A very intelligent known burglar (Bernie Rhodenbarr) with his lesbian best friend along as a lookout, has been asked by a friend to break into a house to collect a large sum of money known to be in the safe. The plot thickens when while he was canvassing the neighborhood a few days before the big heist was to place he is spotted on cameras as being in the area and that same night 3 people end up burglarized and dead.
Click here to see the rest of this review...
The policeman who brings him in has had dealings with him in the past and is convinced he is the only one who could have the skills to do this particular break in. The media coverage showing Bernie's involvement soon have the true killers, who never got what they were looking for, breaking into Bernie's place and keeping watch outside his place of business.
Later, Bernie and the detective work together, going back to the scene of the crime to try to find the true killers and the item everyone is looking for.
The review of this Book prepared by Amy in Wisconsin
Morrow, March 2004, 24.95, 320 pp.
ISBN 0060198303
He owns a second hand bookstore in Manhattan and has an antiquarian business on the side but the job he loves best is the one that is against the law. He's a burglar with a heart of gold who doesn't believe in violence and even has a policeman, who knows he breaks the law, as a friend. Over lunch, Marty Gilmartin asks Bernie to rob plastic surgeon Crandall Roundtree Mapes because his girlfriend dumped him for the doctor. Always happy to do a favor for a friend Bernie agrees.
A couple of days before he plans to break into Mape's safe, Bernie has the urge to pull off another burglary but before he is through with the job the resident and her date come home. Bernie hides under the bed while the man is raping the woman who is under the influence of Roofies. The next day, his policeman friend Marty comes to his store and tells him he was spotted on security cameras in the area and a block away, a doorman and two tenants of the building were killed, their safe standing open. There's not enough evidence to hold Bernie and he goes back to his bookstore where a man pays $1300 for a book that is only worth a few dollars. When he runs into the street to give the man his money, a car comes along and kills the man and the driver steals the book. Not long after that Bernie's house is tossed, the thieves obviously looking for something. Bernie, with the help of a few friends decides to find the perpetrator and bring him to justice, hopefully without getting killed.
Harriet Klausner
The review of this Book prepared by Harriet Klausner
