The Burglar on the Prowl

Bernie Rodenbarr is a professional burglar. On the side, he owns a used bookstore. Although the police know he's a burglar, they often treat him with the awed deference shown to Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe. Why this should be is not clear, but never mind. In the current case, Bernie commits a profitable burglary, which the police never solve. All sorts of mayhem result from the burglary, which, money in hand, Bernie also brings to a satisfactory resolution. All of the characters are New Yorkers of one stripe or another, and Nick Sullivan does an excellent job of placing them in one or another of the five boroughs. For a male narrator, he is also unusually good with female voices. His rhythm and pace reflect the fast action without exaggerating it. R.E.K. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

Starred review from March 1, 2004
You'd think that Block, with more than 50 books to his credit, would run out of ideas, but as this 10th in his Burglar series shows (after 1999's The Burglar in the Rye
), he's as fresh, witty and inventive as ever. The author builds his plot on stupefying coincidences, but not to worry—everything eventually meshes. A friend asks Bernie Rhodenbarr, confirmed New Yorker, used-book dealer and gentleman burglar, to rob a mob-connected plastic surgeon who stole the friend's mistress. He agrees, and cases the doctor's house in Riverdale, the Bronx. But Bernie is restive and, uncharacteristically (because he plans carefully), he breaks into a Manhattan apartment on a whim and almost gets caught, hiding under the bed while a woman is date-raped. Next day a customer is shot near his bookstore, a mysterious émigré couple is murdered, a former Latvian war criminal is reported in New York and Bernie's apartment is ransacked. These crimes seem unrelated in such a large city, but Bernie finds a common thread. In the end, Bernie assembles 22 people (including lawmen) in the surgeon's living room and, Charlie Chan style, explains each participant's role and, where appropriate, crime. Lesser hands would not bring off this breathtaking performance, but in Block's it's seamless and hilarious. Quirky characters like Bernie's pals Carolyn Kaiser, the dog groomer, and cop Ray Kirschmann; an insider's love of New York; and a slew of wonderful puns add to the fun. (Mar. 16)

Forecast:
MWA Grand Master Block recently received the British Crime Writers' Association Cartier Diamond Dagger Award, only the third American to be so honored. A 100,000 printing and a 40-city author tour should ensure a run up most bestseller lists.

In Bernie Rhodenbarr, Lawrence Block has created a likable burglar with a heart of gold. Rhodenbarr returns in the tenth book in the series; this time the bookseller thief falls in love with a woman whose apartment he had intended to rob before she became a victim of date rape. Bernie also finds himself potentially implicated in four murders and tries to solve the crimes himself. With a surprise ending, Burglar is solid and enjoyable. Block clearly enjoys reading his whodunit, and his raspy, almost whiny, voice somehow fits the novel. While Block's fans will not be disappointed, they may need to take notes to figure out who everyone is in this choppy abridgment. D.J.S. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine