briefly one weekend in New England and that Chandler presented Hammett with an inscribed copy of his novel The Big Sleep. The book would, of course, become a classic in crime fiction. Bernie believes that the book is still in the library at Cuttleford House, and that no one realizes its significance. Bernie plans to "liberate" the book, which would be worth a small fortune.
Bernie and Carolyn arrive at the inn in the middle of a terrible snow storm and before long, they and the other guests, all of whom are more than a little eccentric, are snowed in and isolated. Within hours someone is dead and it's clear that there's a killer lurking among the inhabitants of the cozy little inn. The bodies will keep piling up and Bernie begins to investigate the murders in the manner of Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple. Block invokes all the clichés of the genre and for people who have read and enjoyed these sorts of books, The Burglar in the Library will be a great deal of fun. As always in this series, this is a very light entertainment and the dialogue alone is worth the price of admission. With this book, Block proves that he's not only a great writer of crime fiction, but an astute student of the genre as well. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
November 14, 2022
Short, quick easy read with a smart observant kid around. 6 of 10 stars
January 9, 2022
Professional thief and bookseller Bernie Rhodenbarr gets wind of a rare book in the library of an English country house on the border of New York and Connecticut. When his original plans for a weekend there fall through, he convinces his best friend, Carolyn, to go with him as he cases the joint, along with his cat, Raffles. But Bernie's well-laid plans are thrown askew when a surprise guest appears, another guest is discovered dead, and everyone is snowed in with no way to reach the outside world.I read this years ago and remembered enjoying it very much (enough that I read at least one other book in this series). But I forgot all the important details. So this reread was pleasantly surprising.
I'd forgotten that this is a send-up of sorts of the locked-room mystery, and also an homage. The winks and nods to the genre were fun, if occasionally a little heavy-handed. This had enjoyable comic tone to balance the death and danger.
I'd also forgotten that Carolyn is written to be pretty annoying with her constant use of Bernie's name. Argh, that got on my nerves. And the presentation of Carolyn's gayness feels a little weird and has not aged well. On the other hand, her presence in these novels in the 80's and 90's was probably a bit groundbreaking, so I don't want to be too tough on her presentation. But still ... ehhh.
I'm not sure the whodunit had a very satisfactory explanation, which probably explains why I couldn't remember anything about it.
But overall, this was a well-written, light, fun mystery that's maintained its original 4-star rating from me.
May 6, 2023
Recently dumped bookkeeper and burglar Bernie R finds himself in an isolated New England mansion house. This is an enjoyable whodunnit plot that is driven by Agatha Christie. Plenty of humour among the murders as Bernie tries to stay alive by cracking the case and at the same time get his hands on a very appealing Raymond Chandler book.
August 31, 2019
Funny and inventive. Good one liners. Bernie is one of a kind as a bookseller and a burglar.
June 30, 2022
Any novel that pays homage to Agatha Christie - 'And Then There Were None' and 'The Mousetrap' - and has Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett connotations must be worth a read. And this one was, as Lawrence Block has his character Bernie Rhodenbarr, burglar extraordinaire and secondhand bookseller, spending time at an English-style country house with his (platonic) friend Carolyn and his cat, the aptly named Raffles.
Carolyn is Bernie's second choice as his first, Lettice Runcible, had said an abrupt goodbye to him and suddenly announced that she was getting married - to someone else, of course. Bernie put Plan B into operation and persuaded Carolyn to go with him instead. But what he did not expect was that Lettice and her new husband, Dakin Littlefield, would turn up at Cuttleford House to spend the first part of their honeymoon.
By the time of their arrival snow was falling even more heavily than it had been doing over the previous few days and the place was entirely snowed in so nobody was going anywhere. A disparate mix of characters were all thrown together to create the ideal mystery situation. That was especially so when one of them was discovered dead in the library. Was it a crime and if so, who has committed it? Nobody knew and so an accident was suspected. Bernie was not convinced so he offered his explanation of what he felt had happened.
While he was playing the amateur sleuth he had his eye on another private operation, the reason for his presence at Cuttleford House. That was to obtain what he thought was a rare first edition of Raymond Chandler's 'The Big Sleep' that had been left there when that author had met Dashiell Hammett at the venue and had inscribed the book to him. A distinctive first edition, Bernie spotted it early, on the top shelf, 12 feet up the wall, of Cuttleford's large library. His investigative skills were therefore dissipated as he also made plans to steal the book, which he felt was an okay thing to do because nobody was aware of its existence.
