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Burglars Can't Be Choosers [Mass Market Paperback]

Lawrence Block
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)

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Book Description

February 24, 2004

Bernie Rhodenbarr is a personable chap, a good neighbor, a passable poker player. His chosen profession, however, might not sit well with some. Bernie is a burglar, a good one, effortlessly lifting valuables from the not-so-well-protected abodes of well-to-do New Yorkers like a modern-day Robin Hood. (The poor, as Bernie would be the first to tell you, alas, have nothing worth stealing.)

He's not perfect, however; he occasionally makes mistakes. Like accepting a paid assignment from a total stranger to retrieve a particular item from a rich man's apartment. Like still being there when the cops arrive. Like having a freshly slain corpse lying in the next room, and no proof that Bernie isn't the killer.

Now he's really got his hands full, having to locate the true perpetrator while somehow eluding the police -- a dirty job indeed, but if Bernie doesn't do it, who will?


Frequently Bought Together

Burglars Can't Be Choosers + The Burglar in the Closet (Bernie Rhodenbarr Mysteries) + Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling, The (Bernie Rhodenbarr Mysteries)
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The latest in the Bernie Rhodenbarr series by multiple-award winner Block has Bernie underestimating the difficulty of breaking into a posh East Side apartment to steal a blue leather-covered box. No box, dead body, bum murder rap. Not so easy. The New York Times Book Review has called the Rhodenbarr books, "A witty series. Bernie is incorrigibly adorable. Between his inquiring mind and his sticky fingers, Bernie is the ideal sleuth." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Bernie is a burglar who likes to work alone, facing a work-for-hire job which involves stealing a mysterious box and delivering it. The simple operation turns complicated when the box vanishes and his capers attract the police. Fans of Block’s prior burglar titles will find this engrossing. -- Midwest Book Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

  • Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: HarperTorch (February 24, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0060582553
  • ISBN-13: 978-0060582555
  • Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #505,773 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
(35)
4.3 out of 5 stars
This is a very good mystery that has certainly prompted me to read other books in the series. Untouchable  |  10 reviewers made a similar statement
Bernie's a great character, and there are some very funny lines. Mr. R. H. Thompson  |  7 reviewers made a similar statement
Now, I read a lot, but I seldom finish a book in one day. Friend of Metal  |  8 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Start To An Intriguing Series July 28, 2001
Format:Audio Cassette
This is an intriguing concept that I've only just stumbled across: A protagonist of a mystery book who's a professional burglar. Bernie Rhodenbarr is hard at work one night knocking over a house in which, he's assured, he'll find a leather-bound box. Problem 1, the box isn't there. Problem 2, the police catch him in the act. Problem 3, there's a dead body in the house, which is found by the police. Was he set up or was his luck just really bad on this job? In order to prove his innocence Bernie has to find out who committed the murder while staying ahead of the law.

This is a great idea for a different slant on mystery protagonists. It's not every story that you find yourself on the side of the burglar, so I found this book very refreshing indeed. Bernie commits crimes as a living does essentially a reprehensible job, but you can't help but like the guy. And as an investigator he's not too bad either. This is a very good mystery that has certainly prompted me to read other books in the series.

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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars A Satirical Look at Cops and Robbers May 1, 2003
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Lawrence Block is one of our most talented mystery authors. In the Bernie Rhodenbarr series he explores out an ordinary, but intelligent, "honest" person might go about pursuing a life of crime as a fastidious and talented burglar who isn't proud of what he does, doesn't like to hang out with criminals, and really gets a big thrill out of breaking and entering . . . and removing valuables. As you can see, there's a sitcom set-up to provide lots of humor. But the humor works well in part because Mr. Block is able to put the reader in the Bernie's shoes while he breaks, enters and steals . . . and arranges to evade the long arm of the law. To balance the "honest" burglar is an array of "dishonest" and equally easy-money-loving cops. As a result, you're in a funny moral never-never land while your stomach tightens and your arm muscles twitch as tension builds. To make matters even more topsy-turvy, Bernie at some point in every story turns into an investigator who must figure out "who-dun-it" for some crime that he personally didn't do. It's almost like one of those "mystery at home" games where the victim comes back as the police investigator, playing two roles. Very nice!

