Best-selling author Lawrence Block exposes the wickedly exciting double life of Bernie Rhodenbarr-respectable bookseller by day and notorious burglar by night. In The Burglar Who Studied Spinoza, Bernie applies philosophy to match wits with a wily murderer and a few too many burglars. Bernie and his dog-grooming partner in crime, Carolyn, are planning the perfect crime. Tonight, they will rob a brownstone while the well-heeled owners are out of town with their vicious watch dog. But when Bernie painstakingly picks the lock, they discover somebody has already emptied the house-except for a valuable coin almost too hot to handle. Lawrence Block's finely-crafted plots and well-drawn characters have earned him three Edgar Awards and the title of Grand Master. With his deep, gravelly-toned narration, Richard Ferrone provides the perfect voice for the book-loving thief and his sophisticated friends as they land in one hilarious scrape after another.
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"In this long out-of-print installment in Lawrence Block's bestselling Burglar series, Bernie Rhodenbarr -- gentleman, bookseller, and stylish thief -- discovers some deadly competition in his risky profession.When Bernie and his best friend Carolyn plan to loot a wealthy West Side Brownstone, they find that a burglary has already been committed, but decide to take some leftover valuables anyway. The next day, a dead body is found in the brownstone, the victim of what Bernie believes to be a third burglary. With police investigating his nocturnal activities, and a rare coin to fence, Bernie must clear his name and catch a killer...."
— Eddy (4 out of 5 stars)
" A quick and fun read! "
— Jaq, 2/13/2014" An elegant spoof of a mystery set intimately on Staten Island. "
— Bruce, 1/20/2014" Bernie and his friend Carolyn break into a house to find that someone has already robbed it that night. They open the safe and steal a valuable coin. Of course from there things go downhill...once again Bernie is suspected of murder. Seems that Bernie is better at solving homicides than actually getting away with burglary. Not my favorite in the series. "
— woody, 1/20/2014" Good mystery novel. Easy read. "
— Jessica, 1/13/2014" Probably my favorite in the series. I loved his bit about patron saints. "
— Steven, 1/9/2014" interesting thief as detective "
— Xdw, 11/14/2013" Nice book, funny but too little of Spinoza more of Bernie's cleverness. Its a good quick read. "
— Traveller, 9/13/2013" Listened to the audio...Bernie is growing on me. "
— Margaret, 8/10/2013" Very Good; Continuing character: Bernie Rhodenbarr; burglar steals rare coin; owner's wife and fence he gave it to turn up dead. "
— Joe, 7/21/2013" These books are so much fun to read. A very lovable burgler indeed. "
— Joanne, 7/4/2013" Bernie is back, and this time, he has fewer twists to deal with, which is actually a nice change. Everything comes together and I didn't find myself flipping back through the pages wondering what I had missed. "
— Christine, 3/4/2013" A dry, witty New York tale, which gently pokes fun at the Spenser series (all that running around). Pleasantly complex plot, sparky dialogue, thoroughly enjoyed it. "
— Tom, 12/4/2012" These books always make me grin. "
— Kenny, 6/15/2012" Usual hoot. It's also interesting to read a mystery written in 1980 to see the changes made since then in bells and whistles. Sue Grafton, ditto. I do like Bernie and Carolyn and their friendship. "
— Leslie, 6/14/2012" I reread this for something light and funny. Block always delivers and Bernie is a hoot, plus it is amusing to read about phone tag in 1980. "
— Jessica, 5/11/2012" The denouement of this book was more likely than many of the previous Burglar books I have read. Like the rest it has a wild explanatory finish. "
— Barry, 3/19/2012" very simplistic. The twist is the burglar helps police solve the burglary and murder. "
— Carol, 3/12/2012" 1982 - Bernie Rhodenbarr #4. "
— Michel, 10/16/2011" charming, funny, lightweight whodunit. "
— Mathilde, 8/2/2011" That makes 2 of Block's I have read. He is not the best Mystery writer I have read but his books are fast reads. "
— Moe, 4/30/2011" Bernie is back, and this time, he has fewer twists to deal with, which is actually a nice change. Everything comes together and I didn't find myself flipping back through the pages wondering what I had missed. "
— Christine, 1/1/2011" These books are so much fun to read. A very lovable burgler indeed. "
— Joanne, 10/5/2010" Usual hoot. It's also interesting to read a mystery written in 1980 to see the changes made since then in bells and whistles. Sue Grafton, ditto. I do like Bernie and Carolyn and their friendship. "
— Leslie, 5/20/2010" That makes 2 of Block's I have read. He is not the best Mystery writer I have read but his books are fast reads. "
— Moe, 11/28/2009" Listened to the audio...Bernie is growing on me. "
— Margaret, 11/28/2009" Very Good; Continuing character: Bernie Rhodenbarr; burglar steals rare coin; owner's wife and fence he gave it to turn up dead. <br/> "
— Joe, 8/26/2009" Probably my favorite in the series. I loved his bit about patron saints. "
— Steven, 7/6/2009" A dry, witty New York tale, which gently pokes fun at the Spenser series (all that running around). Pleasantly complex plot, sparky dialogue, thoroughly enjoyed it. "
— Tom, 11/4/2008" very simplistic. The twist is the burglar helps police solve the burglary and murder. "
— Carol, 9/21/2008Lawrence Block is the recipient of a Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America and a New York Times bestselling author. His prolific career spans over one hundred books, including four bestselling series and dozens of short stories and articles. He has won multiple Edgar, and Shamus awards, two Falcon Awards from the Maltese Falcon Society of Japan, the Nero and Philip Marlowe Awards, the Cartier Diamond Dagger from the Crime Writers Association of America, and many others. Aside from being a mystery writer, he has also written a number of episodes for television, including two episodes of the ESPN series Tilt; he also cowrote the screenplay for the film My Blueberry Nights, starring Norah Jones. Block currently lives in New York City with his wife, Lynne.
Richard Ferrone recorded over 150 audiobooks including thrillers, romances, science fiction, and inspirational novels. He won the prestigious Audie Award and was a finalist for four Audie Awards, including for Best Solo Male Narrator. He was named an AudioFile "Voice of the Last Century" and a "Rising and Shining Star." He earned many AudioFile Earphones Awards, including being named the 2011 Best Voice in Mystery and Suspense as well as the 2009 Best Voice in Science Fiction and Fantasy. A science fiction fan, he narrated Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars trilogy. He also narrated works by James Patterson, Walter Mosley, John Sandford, Eric Van Lustbader, and Stuart Woods.