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The Bernie Rhodenbarr Mysteries: Volume One
BURGLARS CAN'T BE CHOOSERS: Bernie Rhodenbarr tends to work alone. Some call him a sleuth. Some call him a burglar. But who could resist being hired - and pocketing a nice, easy fee - for a simple break-in? But nothing's ever that simple. No sooner is Bernie inside the apartment when he discovers the item he's to collect is missing - and in its place is a dead body. Accused of murder and on the run, Bernie must figure out who set him up and why. THE BURGLAR IN THE CLOSET: Bernie's all ears when his dentist starts complaining about his soon-to-be-ex-wife, and happens to mention the valuable diamonds she keeps lying around. A couple of nights later Bernie's in her apartment with larceny on his mind, but has to duck into a closet when she unexpectedly returns. Unfortunately he's still there when an unseen assailant kills her and then vanishes with the jewels. Now Bernie's got to hunt down the killer who left him hanging. THE BURGLAR WHO LIKED TO QUOTE KIPLING: Bernie, bookseller and thief, can't resist the lure of a long lost Kipling poem, even if it is locked inside a millionaire's high security library. Bernie manages to break in and find the poem - but also discovers a dead redhead. Now Bernie has to prove his innocence - and fast. THE BURGLAR WHO STUDIED SPINOZA: Bernie doesn't often get philosophical about his criminal career. He's good at it, it's addictively exciting - and it pays a whole lot better than being a bookseller. But he's latest heist gets him in his biggest fix yet when two other burglars are involved. THE BURGLAR WHO PAINTED LIKE MONDRIAN: By day he sells books, by night he's a master of illegal entry. But this time Bernie didn't do the burglary - but one missing painting worth a quarter of a million dollars, two corpses and a very clever frame-up put him on top of the most wanted list...
- GenresCrime
762 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2011
27 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
Lawrence Block
756 books3,001 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 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 21, 2024
There is nothing not to like.
The plots are exquisite. Intricate to the extreme, but still, Mr Block never cheats. Everything is there for the reader to follow. There are no red herrings. Some clues are a little obscure for those not as educated, but...*
The Main Character, what used to be known as the Hero, is something of an anti-hero, because, we must be honest, Bernie is a criminal. He also has morals that are unfashionable today...
I find it impossible not to like like him. Love him.
All the other recurring characters are also simpatico. None are paragons of virtue. As Bernie might say in one of his asides to us, 'Who is?'
Even most of the bad guys have some good in them. Even most of the victims, and this is actually quite rare, if you think about it.
The style and language are grown-up and educated. If quotes and referenses annoy you, maybe choose something else.
Mr Block spends quite a lot of time poking gentle fun at prejudice of all kinds. Note that his characters are not prejudiced, not racist, not sexist, but they are annoyed at all the people paying lip service. Lovely!
If you are annoyed by this, read something else.
Another charming thing is that this has a bit of nostalgia, if you were grown-up in 1977. It is an unintended time capsule of the world then. Example; Bernie spends a lot of time on the telephone. Telephones safely ancored. Telephones that don't automatically tell you who is calling, from where. Etcetera. It worked just fine. Better in some ways.
I recommend this for everyone who likes fine plotting with an abundance of clues, witty language, a mature understanding of the world as it was – and still is – and who likes a little nostalgia.
* One of the stories has a dentist who plays an important part. Mr Block could have researched dentistry better.
The plots are exquisite. Intricate to the extreme, but still, Mr Block never cheats. Everything is there for the reader to follow. There are no red herrings. Some clues are a little obscure for those not as educated, but...*
The Main Character, what used to be known as the Hero, is something of an anti-hero, because, we must be honest, Bernie is a criminal. He also has morals that are unfashionable today...
I find it impossible not to like like him. Love him.
All the other recurring characters are also simpatico. None are paragons of virtue. As Bernie might say in one of his asides to us, 'Who is?'
Even most of the bad guys have some good in them. Even most of the victims, and this is actually quite rare, if you think about it.
The style and language are grown-up and educated. If quotes and referenses annoy you, maybe choose something else.
Mr Block spends quite a lot of time poking gentle fun at prejudice of all kinds. Note that his characters are not prejudiced, not racist, not sexist, but they are annoyed at all the people paying lip service. Lovely!
If you are annoyed by this, read something else.
Another charming thing is that this has a bit of nostalgia, if you were grown-up in 1977. It is an unintended time capsule of the world then. Example; Bernie spends a lot of time on the telephone. Telephones safely ancored. Telephones that don't automatically tell you who is calling, from where. Etcetera. It worked just fine. Better in some ways.
I recommend this for everyone who likes fine plotting with an abundance of clues, witty language, a mature understanding of the world as it was – and still is – and who likes a little nostalgia.
* One of the stories has a dentist who plays an important part. Mr Block could have researched dentistry better.
March 1, 2020
Bernie & Piet.
I really like Block's style, particularly in this series. Maybe working in the art world bumped my rating up a star, but I think 3.5 out of 5 constitutes a good read. My only reservations are that the author over elaborates certain subjects - clothing, food, drinks, geographic details etc. If he knocked that off he'd be a 5 star writer in my book.
I really like Block's style, particularly in this series. Maybe working in the art world bumped my rating up a star, but I think 3.5 out of 5 constitutes a good read. My only reservations are that the author over elaborates certain subjects - clothing, food, drinks, geographic details etc. If he knocked that off he'd be a 5 star writer in my book.
May 11, 2014
A one-trick pony. Each of the short stories followed the same basic plot. I kept hoping they would get better as time went on; I was disappointed.
April 17, 2017
While it seemed like a great idea to have five books in one cover, it turned out to be heavy and unwieldy to read. A great book for a road trip, though!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews