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.

I liked Elle, the title character of this book. However, the plot, of her trying to solve a crime instead of her usual M.O. of committing one, was unrealistic and the ending was just too tidy with the bad people confessing to every infraction. I have enjoyed other books by this author, but this read like a first novel. It kept my attention., but seemed too light - like eating ice milk when you want a pint of Ben and Jerry's. It is good, but somehow lacking.

Thomas Perry’s Burglar is a fast read that I couldn’t put down. I never learned as much about the fine art of being a burglar. Elle, a 24 year burglar is a master. She knows how to pick locks, watch out for surveillance, where people hide things and is also a pretty good computer geek. She takes amazing chances and gets away with it. She walks into a murder scene and while trying to escape detection from the killers also tries to solve it using her burglar skills.
Thanks to Netgalley for the book as I will be much more cautious around my house to prevent getting robbed.

Thomas Perry has always been one of my favorite authors, and this new series looks like it will be a winner as well.
Elle is a young woman who specializes in high-end burglary. She scouts neighborhoods for the right kind of empty house, one that might have cash or jewelry in it awaiting the return of a vacationing homeowner. She takes care to blend into her surroundings, looking like a local on a run one day, walking a dog another day, always taking care to look like she belongs there.

She stumbles into a murder scene, and suddenly the tables are turned. Somebody is hunting for her, a witness to their crime. Three dead bodies are lying in the home of a wealthy art dealer when she arrives to rob the place, and it's crucial that she figure out who they are, why they died, and who did the deed, before she becomes body number four.

Being a clever cat burgler isn't enough to keep her alive unless she uses her skills to solve an even bigger puzzle.

I read an advance copy of this book in kindle format and greatly enjoyed it.

When Elle, the burglar, finds three dead bodies in a house she is burglarizing and cameras detailing the hit, she not only becomes a suspect but a target. She is fascinated by the event, and after two of her friends are killed by the same executioners, she is determined to get the proof that will send him, her or them to jail. It's complicated and dangerous, but she is relentless in her pursuit of them. Her life is on the line, and it's unclear whether she will survive long enough to accumulate enough evidence against them. It's a sprint in front of a tidal wave of hurt, but on she runs. My shoulders feel a little tense after just finishing this book. Definitely worth the read. Elle is a great lead character, a true heroine.

Perry has created a new heroine, a softer and younger version of Jane Whitfield. Elle Stowell is twenty-four, five feet tall, and a burglar by profession. Her backstory suggests that she comes from a family of grifters who abandoned her when she was only fourteen. As a burglar she has certain standards. Steal cash, if possible. Unfortunately, since most households no longer keep a stash of cash around, she has expanded to items easy to fence. Small electronics, weapons, jewelry, collections of coins etc. She will get 10% of the value of the item so she is not looking to get rich, just to live comfortably and pay her bills. She is wise enough to avoid the big score……valuable artwork, important jewelry, anything too big to carry. She is meticulous and spends days casing the targeted house. It must be empty, have no dogs, and have an alarm system she can avoid. And, last but not least, she has empathy for her victims. She leaves the home with no trace of her visit, even going so far as to reattach a patio door so critters can’t get in to make a mess of the place before the owners return. She has a group of friends, some of whom know what she does as a living.

She has a decent life until one night she breaks into a house and finds three dead bodies in erotic positions on the bed in the master suite. As she backs out she notices a camera on a tripod still recording the victims. Afraid that she might have been caught on video she takes the camera and vacates the premises. Back at her house she views the video and sees an arm holding a silenced gun firing three shots through three foreheads.
Her empathy for the dead man and two women make hers return to the scene and reattach the camera to the tripod so that the police can find the evidence.

Only a few days later, she realizes she is being followed and people are asking about her at her favorite tavern. Police or someone else? When two other murders occur she has the proof that she is the next likely victim. Going underground she starts to use her special skills to find the murderers, solve the crimes, and save her own life.

This a great beginning. For the next 250 pages the reader is with Elle as she breaks and enters other houses, escapes traps, plants surveillance equipment and researches, researches, researches Unfortunately, the resolution is almost a deus ex machine. Elle finds the conclusive evidence only because she looks at her cell phone screen at exactly the right time. If she had been asleep she would have totally missed the glitch on a video which makes her return to bugged site and places her in a position to hear an explanation of every single aspect of the case.

It’s almost as if Perry had this fascinating character with fabulous skills which he describes in minute detail and then rushes the ending because he wants to put her in another novel. This has the feel of a very long prologue.

