Burglars Can't Be Choosers

June 1, 2013

Bernie Rhodenbarr is your typical New Yorker--except this resident makes his living as a professional burglar. Bernie specializes in stealing valuables from the well-to-do denizens of the Big Apple, and while his neighbors would consider him a good guy, Bernie just can't help but love the thrill of a good heist. Bernie breaks his own rules and accepts a burglary job from a total stranger, but things go from bad to worse. When the police show up in the middle of the theft, a corpse is discovered in the room next door, and Bernie is the prime suspect. Now he's got to find the real killer to clear his less-than-sterling reputation. VERDICT A first-rate example of what a cozy mystery can be. With the right combination of humor, snappy dialog, plot, and characterization, Block gives his series debut (first published in 1977) enough zip to appeal to genre and nongenre fans alike.

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