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book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
3.5***
This is the first in the series starring Bernie Rhodenbarr, a professional burglar with loads of charm. He’s successful and has an apartment in a nice building on the upper West Side, where he’s known as a good neighbor. He never burgles in his neighborhood, is methodical in his planning, quickly fences his take and lives a quiet life. He also always works alone. Until now. When he’s approached by a stranger offering a significant fee if he’ll retrieve a certain blue leather box, Bernie’s curious and agrees. Seems like a simple job. But the box isn’t where it should be, while a body is … and so are the police.
I love this series, and this is a second reading, though I didn’t remember any of the plot, so the twists were all a surprise to me. I like Bernie as a character. He’s smart and nonviolent. He has a way with the ladies, but he’s a gentleman, through and through. The plots are intricate and the supporting characters a delight. I love his cop “friend” Ray Kirschman – honest, though not above taking a little cash to look the other way. And I love the way Block writes about New York City; I really feel as if I’m walking the streets right along with Bernie.
This is the first in the series starring Bernie Rhodenbarr, a professional burglar with loads of charm. He’s successful and has an apartment in a nice building on the upper West Side, where he’s known as a good neighbor. He never burgles in his neighborhood, is methodical in his planning, quickly fences his take and lives a quiet life. He also always works alone. Until now. When he’s approached by a stranger offering a significant fee if he’ll retrieve a certain blue leather box, Bernie’s curious and agrees. Seems like a simple job. But the box isn’t where it should be, while a body is … and so are the police.
I love this series, and this is a second reading, though I didn’t remember any of the plot, so the twists were all a surprise to me. I like Bernie as a character. He’s smart and nonviolent. He has a way with the ladies, but he’s a gentleman, through and through. The plots are intricate and the supporting characters a delight. I love his cop “friend” Ray Kirschman – honest, though not above taking a little cash to look the other way. And I love the way Block writes about New York City; I really feel as if I’m walking the streets right along with Bernie.
lulo49's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to this on tape many years ago. It's the book that started me loving mysteries. This is the first in the Rhodenbarr series about a gentleman burglar. Witty and funny. Nice easy reading on a snowy day.
isabella_trying_to_read's review against another edition
Not in the mood. Might come back to it
lprnana6572's review against another edition
3.0
I had read that this series was like the Westlake Dortmunder series, funny crime capers. This book was just a bit like that but not enough to keep me coming back.
vorpalblad's review against another edition
3.0
The first Rhodenbarr mystery in the series, it's odd to go back after starting later in the series. He doesn't yet have the friends and places that we come to associate with my favorite burglar, but he still has the word play and the keep you guessing attitude.
ogreart's review against another edition
5.0
It's been over 25 years since I read this. Listening to it was interesting. It really made clear how much the world has changed since the book was written in 1977. It's almost like historical fiction in some ways with all the pre-computer, pre-Internet actions and reactions. For example, without IMDB finding a minor actor on an old movie was not an easy task. The book was fun. I am going to go on to the next one. Thanks to the Internet, that is now possible.
jmclincoln's review against another edition
3.0
I’m pretty strict with my stars. I really enjoyed the story and found it a quick read. Although I’d like to give it 4 stars, I need to reserve 4 for stand out reads. My 5s are for what I consider to be masterpieces. Very rare. So, summing it up, go read this and have fun.
cimorene1558's review against another edition
3.0
These are by no means my favourite books, but Bernie's pretty charming (if not very bright; an awful lot of the plot of each book depends on his doing something fairly foolish in the first place, but then, he's a burglar and I'm not, so we don't really have the same standards), and I enjoy them as a distraction from ordinary life.
dantastic's review against another edition
3.0
Bernie Rhodenbarr breaks into an apartment while the owner is out to steal a blue leather box and make a quick five large. Only the apartment owner is home and quite dead, and the cops burst in while Bernie is there. Bernie goes on the run and sets out to clear his name with the help of an oddly helpful girl named Ruth. Can Bernie clear his name before he is apprehended for murder?
Lawrence Block put together an interesting mystery in this one, one involving actors, actresses, blackmail, and dirty cops. I sure didn't see the ending coming, neither the murderer nor the last plot twist at the end. It's more humorous than the Block books I've already read but more serious than Donald Westlake's Dortmunder books.
While I prefer Block's stories about Keller, Bernie Rhodenbarr's first tale is a good one and I'll be picking up the rest of them.
Lawrence Block put together an interesting mystery in this one, one involving actors, actresses, blackmail, and dirty cops. I sure didn't see the ending coming, neither the murderer nor the last plot twist at the end. It's more humorous than the Block books I've already read but more serious than Donald Westlake's Dortmunder books.
While I prefer Block's stories about Keller, Bernie Rhodenbarr's first tale is a good one and I'll be picking up the rest of them.
harvio's review against another edition
3.0
- light, mystery novel (the first of a series of at least 9) featuring the mild-mannered, engaging character Bernie Rhodenbarr (a New York cat-burglar). He is hired to break into an apartment and steal a blue box, but stumbles upon a dead body, and is quickly accused of murder.
- a fun (and sometimes funny) light read
- I wouldn't mind trying another in this series
- a fun (and sometimes funny) light read
- I wouldn't mind trying another in this series