Okay read.  One of my favorite authors. Starts off at a good pace and maintains it until near the end.  The end of the read kind of slows down, even was able to skip a page or two.  Still enjoyed the book, just a little let down with the writing near the end.

I enjoyed reading The Burglar and getting to know Elle. As a career burglar, Elle is adept at her work. She has a strategy for all situations, it seems. When she accidentally discovers a murder in the home she's burgling, she puts a plan in action, and carries it out, because if she doesn't, she knows she'll be the next one murdered. 

This book was fun because it took me into the art dealing world, though I did get a little bogged down with some of the art world information.  It was fun because Elle travels around the LA area. It was fun because Elle is smart, and though she's a burglar, I was really pulling for her to overcome and be successful in her mission.

I recommend this book for readers who like a little excitement, and also a satisfying ending.

While this one wasn't quite my taste, I know the mystery readers in my library will be happy to read it. I've gone ahead and added several copies to my purchase list for the branch. Thank you so much for allowing me to read The Burglar by Thoams Perry!

This is my first book by Mr. Perry and I was very pleased. I will read more.  This was a fast paced mystery and it kept me engaged from the first page. There are many twists and turns that kept me guessing. Elle is a well developed character and I enjoyed her exploits. Thanks to Mysterious Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you for this ARC! 

While I really loved Elle - smart, savvy with incredible survival skills - I wish the story were just a bit more exciting. For such a complex and interesting main character, I would have loved to see her face more.

Slow start but not a bad read!

Nice, unusual novel when the crime fighter is a criminal herself. But I have mixed feelings about this position.
I enjoyed the inside to the burglars world and different point of view. The plot for about 2/3 of the book was quite enjoyable and interesting.
I didn’t like too long and detailed description of everything: routes taken, buildings visited, activities carried, outfits selected etc. Most of the time ot did not add anything to the plot and in fact it made everything dumbed down, like author did not believe his readers had half a brain. The dialogue felt wooden and unnatural most of the time, too long sentences, too much description. The ending was rushed - I didn’t like it at all! But the bigest fault for me was in the actions of the main character - many times I questioned her sanity and lack of judgment in constant risk taking. O get ot that stakes were high for her, but seriously? (Spoiler alert) Coming back to the places of crime, when she knew she could be caught easily, not checking for obvious “invisible” survivalence, witnessing murder and not reporting it to the police immediately? A bit too far  fetched.
I overall - I enjoyed most of this book, but I am not sure if I want ro read anything else by this author.

Fantastic read and, in the true sense, a thriller. Story told by the "bad" guy, but I was rooting for her from page one. Some of her predicaments and subsequent outcomes were, maybe, just a stretch on reality, However, that added to the excitement of the book. Thanks for the opportunity to read.

This novel follows a female burglar who comes upon dead bodies during her burglary of a home. The story is a good story, but could have been a lot better with some improvements to the character and her behavior. For example...after she discovers that someone is out to get her, she runs to a friends house. She does not tell the friend about the situation except to say she needs to get away for awhile, The two go out to a club????
 Then when her friend is killed, she returns to the club hoping to find who had been following her. She has no skills other that her burglary skills and yet is trying to find those that are trying to find her,
    okay book to read if you suspend most of what you have learned from CSI

Elle makes her living as a burglar. She is a smart, attractive, 20-something burglar, who has never gotten caught for her crimes. She spends her days exercising and staying in shape for her job, and her nights hard at work. Sometimes she has enough money to lay low for a while, but as the book begins, she is in need to replenishing the coffers and thus out she goes. When she breaks into the home of an art dealer, she finds something different than she had planned for... she heads to the master bedroom where people general hide the best of their wealth, and along with lots of art,  she finds three people who were murdered in the bed. She also soon discovers that she had better figure out who committed the murders, as her life hands in the balance, as it appears someone is after her, too. This thriller keeps you turning pages, well into the night. You cannot help but root for Elle as she tries to figure out what has happened and how to keep herself safe. This is especially important, as it seems the police are getting no where with figuring out the crime.... even when she sends them the clues she comes into contact with. Elle is not a gal to give up, and she will fight to the bitter end if she has to. The burgler is one of the best thrillers I have read this year. I highly recommend it!