Tension rose and petty fallings-out amongst the owners and the guests followed and things became even more tense when another body was discovered. And the police cannot be called as the telephone lines had been severed so Bernie made his own plans as to how to unmask the killer, who had seemingly struck again when the cook was discovered dead in her kitchen.
After plenty more intrigue, it all comes to a conclusion in what is not entirely satisfactory, but overall does not totally detract from the tense and extremely humorous story line which gives 'The Burglar in the Library' its enjoyable charm.
Carolyn is Bernie's second choice as his first, Lettice Runcible, had said an abrupt goodbye to him and suddenly announced that she was getting married - to someone else, of course. Bernie put Plan B into operation and persuaded Carolyn to go with him instead. But what he did not expect was that Lettice and her new husband, Dakin Littlefield, would turn up at Cuttleford House to spend the first part of their honeymoon.
By the time of their arrival snow was falling even more heavily than it had been doing over the previous few days and the place was entirely snowed in so nobody was going anywhere. A disparate mix of characters were all thrown together to create the ideal mystery situation. That was especially so when one of them was discovered dead in the library. Was it a crime and if so, who has committed it? Nobody knew and so an accident was suspected. Bernie was not convinced so he offered his explanation of what he felt had happened.
While he was playing the amateur sleuth he had his eye on another private operation, the reason for his presence at Cuttleford House. That was to obtain what he thought was a rare first edition of Raymond Chandler's 'The Big Sleep' that had been left there when that author had met Dashiell Hammett at the venue and had inscribed the book to him. A distinctive first edition, Bernie spotted it early, on the top shelf, 12 feet up the wall, of Cuttleford's large library. His investigative skills were therefore dissipated as he also made plans to steal the book, which he felt was an okay thing to do because nobody was aware of its existence.
Tension rose and petty fallings-out amongst the owners and the guests followed and things became even more tense when another body was discovered. And the police cannot be called as the telephone lines had been severed so Bernie made his own plans as to how to unmask the killer, who had seemingly struck again when the cook was discovered dead in her kitchen.
After plenty more intrigue, it all comes to a conclusion in what is not entirely satisfactory, but overall does not totally detract from the tense and extremely humorous story line which gives 'The Burglar in the Library' its enjoyable charm.
July 27, 2017
This is one of the best in Lawrence Block's Bernie Rhodenbarr series.
The Burglar in the Library is one part Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None (a.k.a. The Ten Little Indians), one part Christie's The Body in the Library and one part Dashiell Hammett's The Thin Man, with Bernie and Carolyn Kaiser pairing up as a platonic Nick and Nora Charles. All of the Rhodenbarr books are pretty funny, but this one is also a loving take on the English house murders that Dame Agatha Christie made famous.
Usually, these near-parodies aren't as kind to their inspiration. But The Burglar in the Library makes you want to rush out and re-read a Miss Marple mystery.
This book is such a departure from the Rhodenbarr books, which are as brash and hip as their New York City setting. I wonder how many years Block has yearned to produce his own genteel English mystery? I'm glad he decided to scratch that particular itch.
It's an excellent book. The true test of a mystery is if you enjoy it when you re-read, when you already know "who done it." This book passes the test with flying colors: I've read it twice, and I'm sure I'll be reading it again.
As with all the Rhodenbarr books, Block fills it with tons of book and other trivia. I'd never read any Hammett or Chandler (who figure prominently in this book), but Block prompted me to correct that, too.
The Burglar in the Library is one part Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None (a.k.a. The Ten Little Indians), one part Christie's The Body in the Library and one part Dashiell Hammett's The Thin Man, with Bernie and Carolyn Kaiser pairing up as a platonic Nick and Nora Charles. All of the Rhodenbarr books are pretty funny, but this one is also a loving take on the English house murders that Dame Agatha Christie made famous.
Usually, these near-parodies aren't as kind to their inspiration. But The Burglar in the Library makes you want to rush out and re-read a Miss Marple mystery.