So much for explaining the concept of the series. Burglars Can't Be Choosers is the first book in the series. I strongly suggest that you begin the series by reading this one. Each story in the series adds information and characters in a way that will reduce your pleasure of the others if read out of order. Although, I originally read them out of order and liked them well enough. I'm rereading them now in order, and like it much better this way.

As Stephen King likes to point out, a great way to start a book is to put a character in an unusual situation and then let things happen from there. Burglars Can't Be Choosers certainly follows that route in a successful manner with what reads and feels like a very realistic burglary experience.

The characterizations, plot development, and dialogue are wonderful in the book. The only flaw from my perspective relates to the solution to the mystery. I thought it wasn't nearly interesting enough while it was being finally unraveled. As a result, the book is at its best in the beginning and middle, and weakens towards the end. Otherwise, I would have awarded five stars.

It would be a mistake to leave even a mystery "page turner" without thinking through the moral implications of the book. How many times do "honest" people self-justify what they do because it's easy money and they can pull it off? Certainly, the current rash of corporate fraud seems to suggest that it's pretty common. Maybe part of the appeal of this book and the series is that Mr. Block is exposing our own foibles to ourselves a little as we walk in Bernie's shoes.

Do what's right, not what's irresistible.

Donald Mitchell
Co-author of The 2,000 Percent Solution, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise and The Ultimate Competitive Advantage

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Bernie R. Hadn't Jelled Yet October 7, 2009
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This was Lawrence Block's first Bernie Rhodenbarr mystery. Originally published in 1977 it features Block's humor, but it's missing his nifty plotting and three-dimensional women characters. It features yet another example of Block's obsession with lesbians (someone could write a dissertation thesis on this), but this time it seems gratuitious and exploitive. Read this one for background, but there are much better books in the series.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful twist to the detective fiction genre
Rhodenbarr's story is an enjoyable read, a twist to the genre, and laced with humor that entertains while still maintaining classic suspense.
Published 4 months ago by Gregg A. Berlie
4.0 out of 5 stars A fun lighthearted mystery with a little edge
This is the first book in Lawrence Block's Burglar series which feature the criminal activities and subsequent misadventures of gentleman burglar Bernard G. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Devil_Monkey
4.0 out of 5 stars Always enjoy the Bernie stories
This is an early Burglar book and I am sorry I did not read it sooner. This is much better than the short stories that are now available in E book form. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Juanita
5.0 out of 5 stars Satisfying Crime & Criminals
You just cant miss with any Lawrence Block opus. They're all Blockbuters (beg forgiveness for the pun) Always intersting characters, clever plots with intellegent prose. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Angelo Diretto
4.0 out of 5 stars It's great, but not as great as later Bernie mysteries
This was the first Bernie Rhodenbarr mystery, written the year I was born. Boy, both the character and the author have really evolved since then! Read more
Published 9 months ago by Mary Lavers
4.0 out of 5 stars 1978 just called
Get your roll of dimes ready, Bernie! The price of that still hasn't changed since 1978--though so much has. Read more
Published 13 months ago by middle school tchr
5.0 out of 5 stars FIRST IN RHODENBARR SERIES
The book and its story are probably 4 stars but as the initial book in a series this one gets a 5 from me. Read more
Published 15 months ago by James L. Woolridge
3.0 out of 5 stars A little light reading
I actually bought this for my mother but I was interested in the concept so, after she read it, I grabbed it. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Robin Johnson Esak
4.0 out of 5 stars First-rate first installment to a terrific series
Block came up this one while stumbling around trying to get through a dry spell -- the nightmare of every working writer. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Michael K. Smith
4.0 out of 5 stars Fun Read
This was a fun read from beginning to end, with a well-crafted plot. Good writing and I found myself looking forward eagerly to the next book in this series.
Published 18 months ago by H. Garvey
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Lawrence Block
Hi Pauly. Well all reading are personal choices. But I recommend the series to anyone who enjoys light, comic, mysteries. Block is a fine writer and he's pretty funny too. Some people can't get past the main character being a thief but I don't dwell on that (besides he's often stealing from... Read more
Jul 15, 2009 by Gregory Nichols |  See all 2 posts
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