This book was slow to start, but rather interesting once it picked up pace, albeit for a few ‘breather’ moments. 

I found the premise and concept to be unique and something I hadn’t really come across before, and was incredibly well-researched, but it left much to be desired in terms of the story and the characterisation.

I struggled to find consistent engagement with the writing as it felt too distanced and too removed from the action to evoke any real feelings; this also goes for the characters, who came across to me as a little 2-Dimensional and I found myself not really caring about their outcomes. 

All in all, I didn’t love this book, but I didn’t hate it. Thank you to Thomas Perry, Grove Atlantic, NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a cleverly written story. Such a different take on the whodunit. 

I enjoyed this book and would love to know what other escapades Elle could get into.

Was not sure I would like a book with the good guy being a thief but this one got me hooked.  Loved the character and her survival instincts even when she did things that made me want to yell at her to stop.  Hope this will be a series.  the suspense kept me reading late into the night.

So, I liked almost everything about this book.

I loved Elle.  She was whip smart and so likable.  

I was absolutely fascinated by all the nitty gritty of her burglaries.  I mean, this was almost like a manual for the perfect life of crime.    Lol – and I say this with all respect – the author would probably be a master criminal if he set his mind to it.  This was awesome!

I was a little disappointed by the reason for everything.  It fit the lifestyles of our criminals and victims well.  I was a very ‘only the rich’ kind of scenario.  But…I found it al little…unexciting.

Still, though, I really enjoyed the book.  It was a fast and fascinating read and I ended it thinking that it was time very well spent!

*ARC Provided via Net Galley

I received this book with the promise I would submit an unbiased review.

This was a very interesting read.  I am a fan of mysteries and this was a good one.  It follows a young lady burglar and gives you a good look into her insights of a burglary from the choosing, planning, and execution of the robbery.  In this case she stumbles into a bigger crime and becomes a target.

She is placed into the unusual situation of trying to help the police and solve the crime on her own.  If only for her own safety.

I felt this was a well written and interesting book.  It kept your interest and made you look forward to picking it up and continuing your reading.  I usually read at night and I looked forward to it for the few days it took to finish.  Highly recommend and will look for more from this author.

The Burglar by Thomas Perry
Publication Date Jan 18 2019

This was an utterly fascinating book to me.  Elle Stowell, the protagonist, is a skilled burglar and the book makes it clear that she is so good that her ability is almost a superpower.  I was captivated from the first page onward and only put the book down when it was finished.

The book starts with some glimpses of Elle being a superb burglar.  I have to admit that her job is fascinating.  The author goes into considerable detail on how to break into a wealthy person's house, search and find the goods, and then extract the well-hidden jewels or cash, and then leave just as she is about to be caught.  The narrative is excellent in creating that sense of danger that a burglar must feel; we feel it too as we read hoping she will not be caught.

When she breaks into a house where she finds three bodies, a triple murder as of yet undiscovered, the book turns mostly from a caper novel into a murder investigation.  The murderers know who she is and try to kill her several times before she get a handle on what the murders are all about.  She pursues leads as only a burglar can using illegal methods to gain information on the culprits.

The character of Elle Stowell comes from the best place of characterizations.  The book is told in first person, so the reader gets to pursue the mystery of the murders from her point of view, learning what she learns in real time.  I can't say enough about the tension in the story; I literally had to pause to relax while I was reading.  The sense of danger that you would have if you were robbing a place comes through perfectly and it drove me to read to the end in one sitting.

This is a superb book.  Thomas Perry, the author, has written around 25 books, and definitely shows he knows how to write a thriller/mystery.  Highly recommended.  5/5 stars.  Read this and other reviews of upcoming books at bookgeist.blogspot.com.

Do not start this book before bed—you will not get to sleep on time! Very interesting topic and lead character, non-stop action. Very well-researched as always. 
Liz willner
Books inc, Berkeley

The Burglar, a murder mystery, follows the day-to-day exploits of Elle Stowell a experienced house burglar in Los Angeles.  Stowell looks younger than her age and is able fit right in with the beautiful, fit and energetic women who live in the neighborhoods that she robs.  The Burglar is the latest in a series of several books written by Thomas Perry.    

