Scan barcode
book_concierge's review against another edition
5.0
What I really love about the Bernie Rhodenbarr series is that Bernie is such a gentleman. He meets a young woman; there is a mutual attraction; and they do what consenting adults do in private. That's almost exactly how Block phrases it. I cannot help but think of Cary Grant in the role of Bernie. Utterly enjoyable mystery series.
ogreart's review
3.0
The story was just as good as the others, but the different narrator from the rest of the series was jarring to me. It just didn't sound like Bernie. The other characters didn't sound right either. Pretty good story, but the narration was not what I wanted to hear.
usbsticky's review against another edition
3.0
Once again I enjoy the characters but not the plot formula.
1) Bernie goes burglarizing. Bernie gets framed for dead bodies.
2) Bernie goes investigating.
3) Bernie gathers everyone for a very complex reveal with twists.
Spoiler/Summary:
Someone calls to order a book. The customer pays him $1300 instead of $13. Bernie rushes out the door to tell him it's too much only to see him gunned down by automatic gunfire and the book taken away.
Bernie's friend Marty gives him a tip. There's a plastic surgeon who keeps a lot of money in his
safe who Marty wants him to burgle. Meanwhile two Latvians and their doorman are killed in a home invasion burglary and NYPD arrests Bernie because CCTV shows Bernie wandering around the neighborhood and the safe is one that only a good safecracker such as Bernie can open. Bernie is tied to the crime by the media and his own apartment is turned inside out. Also, Bernie breaks into an apartment where the female owner has been roofied and is raped while Bernie is hiding under the bed.
The plot is complex because Bernie has to figure out why someone is being killed for a simple book, who killed those Latvians and burgled his house and who raped the woman (who subsequently became Bernie's love interest). There isn't really a coherent investigative protocol but too soon Bernie gathers everyone for his reveal.
The long and short of it is that an ex-KGB agent illegally immigrated to the US after the dissolution of the USSR. His job was mainly to capture and kill Latvian patriots who agitated for independence. He is worried that the large Latvian community in the US would recognize him so he used the plastic surgeon to change his appearance. Unfortunately the plastic surgeon kept before and after photos which would reveal his new face. After that, I'm not too sure of the story because it got real complex. As I have said before, I don't really care about an extremely complex plot, I only care about the characters their interactions with each other - that's what makes good reading.
Anyway the baddies get their comeuppance and I'm ready for the next book and looking forward to the end of this series.
1) Bernie goes burglarizing. Bernie gets framed for dead bodies.
2) Bernie goes investigating.
3) Bernie gathers everyone for a very complex reveal with twists.
Spoiler/Summary:
Someone calls to order a book. The customer pays him $1300 instead of $13. Bernie rushes out the door to tell him it's too much only to see him gunned down by automatic gunfire and the book taken away.
Bernie's friend Marty gives him a tip. There's a plastic surgeon who keeps a lot of money in his
safe who Marty wants him to burgle. Meanwhile two Latvians and their doorman are killed in a home invasion burglary and NYPD arrests Bernie because CCTV shows Bernie wandering around the neighborhood and the safe is one that only a good safecracker such as Bernie can open. Bernie is tied to the crime by the media and his own apartment is turned inside out. Also, Bernie breaks into an apartment where the female owner has been roofied and is raped while Bernie is hiding under the bed.
The plot is complex because Bernie has to figure out why someone is being killed for a simple book, who killed those Latvians and burgled his house and who raped the woman (who subsequently became Bernie's love interest). There isn't really a coherent investigative protocol but too soon Bernie gathers everyone for his reveal.
The long and short of it is that an ex-KGB agent illegally immigrated to the US after the dissolution of the USSR. His job was mainly to capture and kill Latvian patriots who agitated for independence. He is worried that the large Latvian community in the US would recognize him so he used the plastic surgeon to change his appearance. Unfortunately the plastic surgeon kept before and after photos which would reveal his new face. After that, I'm not too sure of the story because it got real complex. As I have said before, I don't really care about an extremely complex plot, I only care about the characters their interactions with each other - that's what makes good reading.
Anyway the baddies get their comeuppance and I'm ready for the next book and looking forward to the end of this series.
jenc5309's review against another edition
I couldn't finish this one. I've read from this series before, but the casual discussion about date rape bothered me.
stephrenaud's review against another edition
1.0
The mystery was complex and interesting. The writing was his usual smug cleverness - mildly amusing but far too long-winded and self-satisfied. The reason for the rating was for how adamantly Block forced his female characters to turn Bernie into a hero for protecting his own ass while witnessing a rape then discarding evidence of the rape because he thought it'd be better she not know. Then the victim showed no consequences of the rape besides being... offended, I guess? A repulsive level of cluelessness, beyond even the context of the era in which it was written.
