The Burglar in the Closet (Bernie Rhodenbarr Mysteries)

Review Secrecy and a deft touch are the hallmarks of every successful burglar. Or so thinks Bernie Rhodenbarr before he gets a shocking proposal from his dentist. Sitting back in the chair, vulnerable thanks to a dental instrument in his mouth, he discovers that Dr. Sheldrake needs a burglar. "Like you, Bernie", the good dentist says. So much for leading a secret life of crime. Bernie, smart guy that he is, turns the dentist down flat. So why is Bernie picking the locks on the posh apartment of Crystal Sheldrake, the dentist's ex-wife? Because he's a burglar. Plus, Crystal has a cache of jewels worth any burglar's time. Trouble is, Crystal comes home early - and she's not alone. Bernie quickly hides in a closet, which Crystal promptly and inconveniently locks. As time goes by, Crystal rids herself of her companion and Bernie manages to pick his way out of the closet -- only to discover Crystal dead on the floor and the jewels gone. Bernie must sleuth his way out of a real mess. The Burglar in the Closet is a terrific read! -- Midwest Book Review Product Description It's hard to ignore someone with his hands in your mouth. Bernie Rhodenbarr's all ears when Dr. Sheldrake, his dentist, starts complaining about his detestable, soon-to-be-ex wife, and happens to mention the valuable diamonds she keeps lying around the apartment. Since Bernie's been known to supplement his income as a bookstore owner with the not-so-occasional bout of high-rise burglary, a couple of nights later he's in the Sheldrake apartment with larceny on his mind -- and has to duck into a closet when the lady of the house makes an unexpected entrance. Unfortunately he's still there when an unseen assailant does Mrs. Sheldrake in . . . and then vanishes with the jewels. Bernie's got to come out of the closet some time. But when he does, he'll be facing a rap for a murder he didn't commit -- and for a burglary he certainly attempted -- unless he can hunt down the killer who left him hanging.

It's hard to ignore someone with his hands in your mouth. Bernie Rhodenbarr's all ears when Dr. Sheldrake, his dentist, starts complaining about his detestable, soon-to-be-ex wife, and happens to mention the valuable diamonds she keeps lying around the apartment. Since Bernie's been known to supplement his income as a bookstore owner with the not-so-occasional bout of high-rise burglary, a couple of nights later he's in the Sheldrake apartment with larceny on his mind - and has to duck into a closet when the lady of the house makes an unexpected entrance. Unfortunately he's still there when an unseen assailant does Mrs. Sheldrake in . . . and then vanishes with the jewels.

Bernie's got to come out of the closet some time. But when he does, he'll be facing a rap for a murder he didn't commit - and for a burglary he certainly attempted - unless he can hunt down the killer who left him hanging.

The Bernie Rhodenbarr series has garnered lavish praise from major media and the public alike, and with good reason. Now the series has returned to introduce a whole new audience to the criminal capers of Bernie, everyone's favorite burglar! In this engaging novel, Bernie agrees to help a friend retrieve an object from his ex-wife's house. Something goes wrong during the job, however, leaving Bernie holding the bag for a murder he didn't commit. Ads in Entertainment Weekly. HC: Dutton. (Fiction--Mystery)

A thief finds himself in the wrong place and suspected of the wrong crime in the “unfailingly entertaining” series from bestselling author (The New York Times). It's hard to ignore someone with his hands in your mouth. Bernie Rhodenbarr's all ears when Dr. Sheldrake, his dentist, starts complaining about his detestable, soon-to-be-ex wife, and happens to mention the valuable diamonds she keeps lying around the apartment. Since Bernie's been known to supplement his income as a bookstore owner with the not-so-occasional bout of high-rise burglary, a couple of nights later he's in the Sheldrake apartment with larceny on his mind—and has to duck into a closet when the lady of the house makes an unexpected entrance. Unfortunately he's still there when an unseen assailant does Mrs. Sheldrake in... and then vanishes with the jewels.Bernie's got to come out of the closet some time. But when he does, he'll be facing a rap for a murder he didn't commit—and for a burglary he certainly attempted—unless he can hunt down the killer who left him hanging.“Light-hearted crime at its very best.” —Robert Ludlum“Hilarious.” —St. Louis Post-Dispatch “A forgery ring turns up—along with the breezy Manhattan repartee and charmingly crude New Yorkers we've come to expect from the likably smart-alecky Mr. Block.” —Kirkus Reviews Hired by his dentist to steal back some diamonds from his ex-wife, burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr must hide in the closet when she returns home early, where he witnesses her murder and tries to find the killer before he is charged with the crime Unreformed picklock Bernie Rhodenbarr agrees to steal some jewelry from the apartment of his dentist's ex-wife, picks his way into a murder scene, and is thrown to the wolves by his self-serving dentist "Gramercy Park," said Miss Henrietta Tyler, "is an oasis in the middle of a cruel sea, a respite from the slings and arrows of which the Bard has warned us."