Elle Stowell has never been arrested for Burglary in spite of the fact that she has robbed multiple house in well to do neighborhoods of Los Angeles.  Things are going well for Stowell until she stumbles onto the scene of a multiple murder and she begins being pursued by someone who must have seen her on site.  To save herself she must now use her skills to solve a crime rather than commit one. 

Thomas Perry has received numerous accolades for his excellent books, but I expect this one will not be remembered as one of his best.  The descriptions of how to break into a house and what to steal are tedious.  When Elle is discovered she seems to be able to carry on staying in nice hotels and sleep well while people around her are being murdered.  When the murderers are revealed, their motives for committing several crimes seem superficial and opportunistic rather than skillfully planned.  Finally how could a security company hired to monitor break-ins not know someone was monitoring their offices for weeks.  All this makes the book hard to read.

The book is structurally and grammatically well written and a quick read, but the story line leaves me with no choice but to not recommend this book.  I give it a 2 on 5.

I want to thank NetGalley and The Mysterious Press for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

I have been a fan of Thomas Perry since the early 1990s when I read The Butcher's Boy and his previous standalone novels.  Since then he has produced some excellent thrillers and one or two misses, but is always worth reading. The Burglar is not one his greatest, but is involving enough to keep you going.

The protagonist, Elle, is a young thief operating in the richer suburbs of Los Angeles who comes across three dead bodies in a house she has broken into. Being smart, as all Perry's protagonists are, she resists stealing any valuables and departs without leaving any sign of her presence. Never less, she soon finds herself being hunted. Who is after her, why they want her and how they found out about her form the core of the narrative.

As with all Perry's books, the research is impeccable and the book is almost worth reading as a primer of what to look for if you want to be a burglar -or want to protect your house from burglars. The pace is reasonable, although not as nail-biting as some of his other books, and the writing is literate, as always. What I found somewhat off putting, however, was the lack of a more detailed back story for Elle who is - literally - unbelievably cool, calm and competent for a 24 year old! Nor is the motivation for the baddies very convincing and the ending is definitely anticlimactic. 

From any other writer I would probably think this is a really good book, but from Perry I find it slightly disappointing.

The Burglar by Thomas Perry:
Elle (or L as she is sometimes known) is a burglar by profession. She has fended for herself since the age of 14 and become very skilled at her profession. Elle uses every trick of her trade to choose the prospective target and evade detection. This means not only honing her observational skills but also her body. She loves the thrill of the job but is totally unprepared for the triple homicide she encounters on of one them.
Elle is not prepared for what happens, does she go to the police, is she being followed, does she get out of town? She must answer all these questions while attempting to solve the murders herself.
I was introduced to Thomas Perry's novels when I read his Jane Whitefield series which I thoroughly enjoyed. This novel started well and got straight into the story which I appreciated, yet it lost some momentum. I felt that there were parts that were unnecessary to the story, like the introduction of her cousin and aunt. I love a thick, meaty book but this one felt too drawn out, particularly for a thriller. You may also have to suspend disbelief in some areas.
Thank you to #NetGalley and St Martin's Press for #TheBurglar which I received in exchange for an honest review.

An experienced burglar stumbles upon a menage a toi murder while looking for quick cash.  Unaware of a camera recording the fateful deaths of these three and now her discovery of such a sight, the burglar is quickly drawn into an amateurs investigation to solve the crime.  Taking unnecessary risks to discover the truth and do the right thing by the three deceased, the burglar uses her size and skill to her advantage while collecting data that will convict the perp once discovered.  Her profession proves to assist her in discovering the truth and bringing justice to those who acted above the law.
The story is just interesting enough and paced slow, quick, slow, quick, to keep the reader engaged.  However, I felt that some of the main characters actions were not characteristic of the level of experience the author indicates.  Also, felt some of the writing was redundant but still written well, not distracting from the story.  The ending was somewhat predictable and indicative that the burglar reconsidered her profession and sought to make a change and finally settle down, a good ending to an adrenaline pumping book.