Elle is a burglar, a very good burglar. She only works in wealthy neighborhoods and she always does her homework before a job. But what she discovers in one of the homes she enters to rob one night will cost her more than money or jewels can buy, and maybe even her life.

The Burglar failed to steal my attention. I struggled just to read it and finally gave up about a quarter way through. The story is not horrible and the premise held promise but I felt like I was reading a clinical account of something. The main characters personality never came through for me and I could really care less how her story ended or that she was in danger. A burglar by trade, she needs quick cash and comes across a murder scene in the commission of a burglary. From then (until I stopped reading), mysterious cars seem to be following her and danger is supposed to be lurking. I am sure the story would appeal to some but I prefer to like the lead characters I read and feel somewhat emotionally attached. This book did not provide that for me. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview The Burglar by Thomas Perry. It is an honor to read any of Mr. Perry's novels. I have been a fan for a long time - The Burglar is his new installment to his stand alone collection. A young woman with a shady background has integrated herself in the LA area. She appears quite normal - small, pretty, and "normal". But she's all but normal - she's a thief. She makes her living robbing rich houses and she does this with flair and ability. One day, she finds three people dead - bullet shots to the head. She is thrown for a loop and then finds that the three people were being taped by a camera. She takes the camera and gets out of the house. She is scared and watches the tape and decides to go back to the house and put it back so the police will find it and help solve this murder. This is where she makes her first mistake - a group of SUV's come up on her before she can get out of the house and follow her. She avoids them, but knows that something is amiss and there are some that will go to no uncertain ends to keep things quiet. She knows she's got to leave LA, and decides to go with her friend. But before she can get out of LA, her friend is murdered - the same way the three people were killed. She knows now that the police can't solve this murder mystery and if she wants to live, she's got to find out what's behind this crime - that's if she lives to solve it...
Fast paced and well written. Recommend.

Elle Stowell is a young woman with an interesting occupation; she’s a residential burglar. For a living, she breaks into the homes of rich people and steals stuff. However, one day she breaks into the wrong house and sees something she was not meant to see. It will change her life in drastic ways.

This novel is well-written and exciting. Readers will enjoy the various plot twists in this one. I love how the author doles out the clues slowly and builds up the tension until the very end. Who are the mysterious people in the black SUVs that seem to be following Elle? How can she catch them without getting caught herself?

The character of Elle is described in detail. The reader learns a lot about her background and how she gained her skills. She’s a very astute observer of human nature and behavior. In her profession, she has to be. But, her background also contributes to her knowledge of people. You find yourself wondering why such a smart and skilled woman doesn’t get into a safer field? She seems to enjoy the challenges that she encounters though.

The supporting characters are all perfectly suited to their roles. The mystery man who says he’s from Canada is well-done. Elle’s friend Sharon also helps move the plot along in her own way. The other characters are mostly peripheral ones. The conflict in the story builds up gradually and was done at a steady pace. I didn’t feel like the narrative had any slow or dragging parts to it. The pacing was pretty even.

The ending was interesting and creative. I liked how things resolved at the end, but don’t want to give spoilers.

The story seemed quite believable and so did the characters. The author did a great job on this novel. It’s suspenseful and nail-biting at times. The story is really original and the main character is not someone whose perspective we usually see. Although Elle makes her living as a criminal, she is a sympathetic character and you find yourself rooting for her to come out on top in the end.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel and found it to be an engaging and suspenseful story that held my interest throughout the book. As a reader, I was drawn into this world the author created and was able to suspend reality for a time to get into the world of Elle and her friends and acquaintances. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys suspense, mysteries, or just a really good read.

The book was interesting, It chronicled the life of a female burglar, who inadvertently, during one of her jobs stumbled upon a murder scene. She was then on the run.
I found that the story provided too many details in some areas that were really of no interest to the reader. I also thought that the ending was a little flat, as one minute she's running, and the next minute, the book sort of just ended. There were also characters who seemed out of place, and didn't go anywhere in the book (her cousin and aunt). I'd like to see a little more development there if they are going to appear in the story.

However, it was a good effort, and I would consider reading more by this author.

I was given an ARC through NetGalley for providing an honest review.