This book is such a departure from the Rhodenbarr books, which are as brash and hip as their New York City setting. I wonder how many years Block has yearned to produce his own genteel English mystery? I'm glad he decided to scratch that particular itch.
It's an excellent book. The true test of a mystery is if you enjoy it when you re-read, when you already know "who done it." This book passes the test with flying colors: I've read it twice, and I'm sure I'll be reading it again.
As with all the Rhodenbarr books, Block fills it with tons of book and other trivia. I'd never read any Hammett or Chandler (who figure prominently in this book), but Block prompted me to correct that, too.
July 2, 2022
The Burglar in the Library (Bernie Rhodenbarr,#8) by Lawrence Block.
This was the best Bernie Rhodenbarr book ever. The fun added to the excitement in the old english style of mystery.
Loved it and highly recommend it.
This was the best Bernie Rhodenbarr book ever. The fun added to the excitement in the old english style of mystery.
Loved it and highly recommend it.
July 6, 2018
This is books No. 8, which I read out of order. In fact, this was my first Bernie Rhodenbarr book, and I liked it so much that I started the entire series from the beginning.
August 10, 2015
Another very enjoyable and entertaining Bernie Rhodenbarr book!A GRAT series from one of America's best writers!
September 5, 2012
What a disappointing ending.
The story began promisingly enough with Bernie Rhodenbarr and friend Carolyn heading out to a late winter retreat at an English country-style house, with the aim of purloining a choice volume of Raymond Chandler's "The Big Sleep" that was inscribed with a greeting to Dashiell Hammett. The book is there, but so are the corpses.
The Burglar in the Library goes wrong when Bernie plays detective but Block can't be bothered to play straight with his readers. Why are the people murdered? It's never clear. Bernie's late night snooping happens totally out of our view. We aren't privy to any solid clues.
To top it off, the tenor of the story changes from humor and quaintness and English mystery to the suspect confessing. It felt like Block betrayed us. What was it, Lawrence, one quick write without editing, and when you had the right number of words to sell, end the story?
The story began promisingly enough with Bernie Rhodenbarr and friend Carolyn heading out to a late winter retreat at an English country-style house, with the aim of purloining a choice volume of Raymond Chandler's "The Big Sleep" that was inscribed with a greeting to Dashiell Hammett. The book is there, but so are the corpses.
The Burglar in the Library goes wrong when Bernie plays detective but Block can't be bothered to play straight with his readers. Why are the people murdered? It's never clear. Bernie's late night snooping happens totally out of our view. We aren't privy to any solid clues.
To top it off, the tenor of the story changes from humor and quaintness and English mystery to the suspect confessing. It felt like Block betrayed us. What was it, Lawrence, one quick write without editing, and when you had the right number of words to sell, end the story?
November 13, 2023
I have recently been burying myself in detective/mystery classics. In the last month, I've read Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep, Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon, and Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express.
So when I got wind that Block, a writer whose work I enjoy, wrote a book where his burglar protagonist, Bernie Rhodenbarr, attempts to steal a first-edition copy of The Big Sleep inscribed to Dashiell Hammett, only to get caught up in an Agatha Christie type murder-mystery in an English country house during a blizzard, I couldn't pass it up.
Even Rhodenbarr's cat is a literary allusion — named after E.W. Hornung's gentleman thief A.J. Raffles. But I digress.
This story is, despite the murders, a light read that delights in hanging lampshades on many detective/mystery tropes. While the pace dragged a tiny bit in the middle, and the story jarred me with a switch from first to third-person at one point, it was, overall, a very fun, enjoyable read I would definitely recommend to mystery fans familiar with the above classics.
So when I got wind that Block, a writer whose work I enjoy, wrote a book where his burglar protagonist, Bernie Rhodenbarr, attempts to steal a first-edition copy of The Big Sleep inscribed to Dashiell Hammett, only to get caught up in an Agatha Christie type murder-mystery in an English country house during a blizzard, I couldn't pass it up.
Even Rhodenbarr's cat is a literary allusion — named after E.W. Hornung's gentleman thief A.J. Raffles. But I digress.
This story is, despite the murders, a light read that delights in hanging lampshades on many detective/mystery tropes. While the pace dragged a tiny bit in the middle, and the story jarred me with a switch from first to third-person at one point, it was, overall, a very fun, enjoyable read I would definitely recommend to mystery fans familiar with the above classics.
