Block, Lawrence. The Burglar Who Studied Spinoza. 1980. Bernie Rhodenbarr No. 4. Signet, 1998.
When Bernie breaks into a house, he discovers that someone has burgled the place before he got there, but they did it badly. But since his inept predecessors were unsuccessful at battering their way into the safe, Bernie uses his delicate touch and knowledge of locks to open it with ease. He takes, among other things, a very rare coin. That same evening a woman is killed in the house, and an errant glove points to Bernie. But it doesn’t fit. Bear in mind that this was more than a decade before a glove came up in the O.J. Simpson murder case. Life imitating art? Trust Bernie to get it all sorted. 4 stars. ( )

Another terrific entry in Block’s burglar series, with a few surprises from the familiar formula that’s been used in the earlier books in the series. Bernie is most like a private investigator while still using his brain and burglar skills to solve a series of murders. Some favorite moments include the romantic twist at the end, I didn’t see that coming, the first killer, I knew that from the start, and finally the second killer that one was a surprise. ( )

So I just picked up all the Burglar Books the 2nd hand bookshop in Fredericton had, which was the first and two other random members of the series. Circumstances have changed a bit between the first book and this; the supporting cast is completely different apart from Ray the corrupt cop, Bernie runs a 2nd hand bookshop of his own (a money-losing business) and seems to be less sexist. On the other hand he still burgles and still ends up having to solve a murder...

Bernie's adventures are still amusing but in this example are also a bit confusing...how did not end up arrested, again? ( )

This is the first Block novel I have read. I look forward to finding others. His protagonist is Bernie Rhodenbarr, a burglar in Manhattan. Carolyn Kaiser is Bernie's partner in the burglaries but not in love as she is gay and he isn't.

When they enter the apartment of their target in this story, the place has already been robbed but by criminals who vandalize as well as steal. The amateurs could not open the safe but Bernie makes short work of it to find a watch, earrings and a 1913 V-Nickel. They take their loot to their fence, Abel Crowe. Since there are only five known 1913 V-Nickel coins in existence, is this coin real or a forgery?

When the wife of owner of the coin is murdered in another burglary and Abel is murder, things get messy for Bernie and Carolyn. Narrative moves at a fast pace and the dialogue among the characters is rapid and often witty. An entertaining read. ( )

Bernie Rhodenbarr owns a bookstore in New York City, but supplements his income with burglary. His good friend Carolyn, owns a pet grooming shop, and has become his partner in crime. When one of their burglaries becomes complicated by a corpse, Bernie must solve the murder before he goes down for it.

This had many enjoyable aspects. The characters were interesting, as were the details of the city. The plot was nicely complicated, and although I saw some of it coming, I did not see the whole picture, so that was refreshing. Nor did I feel the author pulled the solution out of his hat at the end. I have problems rooting for Bernie though. Burglary to me is highly invasive and violating, not something to be taken lightly, so my heart wasn't in it. I also did not like that Bernie planted some evidence to make sure his allegations took; and there were chalk lines where the corpse had lain. Something done for TV and movie effects, not in life. With these quibbles, I won't seek out any more of these books, but if one dropped in my path, I might read it because I enjoyed the telling of the tale. ( )