bundy23's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty much the same as all the others... it's pretty good until a much too convoluted ending with too many coincidences needed to get there... and then there's the rape scene that cannot be ignored... our "hero" hides under a bed and does absolutely nothing while a woman is raped, later sleeps with the same woman, admits what he did (or didn't do), and then she basically says "don't worry about it" and we're supposed to still respect good ol' Bernie. No thanks.
rmardel's review against another edition
4.0
Read again. This is not perhaps up to the best of this series, and there are some problematic themes. But the writing is still enjoyable and I’d only downgrade it half a star
jenaly's review against another edition
5.0
I like a mystery that makes me think. Bernie is an intelligent, clever, and humble Robin Hood for our times. I haven't read this series for a while, and I'm so glad I picked this up again!
lobo1tomia's review against another edition
3.0
Az az igazság, hogy nagyon készültem erre az utolsó találkozásra, mert bár a krimi szál egyre bonyolultabb lett az utolsó köteteknél, a körítés azonban mindenért kárpótolt. S most is valami hasonlót vártam, de csalódnom kellett. A bűnügyek összefonódása annyira szövevényes lett és annyira hihetetlen, hogy már meg se próbáltam odafigyelni arra, valójában mi is történik. Block amúgy is szeret egy csomót titkolózni, főleg a vége felé, mielőtt főhőse előáll a megoldással, mindig homályosan fogalmaz azt illetően, hogy mit és miért is csinál éppen. Na ez itt már úgy a könyv felénél elkezdődött: Bernie utazgatott, ezt-atzt látott, ide-oda benézett stb. s az olvasót egyáltalán nem tájékoztatta arról, mit és miért is csinált. Nagyon nagy akart lenni az a finálé. A végén azonban hiába magyaráz el mindent Bernie, előbb a szokásos egybegyűlt játékosoknak, majd tisztáz még pár dolgot Carolynnal, szerintem még maga Block is belekavarodott az egészbe. Legalábbis a végére úgy tűnt, hogy nem kevés szál maradt elvarratlan, figyelmetlenségből vagy hanyagságból, nem is tudom. Úgyhogy mint krimi, erősen megbukott nálam.
Ami meg a többit illeti, azért továbbra is szórakoztató volt, ahogy főhősünk mesél, vagy éppen társalog valakivel és a hosszú, de pörgős párbeszédekből megtudjuk mi történt vele. Megint voltak finom popkulturális utalások, megmosolyogtató kiszólások és egy újabb krimiíró kolléga finom cikizése. Ami kicsit új volt, hogy Bernie egész sokat töprengett és filozofálgatott, nosztalgiázott és elmélázott dolgokon. Ezt egy az egyben betudtam annak, hogy most búcsúzni kell tőle és ő is érzi, hogy egyelőre el kell válnia tőlünk. Mert kicsit azért olyan, mintha régi jó baráttól búcsúznánk, akinek sok kalandjáról tudtunk, együtt átéltünk mindenféle jót meg rosszat, összekovácsolódtunk, de most egy darabig nem fogunk találkozni és ez mindkettőnket nyomaszt.
Szóval kicsit felemás ízzel váltam hát el Bernie-től. A stílusa és a szokásos szereplők hiányozni fognak, viszont az utolsó megoldott bűntényre nem fogok annyira jó szívvel visszaemlékezni.
Eredetlieg: http://olvasonaplo.net/olvasonaplo/2012/11/21/lawrence_block_a_betoro_aki_portyara_indult/
Ami meg a többit illeti, azért továbbra is szórakoztató volt, ahogy főhősünk mesél, vagy éppen társalog valakivel és a hosszú, de pörgős párbeszédekből megtudjuk mi történt vele. Megint voltak finom popkulturális utalások, megmosolyogtató kiszólások és egy újabb krimiíró kolléga finom cikizése. Ami kicsit új volt, hogy Bernie egész sokat töprengett és filozofálgatott, nosztalgiázott és elmélázott dolgokon. Ezt egy az egyben betudtam annak, hogy most búcsúzni kell tőle és ő is érzi, hogy egyelőre el kell válnia tőlünk. Mert kicsit azért olyan, mintha régi jó baráttól búcsúznánk, akinek sok kalandjáról tudtunk, együtt átéltünk mindenféle jót meg rosszat, összekovácsolódtunk, de most egy darabig nem fogunk találkozni és ez mindkettőnket nyomaszt.
Szóval kicsit felemás ízzel váltam hát el Bernie-től. A stílusa és a szokásos szereplők hiányozni fognak, viszont az utolsó megoldott bűntényre nem fogok annyira jó szívvel visszaemlékezni.
Eredetlieg: http://olvasonaplo.net/olvasonaplo/2012/11/21/lawrence_block_a_betoro_aki_portyara_indult/
gaetkoguy's review
4.0
What a glorious unexpected find! I pulled this book off the shelf in my parents house to pass the time and fell in love with the author, his characters, the humor, and mystery. Can’t wait to continue the series!