December 13, 2018
The kind of mystery for readers who enjoy a smart-alecky, wise-assy, sardonic, cynical-yet-funny MC. Because the smarky, 'ain't I clever' dialogue never ends, with many of the minor characters joining in, too. Also, lots of references to 90's culture, a place where email and the internet do exist, but not everyone has a cell phone, yet. The locale: a big old hotel out in the middle of nowhere, rural NY, which is rendered inaccessible when a snowstorm hits and the phone (landline) connection has been cut. (Said hotel is located off a kind of gully over which a rope bridge is suspended. Yep, the bridge is cut, too.)
Bernie Rhodenbarr, former burglar, and now a bookseller/bookstore owner is staying at the hotel with a friend. (He intended to bring his best girl, but she (inconveniently) got married to someone else.) So Bernie brings another woman. However, this doesn't seem to temper Bernie's romantic or sexual inclinations. Yep, that's in here, too.
Unfortunately, as in one of Agatha Christie's classic novels, someone is intent on knocking off some of the guests staying at the hotel. It's up to Bernie to figure it all out. (When the other guests repeatedly mistake him for a cop or having experience in criminal investigations, he doesn't disabuse them.) He's given help by a nine-year old girl, which IMO is kind of a standard trope in many a mystery written at this time. (You see, kids see stuff which stupid grownups don't. I guess.)
This is an entertaining read, even if contrived in places and most of the characters seem hardly perturbed as those around them are knocked off. There's also a lot of remarks about one character who's mentally challenged - to the point of overkill, unfortunately. I didn't find much about that very funny, but hey, I'm looking at things from a 2018 POV. Would I have found this more palatable back in the 1990's?
Nope, not at all.
Three stars.
Bernie Rhodenbarr, former burglar, and now a bookseller/bookstore owner is staying at the hotel with a friend. (He intended to bring his best girl, but she (inconveniently) got married to someone else.) So Bernie brings another woman. However, this doesn't seem to temper Bernie's romantic or sexual inclinations. Yep, that's in here, too.
Unfortunately, as in one of Agatha Christie's classic novels, someone is intent on knocking off some of the guests staying at the hotel. It's up to Bernie to figure it all out. (When the other guests repeatedly mistake him for a cop or having experience in criminal investigations, he doesn't disabuse them.) He's given help by a nine-year old girl, which IMO is kind of a standard trope in many a mystery written at this time. (You see, kids see stuff which stupid grownups don't. I guess.)
This is an entertaining read, even if contrived in places and most of the characters seem hardly perturbed as those around them are knocked off. There's also a lot of remarks about one character who's mentally challenged - to the point of overkill, unfortunately. I didn't find much about that very funny, but hey, I'm looking at things from a 2018 POV. Would I have found this more palatable back in the 1990's?
Nope, not at all.
Three stars.
April 4, 2018
Block delivers a great parody of an English country house murder mystery, with the ever-cool bookseller/burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr and his lesbian best friend, Carolyn Kaiser, amongst the guests. Written in his best tongue-in-cheek style, Lawrence Block produces a fun read, although maybe 50 pages longer than needed.
May 29, 2014
Colonel Mustard in the kitchen with a candlestick!
Well, actually it was in the library, as the title suggests, and I won't reveal who did it or with what weapon. But the whole scenario of this fun-to-read book is reminiscent of the popular game of Clue played in the middle of an Agatha Christie mystery.
It goes something like this: Bernie Rhodenbarr, a New York City bookstore owner and part-time thief, plans a romantic getaway to Cuttleford House, an old-fashioned bed-and-breakfast in upstate New York, with his latest lady love. When he learns she won't be joining him after all - she's getting married to someone else that weekend, don't you know - he decides to make the trip anyway. His companion is his female good buddy and pet groomer - a pal who knows all about Bernie's second "business" of burglary.
Not canceling, Bernie reasons, will allow him to ply his trade; he suspects the library there may hold a special treasure - a copy of The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler. The book, it seems, was brought there by Chandler, who gave it to fellow detective novelist Dashiell Hammett complete with a handwritten inscription. Rumor has it that Hammett left it there, and Bernie - always on the lookout for scoring some serious money - hopes to snitch it and cash in.
