The burglar who liked to quote Kipling : a Bernie Rhodenbarr mystery

From Publishers Weekly Those who long for another new exploit of the immortal Bernie Rhodenbarr, Greenwich Village bookseller by profession and burglar by avocation, should be warned that their wait must be extended. For this is a reissue, after 17 years, of what was originally the third in the series. It's therefore likely to be a new pleasure to Rhodenbarr fans won over by his recent rebirth (The Burglar Who Thought He Was Bogart) and to fans of Block's Matt Scudder novels. In it, Bernie has just opened Barnegat Books, has just got to know his deeply endearing friend, the lesbian dog groomer Carolyn, and is pressed into service to steal a rare book, allegedly a lost anti-Semitic work of Rudyard Kipling. As usual, he finds himself saddled with a dead body and a maze of twisted motives. And also as usual, Block's stylish narrative flow, humor and pitch-perfect feeling for New York life make getting to the end much more fun than the ultimate solution of the mystery. Until then, it's unalloyed pleasure?and, yes, we're ready for another new one. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal Block seems to relish the chance to write about the other side of the law when he's not detailing the straight-and-narrow exploits of investigator Matthew Scudder (e.g., A Long Line of Dead Men, Morrow, 1994). Here, the literature-loving burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr (e.g., The Burglar Who Thought He Was Bogart, Dutton, 1995) is framed for murder after pilfering a Kipling manuscript. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. Fiction,Mystery & Detective,Rhodenbarr; Bernie (Fictitious character),Library

bernie Rhodenbarr Has Gone Legit — Almost — As The New Owner Of A Used Bookstore In New York's Greenwich Village. Of Course, Dusty Old Tomes Don't Always Turn A Profit, So To Make Ends Meet, Bernie's Forced, On Occasion, To Indulge In His Previous Occupation: Burglary. Besides Which, He Likes It.

now A Collector Is Offering Bernie An Opportunity To Combine His Twin Passions By Stealing A Very Rare And Very Bad Book-length Poem From A Rich Man's Library.

the Heist Goes Off Without A Hitch. The Delivery Of The Ill-gotten Volume, However, Is A Different Story. Drugged By The Client's Female Go-between, Bernie Wakes Up In Her Apartment To Find The Book Gone, The Lady Dead, A Smoking Gun In His Hand, And The Cops At The Door. And Suddenly He's Got To Extricate Himself From A Rather Sticky Real-life Murder Mystery And Find A Killer — Before He's Booked For Murder One.

publishers Weekly

those Who Long For Another New Exploit Of The Immortal Bernie Rhodenbarr, Greenwich Village Bookseller By Profession And Burglar By Avocation, Should Be Warned That Their Wait Must Be Extended. For This Is A Reissue, After 17 Years, Of What Was Originally The Third In The Series. It's Therefore Likely To Be A New Pleasure To Rhodenbarr Fans Won Over By His Recent Rebirth (the Burglar Who Thought He Was Bogart) And To Fans Of Block's Matt Scudder Novels. In It, Bernie Has Just Opened Barnegat Books, Has Just Got To Know His Deeply Endearing Friend, The Lesbian Dog Groomer Carolyn, And Is Pressed Into Service To Steal A Rare Book, Allegedly A Lost Anti-semitic Work Of Rudyard Kipling. As Usual, He Finds Himself Saddled With A Dead Body And A Maze Of Twisted Motives. And Also As Usual, Block's Stylish Narrative Flow, Humor And Pitch-perfect Feeling For New York Life Make Getting To The End Much More Fun Than The Ultimate Solution Of The Mystery. Until Then, It's Unalloyed Pleasureand, Yes, We're Ready For Another New One. (july)

Bookseller and thief Bernie Rhodenbarr can’t resist the lure of a long lost Kipling poem, even if it is locked inside a millionaire’s high security library. So Bernie goes browsing and sure enough he liberates the object in question . . . but also finds a dead redhead and is caught with the proverbial smoking gun by those boys in blue, who are ready to book Bernie for Murder One!Bernie Rhodenbarr has gone legit -- almost -- as the new owner of a used bookstore in New York's Greenwich Village. Of course, dusty old tomes don't always turn a profit, so to make ends meet, Bernie's forced, on occasion, to indulge in his previous occupation: burglary. Besides which, he likes it.Now a collector is offering Bernie an opportunity to combine his twin passions by stealing a very rare and very bad book-length poem from a rich man's library.The heist goes off without a hitch. The delivery of the ill-gotten volume, however, is a different story. Drugged by the client's female go-between, Bernie wakes up in her apartment to find the book gone, the lady dead, a smoking gun in his hand, and the cops at the door. And suddenly he's got to extricate himself from a rather sticky real-life murder mystery and find a killer -- before he's booked for Murder One. Bernie Rhodenbarr has gone legit almost as the new owner of a used bookstore in New York's Greenwich Village. Of course, dusty old tomes don't always turn a profit, so to make ends meet, Bernie's forced, on occasion, to indulge in his previous occupation: burglary. Besides which, he likes it. Now a collector is offering Bernie an opportunity to combine his twin passions by stealing a very rare and very bad book-length poem from a rich man's library. The heist goes off without a hitch. The delivery of the ill-gotten volume, however, is a different story. Drugged by the client's female go-between, Bernie wakes up in her apartment to find the book gone, the lady dead, a smoking gun in his hand, and the cops at the door. And suddenly he's got to extricate himself from a rather sticky real-life murder mystery and find a killer before he's booked for Murder One. Bernie Rhodenbarr, prince of New York thieves, signs on to steal a unique volume of Kipling from a Long Island mansion and, when he goes to deliver the book to Madeleine Porlock, finds himself the prime suspect in her murder In a classic Bernie Rhodenbarr thriller, the buglar-turned-bookseller plots to steal the lost manuscript of a Kipling poem, but an unexpected twist leaves the police hot on his trail