The Burglar Who Traded Ted Williams (Bernie Rhodenbarr Mystery) [Mass Market Paperback]

Lawrence Block (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1995 | Series: Bernie Rhodenbarr Mystery

The sixth "Bernie Rhodenbarr" mystery finds the reformed burglar returning to crime when his landlord raises the rent and entangled in a frame-up involving baseball cards, a lot of cash, and murder. Reprint. NYT.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Burglar/Greenwich Village bookseller Bernie Rhodenbarr discovers a dead body in the apartment and is accused of stealing a $1 million baseball card collection.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Rare books dealer-cum-thief Bernie Rhodenbarr decides to pull off one last job and ends up suspected of murder.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Onyx (June 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451184262
• ISBN-13: 978-0451184269
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,339,156 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lawrence Block (b. 1938) is the recipient of a Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America and an internationally renowned bestselling author. His prolific career spans over one hundred books, including four bestselling series as well as dozens of short stories, articles, and books on writing. He has won four Edgar and Shamus Awards, two Falcon Awards from the Maltese Falcon Society of Japan, the Nero and Philip Marlowe Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Cartier Diamond Dagger from the Crime Writers Association of the United Kingdom. In France, he has been awarded the title Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice received the Societe 813 trophy.

Born in Buffalo, New York, Block attended Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Leaving school before graduation, he moved to New York City, a locale that features prominently in most of his works. His earliest published writing appeared in the 1950s, frequently under pseudonyms, and many of these novels are now considered classics of the pulp fiction genre. During his early writing years, Block also worked in the mailroom of a publishing house and reviewed the submission slush pile for a literary agency. He has cited the latter experience as a valuable lesson for a beginning writer.

Block's first short story, "You Can't Lose," was published in 1957 in Manhunt, the first of dozens of short stories and articles that he would publish over the years in publications including American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and the New York Times. His short fiction has been featured and reprinted in over eleven collections including Enough Rope (2002), which is comprised of eighty-four of his short stories.

In 1966, Block introduced the insomniac protagonist Evan Tanner in the novel The Thief Who Couldn't Sleep. Block's diverse heroes also include the urbane and witty bookseller--and thief-on-the-side--Bernie Rhodenbarr; the gritty recovering alcoholic and private investigator Matthew Scudder; and Chip Harrison, the comical assistant to a private investigator with a Nero Wolfe fixation who appears in No Score, Chip Harrison Scores Again, Make Out with Murder, and The Topless Tulip Caper. Block has also written several short stories and novels featuring Keller, a professional hit man. Block's work is praised for his richly imagined and varied characters and frequent use of humor.

A father of three daughters, Block lives in New York City with his second wife, Lynne. When he isn't touring or attending mystery conventions, he and Lynne are frequent travelers, as members of the Travelers' Century Club for nearly a decade now, and have visited about 150 countries.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Everyone knows everyone, January 29, 2005

By 

Edward Onny (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Burglar Who Traded Ted Williams (Bernie Rhodenbarr Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

Block ranks right up there with other writers who just know how to write (others include Ed McBain and Donald Westlake) . Dialogue and the ability to keep us needing to turn the page are the hallmarks of all of Block's works. Block sets up impossible to figure situations and manages to sort it all out. Be prepared for everything that happens to be somehow interconnected, I don't know how he does it. As Block puts it, "Coincidences are God's way of letting us know He is up there." Warning: try to read in no more than three sittings, you'll never keep it all straight.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Burglary, Bookstore and Mystery, August 19, 2001

By 

Untouchable (Sydney, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Burglar Who Traded Ted Williams (Bernie Rhodenbarr Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

This light-hearted venture into the world of Bernie Rhodenbarr, burglar extraordinaire and bookstore owner contains much of the sharp, witty dialogue of the previous books in the series only sharper and wittier. The discussion between Bernie and Carolyn over the sexual preference of Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone is priceless. This is a sometimes-confusing mystery involving a series of events that sees Bernie burgle an apartment, return the booty and then re-enter the place to plant evidence after finding a corpse in the bathroom. Bernie sets out to work out who committed the murder, plus who committed a burglary that he's been mistakenly charged with. This is a most entertaining mystery that continues to keep you thinking, while providing plenty of smiles along the way.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Block is the master of the mystery genre!, August 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Burglar Who Traded Ted Williams (Bernie Rhodenbarr Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

Lawrence Block is the mystery writer for the thinking person. His Bernie books are witty, humorous, well-written, and, most importantly, never take the reader for granted. These books are intelligent and are completely satisfying. This book, the first in more than ten years, is a thoroughly enjoyable read, and unfailingly entertaining. Most highly recommended!