Of course, nothing quite goes as planned, starting with the discovery of a dead body in the library - most likely a murder committed by one of the weekend guests since a blinding snowstorm, cut phone lines and a caved-in entrance bridge mean no one can go in or out. When a few more guests and employees turn up dead as well, the game to find the culprit begins in earnest.
As with all the other books in this series, there's plenty of jolliness along the way, starting with being greeted at the door by a young man with "The look in his eyes that the average person gets by being smacked in the forehead by a two-by-four."
This line, too, elicited a snicker: "Whenever a politician answers a question you haven't asked, he's lying."
Another winner for sure - and I'm sure I'll be unhappy when I get to the last book in the series. Only three to go!
Well, actually it was in the library, as the title suggests, and I won't reveal who did it or with what weapon. But the whole scenario of this fun-to-read book is reminiscent of the popular game of Clue played in the middle of an Agatha Christie mystery.
It goes something like this: Bernie Rhodenbarr, a New York City bookstore owner and part-time thief, plans a romantic getaway to Cuttleford House, an old-fashioned bed-and-breakfast in upstate New York, with his latest lady love. When he learns she won't be joining him after all - she's getting married to someone else that weekend, don't you know - he decides to make the trip anyway. His companion is his female good buddy and pet groomer - a pal who knows all about Bernie's second "business" of burglary.
Not canceling, Bernie reasons, will allow him to ply his trade; he suspects the library there may hold a special treasure - a copy of The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler. The book, it seems, was brought there by Chandler, who gave it to fellow detective novelist Dashiell Hammett complete with a handwritten inscription. Rumor has it that Hammett left it there, and Bernie - always on the lookout for scoring some serious money - hopes to snitch it and cash in.
Of course, nothing quite goes as planned, starting with the discovery of a dead body in the library - most likely a murder committed by one of the weekend guests since a blinding snowstorm, cut phone lines and a caved-in entrance bridge mean no one can go in or out. When a few more guests and employees turn up dead as well, the game to find the culprit begins in earnest.
As with all the other books in this series, there's plenty of jolliness along the way, starting with being greeted at the door by a young man with "The look in his eyes that the average person gets by being smacked in the forehead by a two-by-four."
This line, too, elicited a snicker: "Whenever a politician answers a question you haven't asked, he's lying."
Another winner for sure - and I'm sure I'll be unhappy when I get to the last book in the series. Only three to go!
September 7, 2019
4.5* for this audiobook edition which has a marvelous narration by Richard Ferrone.
Bernie has his very own English country house murder to solve when he and Carolyn are snowed in at an inn in the Berkshires - or is it a Raymond Chandler story instead? Such a fun book for any fan of classic mysteries!
Bernie has his very own English country house murder to solve when he and Carolyn are snowed in at an inn in the Berkshires - or is it a Raymond Chandler story instead? Such a fun book for any fan of classic mysteries!
July 11, 2022
Bir çok polisiye yazarlardan etkilenip tam bir harmanlama yapmaya çalışmasına rağmen , ya çevirinin
berbatlığı yada yazarın kötü bir zamanda yazması diyelim olmamış. sıkıntı verdi.Raymond Chandler olsun Agatha Christie olsun oldukça zekice uyumlu yazması kitabın sürükleyiciliğini sağlıyor. Bu yazarlar; sanki eserleini büyük bir tutkuyla yazıyor ama Block burada sanki öylesine yazmış gibi hissi verdi. Yazarın başka eserleri daha iyiydi.
berbatlığı yada yazarın kötü bir zamanda yazması diyelim olmamış. sıkıntı verdi.Raymond Chandler olsun Agatha Christie olsun oldukça zekice uyumlu yazması kitabın sürükleyiciliğini sağlıyor. Bu yazarlar; sanki eserleini büyük bir tutkuyla yazıyor ama Block burada sanki öylesine yazmış gibi hissi verdi. Yazarın başka eserleri daha iyiydi.
June 9, 2015
"The Burglar in the Library" is an enjoyable Bernie Rhodenbarr mystery.
This is the second time I've read the story and it has remained enjoyable and entertaining.
