Lawrence Block: The Burglar on the Prowl (USA 2009)

From the Publisher:
A philosophical yet practical gentleman, Bernie Rhodenbarr possesses many admirable qualities: charm, intelligence, sparkling wit, and unwavering loyalty. Of course, he also has this special talent and a taste for life's finer things. So he's more than willing to perform some vengeful larceny for a friend -- ripping off a smarmy, particularly deserving plastic surgeon -- for fun and a very tidy profit.

But during a practice run at another address, Bernie's forced to hide under a bed when the lady of the house returns unexpectedly with the worst kind of blind date in tow. In no time, Bernie's up to his burgling neck in big trouble. Again. And this time it includes his arrest, no less than four murders, and more outrageous coincidences than any self-preserving felon should ever be required to tie together.

Lawrence Block: The Burglar on the Prowl. HarperTorch, ISBN: 9780061806698 (October, 2009), eBook, 0.49 MB (ca. 384 p.), $6.99.

Lawrence Block: The Burglar on the Prowl (USA 2005)

From the Publisher:
A philosophical yet practical gentleman, Bernie Rhodenbarr possesses many admirable qualities: charm, intelligence, sparkling wit, and unwavering loyalty. Of course, he also has this special talent and a taste for life's finer things. So he's more than willing to perform some vengeful larceny for a friend -- ripping off a smarmy, particularly deserving plastic surgeon -- for fun and a very tidy profit.

But during a practice run at another address, Bernie's forced to hide under a bed when the lady of the house returns unexpectedly with the worst kind of blind date in tow. In no time, Bernie's up to his burgling neck in big trouble. Again. And this time it includes his arrest, no less than four murders, and more outrageous coincidences than any self-preserving felon should ever be required to tie together.

Lawrence Block: The Burglar on the Prowl. HarperTorch, ISBN: 0061030988 (January, 2005), 384 p., $7.50.

Lawrence Block: The Burglar on the Prowl (UK 2004)

From the Publisher:
"I don't play cards with men named Doc, or eat at places called Mom's. Or drink before I burgle... It is, I should point out, not a career I would recommend for anyone. The fact that I evidently can't give it up doesn't mean I'm not well aware of the disagreeably sordid nature of what I do." -- Bernie Rhodenbarr

When a friend suggests that Bernie Rhodenbarr burglarize a romantic rival's home, Bernie is happy to oblige. For him, burglary is more than a career, it's his favorite hobby. Along with lesbian friend Caroline Kaiser, Bernie is overjoyed to find a safe full of cash--cash for which income taxes had not been paid and for which a police report is unlikely. And for once in a Bernie Rhodenbarr story, there isn't even a dead body in the house. At least not yet. Because a nearby home had also been burglarized and in that robbery, three people had died. The police recognize Bernie from a nearby bank ATM camera and soon he's in the newspapers as the suspect.

A good lawyer soon gets Bernie out of jail, but he isn't out of trouble. Because criminals read the newspapers and now they think that Bernie has whatever was missing from the robbery gone bad. Unless Bernie can come up with the truth, he's in for some serious trouble from some very bad people. Fortunately, Bernie is good at finding the truth. Better yet for Bernie, an incidental burglary leads to a relationship with a beautiful lawyer. If he can stay alive long enough to enjoy it, he's got it made...

Lawrence Block: The Burglar on the Prowl. No Exit Press, ISBN: 184243117X (December, 2004), 320 p., £6.99.

Lawrence Block: The Burglar on the Prowl (UK 2004)

From the Publisher:
"I don't play cards with men named Doc, or eat at places called Mom's. Or drink before I burgle... It is, I should point out, not a career I would recommend for anyone. The fact that I evidently can't give it up doesn't mean I'm not well aware of the disagreeably sordid nature of what I do." -- Bernie Rhodenbarr

When a friend suggests that Bernie Rhodenbarr burglarize a romantic rival's home, Bernie is happy to oblige. For him, burglary is more than a career, it's his favorite hobby. Along with lesbian friend Caroline Kaiser, Bernie is overjoyed to find a safe full of cash--cash for which income taxes had not been paid and for which a police report is unlikely. And for once in a Bernie Rhodenbarr story, there isn't even a dead body in the house. At least not yet. Because a nearby home had also been burglarized and in that robbery, three people had died. The police recognize Bernie from a nearby bank ATM camera and soon he's in the newspapers as the suspect.

