⇒ Read Burglars Can't Be Choosers Bernie Rhodenbarr Lawrence Block 9780060582555 Books

Burglars Can't Be Choosers Bernie Rhodenbarr Lawrence Block 9780060582555 Books

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Burglars Can't Be Choosers Bernie Rhodenbarr Lawrence Block 9780060582555 Books

Lawrence Block has written five series characters, of which Bernie Rhodenbarr is arguably the second most well-known and well-loved behind Matt Scudder. Each one fills a separate niche in the pantheon of crime fiction: Matt Scudder is urban noir, John Keller is black comedy, Evan Tanner lives out satirical international spy thrillers, Chip Harrison books are highly eroticized Nero Wolfe pastiches. Bernie has featured in 11 whimsical light-hearted "cozy mystery" novels.

The amazing thing about Burglars Can't Be Choosers is how readily the author makes you believe Bernie really is a gentleman cat burglar. The book is not filled with research how to pick locks or fence hot jewels, but enough detail is provided to make the character seem genuine and authentic--like his musings on how a priest's robe is the perfect disguise to case an apartment building or his brief citation of the benefits of a Rabson deadbolt lock.

The plot itself is adequate if a trifle stale. Bernie is hired to lift a blue leather box from a wealthy man's apartment, but the police barge onto the scene in the middle of the job. They not only catch Bernie red-handed but also soon discover the wealthy man has been murdered in his bed. They assume Bernie is the killer. He narrowly escapes arrest and must find the real murderer to clear his name.

The solution to the mystery is actually impressively sophisticated. The final solution adequately explains all the little clues dropped throughout the story, tying together a lot of seemingly coincidental narratives into a logical sequence of events, but it is a stretch to figure how Bernie pieced the larger picture together from just the few fragments of information he had at his disposal.

Published in 1977, this is a solid but not spectacular beginning to Bernie's literary career. I have read a few of the later Rhodenbarr short stories, particularly "The Burglar Who Dropped in on Elvis", so I already know this character will have more impressive exploits in the future. I plan to keep reading them.


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Burglars Can't Be Choosers Bernie Rhodenbarr Lawrence Block 9780060582555 Books Reviews

Lawrence Block is a fine writer, but most of his stuff is too dark, intense, and violent for me. Maybe he occasionally needs a break from gloom and horror, too. Starting in 1977, he wrote a series of eleven books about burglar/detective Bernie Rhodenbarr and they are pure fun and wit. Sometimes Bernie is referred to as a "gentleman burglar" (a la the famous "Raffles) but he's not all that much of a gentleman. He's just a boy from a hum-drum, middle-class family who became fascinated with locks at a very early age. From there it was an easy step to discovering the adrenaline rush of being where you're not supposed to be. Of out-witting the rule-makers.

Not that Bernie always has things his own way. Once he failed to make certain that an apartment was empty and was handed over to police by an enraged (and armed) householder. Bernie doesn't like guns or guard dogs or criminals or violence of any sort. His time in prison taught him a valuable lesson. Don't get caught!

In this first book, Bernie has (uncharacteristically) accepted an "assignment" from a shady character to break into an apartment and steal a small box. It seems like a piece of cake until the police arrive and Bernie is caught with a dead body. On the run, he's forced to solve the murder to escape being convicted for committing it. Fortunately, the analytical mind that has made him a successful burglar turns out to be perfect for amateur detective work. He's ably assisted by a new, rather mysterious female friend and a cop who has an interesting take on the word "honest."

It's fun, but it's also a fascinating look at the "Big Apple" where people must learn a unique set of survival skills. A generation before Block, people read Rex Stout's Nero Wolf series for it's portrayal of every day life in New York City. Bernie, also, is a New Yorker and his story is driven by the realities of life in a huge, complex city. I read one of this series years ago (a library copy?) and was happy to be able to pick up the beginning books in versions. If you like good writing, complications, and humor, you can't beat Block and Bernie.
I have long been a fan of Lawrence Block. One of his creations, Bernie Rhodenbarr, is my personal favorite. Bernie is a New York City based book store owner and part time thief who excels in lock picking and breaking and entering, and who loves the thrill it provides. He served time in prison in his youth, and since then has resolved to avoid getting caught again. BURGLERS CAN’T BE CHOOSERS is the first of eleven comic mystery adventures featuring this protagonist, a man with a nimble wit that keeps the reader chuckling.

Bernie's burglary operations are usually well-planned and tidily executed, from the initial surveillance of the target site to the escape route afterwards. However, during the course of some of these his burglaries Bernie encounters a dead body, usually just before the police arrive to investigate a called-in murder thereby forcing him to tackle solving the murder in order to clear his name. His investigative techniques include not only interviewing the victim's associates, but visits (sometimes involving illegal entry) to their homes to identify (and occasionally plant) evidence.
The regulars in Bernie’s life include Carolyn, his lesbian confidant and intermittent partner in crime, Ray Kirschmann an NYPD detective who overlooks many of Bernie’s misdeeds if his palm is crossed with enough silver, Bernie’s lawyer Wally Hemphill, and a cat named Raffles who resides in the bookstore.

Written with a master’s hand, readers who enjoy smart writing and snappy patter should give this book a shot. It’s definitely a great way to spend a lazy afternoon.
Lawrence Block has written five series characters, of which Bernie Rhodenbarr is arguably the second most well-known and well-loved behind Matt Scudder. Each one fills a separate niche in the pantheon of crime fiction Matt Scudder is urban noir, John Keller is black comedy, Evan Tanner lives out satirical international spy thrillers, Chip Harrison books are highly eroticized Nero Wolfe pastiches. Bernie has featured in 11 whimsical light-hearted "cozy mystery" novels.

The amazing thing about Burglars Can't Be Choosers is how readily the author makes you believe Bernie really is a gentleman cat burglar. The book is not filled with research how to pick locks or fence hot jewels, but enough detail is provided to make the character seem genuine and authentic--like his musings on how a priest's robe is the perfect disguise to case an apartment building or his brief citation of the benefits of a Rabson deadbolt lock.

The plot itself is adequate if a trifle stale. Bernie is hired to lift a blue leather box from a wealthy man's apartment, but the police barge onto the scene in the middle of the job. They not only catch Bernie red-handed but also soon discover the wealthy man has been murdered in his bed. They assume Bernie is the killer. He narrowly escapes arrest and must find the real murderer to clear his name.

The solution to the mystery is actually impressively sophisticated. The final solution adequately explains all the little clues dropped throughout the story, tying together a lot of seemingly coincidental narratives into a logical sequence of events, but it is a stretch to figure how Bernie pieced the larger picture together from just the few fragments of information he had at his disposal.

Published in 1977, this is a solid but not spectacular beginning to Bernie's literary career. I have read a few of the later Rhodenbarr short stories, particularly "The Burglar Who Dropped in on Elvis", so I already know this character will have more impressive exploits in the future. I plan to keep reading them.