Bernie and his companion, Caroline Kaiser, leave New York City and travel upstate New York to a traditional English country house that has been converted to a B & B.
Bernie is a book store owner in New York and knows his mystery writers. He has found that Raymond Chandler, one of the founders of the hard-boiled mystery will be at a friend's home in Connecticut in 1941. Also at the home will be Dashiell Hammett. While together Chandler personalizes a copy of his novel, "The Big Sleep" to Dashiell.
Bernie thinks that the country house he's going to was the same place where Hammett and Chandler were. If that book was left in the library, it would be worth big money.
When they get to the Cuttfield House a severe snowstorm is blowing. Eventually, the house is cut off, and someone cuts the electricity, then the fun begins, someone begins killing the people at the House.
As a mystery fan myself, it was so much fun to hear about Ed McBain, Agatha Christie as well as Chandler and Hammett as characters in a story.
The pace of the story is finely tuned and the book provides constant enjoyment. It's just what that doctor ordered for a patient wanting a good read.
This is the second time I've read the story and it has remained enjoyable and entertaining.
Bernie and his companion, Caroline Kaiser, leave New York City and travel upstate New York to a traditional English country house that has been converted to a B & B.
Bernie is a book store owner in New York and knows his mystery writers. He has found that Raymond Chandler, one of the founders of the hard-boiled mystery will be at a friend's home in Connecticut in 1941. Also at the home will be Dashiell Hammett. While together Chandler personalizes a copy of his novel, "The Big Sleep" to Dashiell.
Bernie thinks that the country house he's going to was the same place where Hammett and Chandler were. If that book was left in the library, it would be worth big money.
When they get to the Cuttfield House a severe snowstorm is blowing. Eventually, the house is cut off, and someone cuts the electricity, then the fun begins, someone begins killing the people at the House.
As a mystery fan myself, it was so much fun to hear about Ed McBain, Agatha Christie as well as Chandler and Hammett as characters in a story.
The pace of the story is finely tuned and the book provides constant enjoyment. It's just what that doctor ordered for a patient wanting a good read.
July 22, 2017
Of the three Bernie the Burglar books I've read, this is the daftest - and best! And best because daftest. Block's deliberate send-up of the country house mystery genre is silly, funny and unsurprisingly involves corpses piling up in a place Bernie is trying to steal from...
May 10, 2023
Lawrence Block'un Türkçe'de üç serisi var:
1. Hırsız Bernie Rhodenbarr serisi,
2. Dedektif Matt Scudder serisi
3. Tetikçi Keller serisi
Bunlardan Bernie serisi, daha çok mizahi yönüyle öne çıkıyor. Daha karanlık ve sert olan Matt Scudder serisinin aksine Altın Çağ polisiyeleri tarzında bir seri.
Bernie, kapı kilitlerini açmada yetkin bir hırsız. Hırsızlık onun için bir geçim kaynağı ama daha çok da bağımlılık halini almış bir heyecan arayışı.
Bernie, New York'ta yaşıyor ve seri boyunca hep aynı yaşta gibi. Gençlik yıllarında bir kez hapse girmiş, sonrasında bir daha girmemeye yemin etmiş ama başı her defasında belaya giriyor; soyduğu evlerde cesetlerle karşılaşıyor, cinayetler üstüne kalıyor, o da hapse tekrar girmemek için cinayetleri çözmeye çalışıyor.
Serinin bir yerinden sonra Bernie bir kitapçı açıyor. Elbette hırsızlığa da devam ediyor. En yakın arkadaşı, köpek kuaförlüğü yapan ve bir lezbiyen olan Carolyn Kaiser'dir. Seride Carolyn bir nevi Watson görevi üstleniyor; pek çok suç araştırmasında Bernie onun hem fikir hem de eylem açısından yardımını alıyor.
Serinin daimi karakterlerinden biri de polis Ray Kirschmann. Bernie onu 'paranın satın alabileceği en iyi polis' diye tanımlıyor. Bernie'yi daima cinayetlerden sorumlu tutmaya meyilli olsa
da cinayetler çözüldüğünde gerçek katili tutuklamak ona düşüyor.