Elle has spent most of her life surviving through her wits and what she could steal. She now makes her living burglarizing expensive homes in Bel Air and Beverley Hills. Skillful and smart, she's never been arrested or noticed, and few people know her profession. But one morning, she broke into the wrong house. Instead of finding cash, guns, and jewelry, she found three dead bodies, naked in a pile on the bed. What's more, a video camera had been recording and captured her entering the room. Elle stole the camera, thinking she was protecting herself. Instead, she became a target--but she didn't know if she was being chased by the police or a more sinister organization. To save herself, she has to solve the murders before she becomes the next victim.

Having the burglar as a protagonist in a murder mystery is interesting and offers some new and exciting approaches to crime solving. However, at times, the descriptions of Elle's process are a little too detailed. The book is very fast-paced and got my heart rate pumping, especially in the first third of the book. I could hardly put it down last night to go to sleep. It was like reading an action movie, and one tense moment led to another, complete with car chases, double-crosses, secret cameras, and near-misses with the police. 

With all the details of casing a house, entering, and finding valuables, not to mention surveillance of characters, I feel thoroughly paranoid now!

Elle is an interesting character. Raised by her grandmother who seems like she was a manipulative sort, Elle was forced to go out on her own when she was fourteen, and she has few family ties left. She's extremely self-reliant, hyper-aware, physically fit, and an expert burglar. Sometimes, she takes unnecessary risks that seem out of character. In the first chapter, she describes walking a friend's dog in the neighborhoods she's targeting so she will know where the dogs live and then avoid breaking into those houses. Yet, she runs to danger several times after she begins her investigation into the murders. Though she clearly is an accomplished thief, she has so many other abilities, it stretches the imagination. She is able to use a welding torch and do simple electrical wiring. Though she does at one point admit that her overconfidence put her best friend into harm's way, she doesn't become more reflective of her limitations or the wisdom of her actions. 

At times, I didn't like the writing style. Too many paragraphs had sentences that began with "She..." instead of offering variety in the language. When Elle listed items, she ended with "or something..." more than ten times. There isn't much dialogue--Elle works alone--but the dialogue in the book is a little clunky, as are some of the sentences. "She would never have considered going where she was going in any other circumstances," for example, could have been written more clearly. While much of the book is told in the third-person from Elle's point of view, in explaining the crime and wrapping up the narrative, the author shifts to omniscient point of view which I found slightly jarring.

For a quick read that approaches mysteries in a different way, though, this book is entertaining. A perfect pool-side novel.

I have read every book by Thomas Perry and enjoyed each one of them. The Burglar is no exception. Fast paced, well written and with a decidedly diffent story of a young female burglar who happens upon a triple murder.....well all types of interesting and unusual things happen that will keep you turning the page. Not Perry’s best but certainly worth a look.

The Burglar is about Elle, a 20-something female Robin Hood (emphasis on hood) in modern L.A. She is a thief with a heart and when she wanders into a triple homicide her heart is fully engaged. This is a great thriller and a tutorial for the plethora of digital authors who churn out books that just are unreadable. Here is a MASTER at the craft, read and all of his you will LOVE them all like I have, 10 STARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elle Stowell, a twenty-something young woman who makes her living as a burglar, stumbles upon a triple murder and becomes the unidentified killer’s next target.

While Elle’s chosen career may be a bit off-putting for readers in the beginning, this smart, clever young woman is certain to change readers’ minds as, in order to find justice for the murdered and save her own life, she embarks on a compelling mission to identify the killer. Her backstory, woven into the narrative, provides depth and helps readers understand and connect with the character.

Interesting characters, a smart, well-developed plot, unexpected reveals, and enough twists and turns in this cat-and-mouse adventure to keep the suspense ratcheted up . . . readers will find it difficult to set this book aside before reaching its perfect ending.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Grove Atlantic and NetGalley
#TheBurglar #NetGalley

I received free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an impartial review.

The protagonist of The Burglar is Elle, known by most as "L." She is bright, beautiful, petite, and an accomplished thief. She makes her living by breaking into the empty homes of wealthy Los Angelenos. Elle has grown up in the burglary business; she is methodical, precise, and has a personal sense of honor. She steals but she doesn't hurt. Her background dictates that friends are few and far between. Solitary and secretive, Elle manages to fly under the radar of the police department.

All of this changes when Elle stumbles on a murder scene while breaking into the home of a wealthy art dealer. The crime in the master bedroom happened hours before but she later realizes that the art dealer had a camera running that potentially caught her image. Her attempt to erase any evidence of her presence just leads her into a layered conspiracy where she is sometimes the hunter, sometimes the hunted.