A good lawyer soon gets Bernie out of jail, but he isn't out of trouble. Because criminals read the newspapers and now they think that Bernie has whatever was missing from the robbery gone bad. Unless Bernie can come up with the truth, he's in for some serious trouble from some very bad people. Fortunately, Bernie is good at finding the truth. Better yet for Bernie, an incidental burglary leads to a relationship with a beautiful lawyer. If he can stay alive long enough to enjoy it, he's got it made...

Lawrence Block: The Burglar on the Prowl. No Exit Press, ISBN: 1842431048 (March, 2004), Paperback, 320 p., £12.99.

Lawrence Block: The Burglar on the Prowl (UK 2004)

From the Publisher:
"I don't play cards with men named Doc, or eat at places called Mom's. Or drink before I burgle... It is, I should point out, not a career I would recommend for anyone. The fact that I evidently can't give it up doesn't mean I'm not well aware of the disagreeably sordid nature of what I do." -- Bernie Rhodenbarr

When a friend suggests that Bernie Rhodenbarr burglarize a romantic rival's home, Bernie is happy to oblige. For him, burglary is more than a career, it's his favorite hobby. Along with lesbian friend Caroline Kaiser, Bernie is overjoyed to find a safe full of cash--cash for which income taxes had not been paid and for which a police report is unlikely. And for once in a Bernie Rhodenbarr story, there isn't even a dead body in the house. At least not yet. Because a nearby home had also been burglarized and in that robbery, three people had died. The police recognize Bernie from a nearby bank ATM camera and soon he's in the newspapers as the suspect.

A good lawyer soon gets Bernie out of jail, but he isn't out of trouble. Because criminals read the newspapers and now they think that Bernie has whatever was missing from the robbery gone bad. Unless Bernie can come up with the truth, he's in for some serious trouble from some very bad people. Fortunately, Bernie is good at finding the truth. Better yet for Bernie, an incidental burglary leads to a relationship with a beautiful lawyer. If he can stay alive long enough to enjoy it, he's got it made...

Lawrence Block: The Burglar on the Prowl. No Exit Press, ISBN: 1842431226 (March, 2004), Hardback, 320 p., £18.99.

Lawrence Block: The Burglar on the Prowl (USA 2004)

From the Publisher:
"I don't play cards with men named Doc, or eat at places called Mom's. Or drink before I burgle... It is, I should point out, not a career I would recommend for anyone. The fact that I evidently can't give it up doesn't mean I'm not well aware of the disagreeably sordid nature of what I do."
-- Bernie Rhodenbarr

Acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Lawrence Block returns with one of his most inspired and popular characters: the extraordinary Bernie Rhodenbarr. Antiquarian bookseller by day, burglar by night, Bernie has an innate knack, a gift, for getting into places designed to keep him out.

Sophisticated yet down-to-earth, philosophical yet practical, Bernie is a gentleman who knows and loves his territory, the gloriously diverse and electric streets of Manhattan; a connoisseur who surrounds himself with the finer things in life, including his tailless Manx tabby, Raffles, and good friends like his neighbor Carolyn. In fact, it's a friend who gets him in his latest jam. Bernie is minding his own business when he's asked for a favor -- a neat, uncomplicated bit of vengeful larceny that will reap a tidy profit -- an offer the intrepid thief can't refuse.

But with a few days to go before the crime, Bernie gets restless. So what does a burglar do to change his mood? Go on the prowl, of course. Though not the best way to do business, as he well knows. This bit of prowling lands Bernie in a pile of trouble that includes four murders and the burglary of his own home. Caught in the center of a deadly mystery, he must use his wits and wiles to connect the dots and add up the coincidences. Because if Bernie doesn't catch a killer, he'll lose not only his freedom but his life.

Infused with the rich atmosphere of New York City and filled with a smart, charming cast of characters headed by the stylish Bernie, The Burglar on the Prowl is an engaging and delightfully suspenseful tale sure to be savored by Block fans old and new.

Lawrence Block: The Burglar on the Prowl. William Morrow, ISBN: 0060198303 (March, 2004), 293 p., $24.95.