Perry is a great writer and Elle is a great character. I hope she has a long future in fiction.

Many thanks to NetGalley for my early copy of The Burglar in exchange for my honest review.

I am having a hard time with this one - I liked it but didn't love it. I liked the premise and idea of the book more than I liked the actual book itself.

The Burglar is about Elle, a professional thief who roams the rich towns of Los Angeles, finding and stealing keepsakes, jewelry, cash, etc. from rich, unsuspecting home owners. During one of Elle's escapades, she walks into the master bedroom of a home she's robbing to find 3 people - one man and two women - brutally murdered in their bed. Elle knows nothing about the murders, but that doesn't stop her from being chased all over the city to ensure she's kept quiet.

As I had mentioned, I really liked the premise of this novel. I liked Elle even though I completely abhorred what she did for a living. Just reading about what she would do to get into people's homes gave me the heebies. It was such a violation of privacy that I found myself hating her even though I liked her. She was fast, cunning, smart, and ultimately, a "good person", which is why I could forgive her for her sins. At 24 years old, Elle proved that she was a force to be reckoned with, more talented than many people 3x her age. It was a weird feeling to respect a character when you also completely hate what they stand for.

The thing that I didn't love about the novel was how technical it got at points - I appreciated how in depth Perry went when it came to some aspects, but in others, I felt bored. I don't care as much about the technicalities of guns, artwork, theft, etc. I may stand alone in this feeling, but it felt like it took some of the allure out of the story when everything was explained in such minute detail. At times I felt like I was reading an instruction manual vs. a murder mystery novel.

The ending left questions upon questions and I think it could have wrapped up a little nicer, but I do like that the reader is left to make some determinations on their own. It's nice when the author gives the reader the ability to make their own decisions on the fate of their characters.

Overall, it was a fun read, but one that I liked and didn't love.

This is another great intrigue from Thomas Perry, and I've read all his books. A young woman who is a thief and burglar, finds herself in the middle of some gruesome murders when she breaks into a Hollywood home. She is way out of her criminal depth as she tries to first manipulate the situation and extricate herself; then tries to solve the case on her own. This mystery keeps you guessing to the end. Who are the bad guys and how does she find and elude them. Perry never fails to bring his female protagonists to life and gives them a rich personality. A great read.

This is a fast paced and engaging thriller that can easily be devoured in one go.
This is my first book by this author but I’d definitely read more of his books in future.

THE BURGLAR was a great read! It focuses on Elle, a 24-yr-old burglar, with a sad past and an uncertain future. when Elle stumbles upon a multiple murder, life gets very complicated. Someone has somehow discovers that she was at the murder scene and they are determined to silence her. The true beauty of Perry's writing lies in his expository description. His narrator allows us to see Elle both as she sees herself and as others see her, making her one of the most captivating protagonists I had read about for a long time. And after reading THE BURGLAR, you will immediately take more precautionary measures to protect your home!

Well written novel but a lot of Elle’s “moves” made her sound more like a highly trained ninja than a 20something burglar. Thomas Perry goes into an intense amount of detail about Elle’s slooth skills as she works to solve the mystery of a 3 person homicide. Nice summer read but not very memorable.

Elle is a young woman in LA who learned from an early age to take care of herself - as a burglar. One day while breaking and entering she stumbles upon a crime scene: a triple murder of glamorous figures in the art world, frozen in an amorous tangle. Someone knows what she saw, and is intent to keep her quiet. In a sequence of unrelenting suspense Elle shows herself to be clever, brave, and determined to solve the ongoing crime whose next target is herself.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of this book through NetGalley. I can see it becoming a bestseller and will now be seeking out other books by Thomas Perry. His attention to detail is superb, as is the window into criminal and high-profile lives which few of us lead. I tore through this in one sitting.

Thank you to Grove Atlantic, Mysterious Press, and NetGalley for an advanced read in exchange for this review.
Elle makes a living by being a burglar. She steals small, valuable items and has her trade down to a science. Never carry a gun or you will be tempted to use it. Move as soon as you hear something. Blend in with the neighborhood. During one of her missions, she comes across a crime scene. This high profile murder soon puts her into danger. Elle realizes that she must solve it and figure out who is behind this before she becomes the next victim.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Elle is a great main character and carries the story well. It really is a page turner as Elle is being chased throughout the pages and tries to decipher who is behind this. I read this in one sitting as I could not wait to find out what happened. Overall, an entertaining read that you’ll want to not put down until you’re finished!