The Burglar in the Closet by Lawrence Block
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
How many books has Lawrence Block written, a thousand? And this is one of them. Bernie is back, making good on the promise Block saw when he finished the first novel. A gritty one-off turned into a fun little romp, and Bernie had enough stuff going for him to try his hand at another murder. This one has a dentist in it, an artist, a lawyer, and a bartender. I’m pretty sure these books write themselves.
You have to love the contrast between Rhodenbarr and Scudder, Block’s other murder-mytsery solver. Bernie picks locks, lives off the wages of this ill gotten gains, makes jokes wouldn’t hurt a fly. Whereas Scudder mostly knocks on doors, reluctantly takes the money clients give him, only allows for some gallows humor now and then, and has killed more than once.
And both of them in Manhattan in the 70s. It’s a very different Manhattan, Upper West Side versus Hell’s Kitchen. Bernie’s corner has few prostitutes, more momsers.
Like I said, a quick read, and if you’re wondering if you should bother: sure, why not. You read the first one, and as slim as these Burglar novels are, they could all be bound in the same volume. Call this one chapter two.