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THE BURGLAR ON THE PROWL
by Lawrence Block
William Morrow, March 2004
304 pages
$24.95
ISBN: 0060198303


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Bernie Rhodenbarr, a modern day Raffles, realized long ago that the secret to staying out of prison is careful planning. He has accepted that he must go through the drudgery of planning before he can experience the thrill of breaking and entering. Accordingly, when Marty Gilmartin informs Bernie that a plastic surgeon named Crandall Mapes not only richly deserves to be burgled, but also owns an impressive-looking safe that must contain riches worth stealing, Bernie carefully plans out the robbery and takes an evening to case the house.

Unfortunately, he finds that casing a house is not as satisfying as burgling a house. Bernie ends up back at his apartment early, watching television, with an itch to enter a home clandestinely. He withstands temptation through one entire show. Then he hits the streets, on the prowl.

The tale of how he breaks, enters, robs, witnesses a crime, and exacts retribution could be another story. But itıs not. Instead it exists side by side with the story of the robbing of Dr Mapes; tied to it by the truly odd coincidence of both jobs being part of Bernieıs week. It shouldnıt work, but it does; maybe because of the odd character of Mr Rhodenbarr. He is a nice, smart man who sometimes engages in criminal acts.

As with all the Burglar books this one is written in a breezy humorous style. There is a little word play. An apocryphal John Sanford title (Lettuce Prey) is discussed by those fans of mysteries, Bernie Rhodenbarr and Carolyn Kaiser. The bookıs big draw is spending time with Bernie; heıs a wonderful narrator. Bernie is essentially kind, but has a somewhat ³bent² outlook that causes him to work hard for justice and to achieve it by any means; including (in fact, preferably) by means that are outside of the law.

The usual cast of characters also have some fun. Carolyn meets a new girlfriend through an internet chat group, Bernie meets a new girlfriend in a bar, Wally and Marty both meet new girlfriends at a murder scene, and Ray gets to collar a murderer. Recommended for fans of humorous mysteries.

Reviewed by Jill Long, February 2004

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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