SPOİLER İÇEREBİLİR:
Kütüphanedeki Hırsız'a gelince, seri içinde farklı bir yeri var. Çünkü bu defa New York'ta geçmiyor. Bernie ve Carolyn, hafta sonu tatili için İngiliz tarzı hizmet veren bir konağa gidiyorlar. Bernie'nin asıl amacı konağın kitaplığındaki değerli bir kitabı yürütmek. Mevsim kış, kar yağıyor, ikili konağa yerleştikten sonra misafirlerden biri öldürülüyor. Polise haber veremiyorlar çünkü telefon kabloları kesilmiş. Tipiden dolayı kasabaya da gidemiyorlar. Başka cinayetler de işleniyor. Hatta Bernie de öldürülüyor (ama tabii kısa süreliğine). Sonunda Bernie cinayetleri çözüyor.
Çok beğendiğim bir roman oldu. Özellikle İngiliz polisiyelerine pek çok gizli ya da açık gönderme vardı. Beni sadece çözüm kısmı pek tatmin etmedi. Yazar bütün delilleri önceden vermemiş gibi geldi. Ama yine de Lawrence Block okumak çok keyifli.
1. Hırsız Bernie Rhodenbarr serisi,
2. Dedektif Matt Scudder serisi
3. Tetikçi Keller serisi
Bunlardan Bernie serisi, daha çok mizahi yönüyle öne çıkıyor. Daha karanlık ve sert olan Matt Scudder serisinin aksine Altın Çağ polisiyeleri tarzında bir seri.
Bernie, kapı kilitlerini açmada yetkin bir hırsız. Hırsızlık onun için bir geçim kaynağı ama daha çok da bağımlılık halini almış bir heyecan arayışı.
Bernie, New York'ta yaşıyor ve seri boyunca hep aynı yaşta gibi. Gençlik yıllarında bir kez hapse girmiş, sonrasında bir daha girmemeye yemin etmiş ama başı her defasında belaya giriyor; soyduğu evlerde cesetlerle karşılaşıyor, cinayetler üstüne kalıyor, o da hapse tekrar girmemek için cinayetleri çözmeye çalışıyor.
Serinin bir yerinden sonra Bernie bir kitapçı açıyor. Elbette hırsızlığa da devam ediyor. En yakın arkadaşı, köpek kuaförlüğü yapan ve bir lezbiyen olan Carolyn Kaiser'dir. Seride Carolyn bir nevi Watson görevi üstleniyor; pek çok suç araştırmasında Bernie onun hem fikir hem de eylem açısından yardımını alıyor.
Serinin daimi karakterlerinden biri de polis Ray Kirschmann. Bernie onu 'paranın satın alabileceği en iyi polis' diye tanımlıyor. Bernie'yi daima cinayetlerden sorumlu tutmaya meyilli olsa
da cinayetler çözüldüğünde gerçek katili tutuklamak ona düşüyor.
SPOİLER İÇEREBİLİR:
Kütüphanedeki Hırsız'a gelince, seri içinde farklı bir yeri var. Çünkü bu defa New York'ta geçmiyor. Bernie ve Carolyn, hafta sonu tatili için İngiliz tarzı hizmet veren bir konağa gidiyorlar. Bernie'nin asıl amacı konağın kitaplığındaki değerli bir kitabı yürütmek. Mevsim kış, kar yağıyor, ikili konağa yerleştikten sonra misafirlerden biri öldürülüyor. Polise haber veremiyorlar çünkü telefon kabloları kesilmiş. Tipiden dolayı kasabaya da gidemiyorlar. Başka cinayetler de işleniyor. Hatta Bernie de öldürülüyor (ama tabii kısa süreliğine). Sonunda Bernie cinayetleri çözüyor.
Çok beğendiğim bir roman oldu. Özellikle İngiliz polisiyelerine pek çok gizli ya da açık gönderme vardı. Beni sadece çözüm kısmı pek tatmin etmedi. Yazar bütün delilleri önceden vermemiş gibi geldi. Ama yine de Lawrence Block okumak çok keyifli.
