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redrobot's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent entree into the author's series of books about Bernie, a burglar with some morals. Some very entertaining twists and turns, with realistic character development.
jasonreads's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
dantastic's review against another edition
4.0
Bernie Rhodenbarr's dentist hires him to steal his ex-wife's jewels. The problem is she inconveniently gets murdered while Bernie is hiding in her closet. Before you know it, the police are after Bernie for not one but two murders. Can Bernie clear his name before the police catch him?
I have to admit that after the first Burglar book, I was a little skeptical. Block changed my mind with this one. While the plot is quite similar to the first book, Burglars Can't Be Choosers, it's better executed. The writing is better, the plot is better, and the characters are better. Not only that, the exposition is kept to a minimum since we already know about Bernie and his night life. I had no earthly idea who the killer was until about 81% of the way through the book. There were some nagging plot threads that were never resolved but all in all, it was an enjoyable read.
I have to admit that after the first Burglar book, I was a little skeptical. Block changed my mind with this one. While the plot is quite similar to the first book, Burglars Can't Be Choosers, it's better executed. The writing is better, the plot is better, and the characters are better. Not only that, the exposition is kept to a minimum since we already know about Bernie and his night life. I had no earthly idea who the killer was until about 81% of the way through the book. There were some nagging plot threads that were never resolved but all in all, it was an enjoyable read.
chellyfishing's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Sexism
dorinlazar's review against another edition
4.0
Entertaining policier novel, it's short and fast and it's about the burglar who got into trouble again. Again a murder happened with him burgling. Hopefully, the next one won't be about him solving another murder, but other than that? Entertaining.
disastrouspenguin's review against another edition
4.0
Cute. Bernie starts out by doing exactly what he said he wouldn't do, with predictably calamitous results.
spacecomics's review against another edition
4.0
Entertaining, not quite a page-turner throughout, but good enough to want to pick up again, and some sections are quite suspenseful. The humor keeps it going in the other parts, and is good. I didn't figure out who done it until the next to the last chapter, after the protagonist had, and it made sense.
zeroiv's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
roxanamalinachirila's review against another edition
4.0
Fun, light, amusing, with a dash of mystery. If there's one thing I can complain about, it's that the discovery of the real criminal seemed a bit random and I could see so many ways in which the grand reveal might fail. Despite that, very enjoyable and clever.