Elle is an appealing character. Her doggedness to find out the truth may begin as self-preservation but turns into a search for justice. This was a fast read, perfect for a rainy day.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.
This is another winner in Perry’s aresenal.
It is page turning whose career is questionable throughout the book as she is pursued.
This book keeps you reading till the end

Solid if not spectacular thriller, well-written and entertaining. Unfortunately the .pdf file provided by the publisher was a mess and made the reading experience difficult and unpleasant. There were random breaks in the text, paragraphing sometimes stripped and sometimes not, words run together. The author's name even popped up nonsensically in the middle of the text a couple of times. Why oh why do publishers seek feedback on books to build support prior to their launch and then send out crap like this? It's an insult to the writer and an insult to the reader. No wonder so many people in both groups have come to hate publishers...

This is a tough one to rate. It was clearly a 5 star story line. But it was also a 2 star writing. I felt I was reading a how to book to become a burglar. The story lacked something.

A rather fun and quick read with a lot of twists and turns, The Burglar takes a different view by following a crime by another criminal. Being knowledgeable of the other side of crime, Elle investigates a murder showing what she would do differently than law enforcement. I rather enjoyed this part of the story. She's never safe throughout the story...always looking over her shoulder. The only thing I will say i would change are her thoughts of the past or side stories. Would rather see these as separate chapters. Instead, in some cases, the past stories blend so much into the present that it's difficult to discern one from the other until a paragraph or 2 later. Other than that, i loved the story.

The riveting story of The Burglar by Thomas Perry has all the twists and turns you'd expect from a book with this name and it doesn't disappoint. With a strong female lead, that is the burglar, she has to do the work for the police to solve a few crimes.
This is a pretty fast paced, dramatic story.
Definitely five star worthy.

This was a very interesting and enjoyable book. Elle, the main character, was well developed with an interesting backstory. I particularly liked that while she had some redeeming qualities, she was actually a "bad" character, as a professional burglar. The story had a number of plot twists. I applaud the author for a plot twist I did not figure out before it was revealed; it is rare for a book to have a plot twist I don't have at least some inkling of before it was revealed. I also thought the demise of one of the evilest characters in the book was quite fitting, although it does not appear that Elle realizes she inadvertently avenged the death of her friend.

I am definitely interested in reading other books by Thomas Perry and hope to find a similar quality. If half stars were possible, I would rate it 4.5.

The first half of the burglar is interesting. Elle, our burglar, creates enough interest to have the reader like her, and, inevitably, root for her. In the second half of the novel, Elle becomes an investigator. There are plenty of interesting novels about investigators, but this one bogs down in the plethora of data she accumulates. We go through it with her, and it's a rather tedious process. I'd suggest less detail. The other thing that bothered me was her easy access into that airport warehouse. Too easy. Nice to spy on those folks, but she should have been shot first to maintain reality!

This is my first books by this author, although I have heard of his books before. I did enjoy reading this, in fact it was one of those "stay-up-past-my-bedtime" books. I would classify this a light crime book with a mystery angle. The story centers on a female burglar, and it is fascinating to read how she prepares herself for each job, how she cases the places she selects, etc. I really enjoyed that angle of the story line. I felt is was a light crime drama since several of the plot points conveniently happened to tie up loose ends and solve the female burglar's problems. I was a little disappointed in the ending, the pace of the book really flew along, progressing the drama, and then, bam, it's over. Maybe I wanted a little more detail in the way the drama ended. Overall I would recommend this novel, I felt the female burglar was fun to read about.

Mr. Perry has done another excellent job of creating an interesting and likable protagonist in a fast-moving plot. In an interesting twist, thief Elle (“L”) discovers a murder has been committed in a home she is robbing. That’s when the race begins. L tries to find out “whodunnit “ before they can eliminate her. An in-depth course in home burglary ensues as well as travelogue throughout Southern California. The research adds to a great story.

Elle Stowell has been taking care of herself since she was fourteen. Now at twenty-four she is an accomplished house burglar who carefully picks the houses to raid and knows exactly what she wants to steal. Unfortunately, one day her meticulous plans go sideways as she discovers a gruesome murder scene in one these houses. She soon realizes that she is being followed and thus begins the nearly constant chase between her and her followers.

Elle is a fascinating character and the descriptions of her burglarizing activities are interesting.. A good sense of place is achieved in each of the various locations in Los Angeles where the story occurs. The novel maintains a fast pace through-out which makes it a compelling read.