November 18, 2008
Lawrence Block's latest Bernie Rhodenbarr novel, The Burglar in the Library is based on the premise that Raymond Chandler inscribed a copy of The Long Sleep to Dashiell Hammett, gave it to him, and then the book was inadvertently left at the place where the two had met for drinks. That building, an old mansion, became a classic English style inn, and Bernie has high hopes the book, now worth a fortune, is still stuck in with the other titles in the huge library. He and Carolyn his lesbian, dog-grooming friend, spend the weekend there. Soon there are bodies everywhere, they are snowed in, the rope bridge has been cut, and the guests all begin to suspect each.Not only that but Bernie' sex-girlfriend (ex- by only a week) up with a new husband for her honeymoon is one of the guests. That complicates things.
This is really one of Block's absolute best. It has the side splitting wisecracks and Bernie' constant reference to books and authors — he is, after all, a bookseller when he' not burgling. Block is obviously well-read and I' added several new authors to the thousands on my list. Not only that, but this book pays homage to two great genres of mystery: the classic English and the great Philip Marlowe detective stories. This one is not to be missed.
This is really one of Block's absolute best. It has the side splitting wisecracks and Bernie' constant reference to books and authors — he is, after all, a bookseller when he' not burgling. Block is obviously well-read and I' added several new authors to the thousands on my list. Not only that, but this book pays homage to two great genres of mystery: the classic English and the great Philip Marlowe detective stories. This one is not to be missed.
May 31, 2021
2021: When a holiday weekend starts with blustery winds, rain, and 47 degrees, it’s always a good idea to visit Bernie and Carolyn again.
2016: Some weekends you just have to put down the book about the botched abortion and the book about the build-up to WWI and read something silly and mindless. Especially when it's snowing in May.
2008: A great combination of Agatha Christie and Raymond Chandler.
2016: Some weekends you just have to put down the book about the botched abortion and the book about the build-up to WWI and read something silly and mindless. Especially when it's snowing in May.
2008: A great combination of Agatha Christie and Raymond Chandler.
March 10, 2010
One of the best of Block's Bernie Rhodenbarr series--and I prefer this series to all his others. Why not five stars? It's just great fun, not great art. This one is really a send-up of the British "cozy" mystery (thus the title playing on the "butler in the library," who always did it.) It is goofier than others in the series, but Block has such a good time that it's hard not to go along for the ride. And, as with the others in this series, you could build a pretty good reading list from the works mentioned in passing here.
March 16, 2013
This book is a bit of a spoof, echoes of Christie and Chandler, laced with all the usual Bernie nonsense. I love this humorous series by Lawrence Block featuring lovable thief, Bernie Rhodenbarr. Bernie, his best friend, Caroline, and Raffles the cat are stranded during a snow storm at a luxurious country estate. Guests are dropping like crazy and it is up to Bernie to figure out who the murderer is before he and Caroline become the next victims.
March 5, 2016
A bit of a departure for the series, Bernie and his friend Carolyn go to a lonely country inn so that Bernie can steal a one-of-a-kind book. Of course, there's a murder, and everybody in the house is snowed in.
So we get a satire of a traditional British mystery.
I enjoyed it, even if Bernie doesn't really burgle as much as usual.
So we get a satire of a traditional British mystery.
I enjoyed it, even if Bernie doesn't really burgle as much as usual.
January 3, 2012
What a fun read! I'd never heard of Bernie Rhodenbarr before joining this ray but this definitely won't be the last I read of him:) I particularly liked the characters and enjoyed the way Lawrence Block plays around with the "English countryside-type mystery".
March 31, 2022
I like this series. None of them will win the Pulitzer prize, but I always know that the story will be interesting and the dialogue will be fun to read. For this novel, Block seems to be channeling Agatha Christie.
July 8, 2013
Our burglar is on a weekend getaway at an English-style house in upstate New York. He hopes for a relaxing vacation, but once again he is forced to play sleuth. This series is consistently fun.
September 23, 2021
Not my kind of book. For me it was only humorous in very few parts of the book but it was more long winded than any mystery I have ever read.
January 31, 2015
Kept changing my mind on this one. I liked it, then I didn't, then I did, etc.. I know it was part of the theme of the book, but the fact that this book couldn't decide what kind of mystery it wanted to be made for frustrating reading. And the fact that every joke, every conclusion, had to be explained down to the nth degree was making me crazy. WE GET IT! You don't have to explain every clever reference you make. That, and the gratuitous situations that add nothing to the story - felt like the author was trying to hit a minimum page requirement. Not a fan of the ending, either.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 280 reviews