Published by Subterranean Press on February 29, 2020

Lawrence Block has been a prolific crime writer since the 1970s, when he decided that crime might pay more than softcore porn. The two primary series protagonists he has gifted the world are Matthew Scudder (beginning with The Sins of the Fathers) and a much lighter series about Bernie Rhodenbarr, the last of the gentleman burglars. He knocked out a bunch of other crime novels over the years, including an amusing series I admire about a hit man named Keller.

Block has slowed his production a in his senior years. He suggests in his afterword that this is likely to be Rhodenbarr’s final contribution to the world of crime fiction characters, and that the volume might be Block’s final contribution to crime fiction. The Burglar in Short Order is a collection of stories and essays, ranging from 1977 to 2018, about Rhodenbarr. The collection also features a new introduction that provides a retrospective of Rhodenbarr’s life, and an afterword that discuss the character’s future, which he intends to experience in privacy, free from the scrutiny of curious readers.

Aspiring writers might be heartened by Block’s story of how, a month’s rent away from homelessness, he was considering burglary as a profession, imagined some farfetched stumbling blocks to a life of crime, and turned one of his imaginings into the plot for a novel that saved his career. Between writing novels regularly and selling movie rights to some of them, Block has done well for himself without actually turning to crime.

Speaking of movie rights, another essay provides Block’s take on a movie called Burglar that cast Whoopie Goldberg in the role of Rhodenbarr. In Block’s view, it was not an inspired decision. Like me, Block admires Whoopie and finds Bobcat Goldthwait to be a bit grating. I haven’t seen the movie, but in Block’s view, Whoopie did the best she could with substandard material. It isn’t a movie he felt the need to see twice.

One of two excellent stories in the volume involves a tabloid that hires Rhodenbarr to break into Graceland and photograph Elvis’ bedroom. In the other, Rhodenbarr solves a locked room mystery involving the death of a book lover. A few of the stories, a few pages each, are essentially a setup and a punchline. Some of those describe a visit by an unnamed narrator to the bookshop that Rhodenbarr owns and a conversation that ensues between the two men. The afterword (again written as a conversation between a narrator and Rhodenbarr) makes clear that the unidentified narrator is, in fact, Block, paying a visit to his literary creation.

Although Rhodenbarr has not aged over the years, the world that surrounds him has moved forward. Times have changed. Rhodenbarr’s bookstore never made money (it gave him a safe haven and the chance to meet literate women while earning his real income at night), but it has recently started to lose money. Fewer people read, and those who do read books digitally. If they actually want to hold a book or if they want to read one they can’t find on a Kindle, they order it online. Independent bookstores, Rhodenbarr laments, have been lost to progress.

Block admits that, unlike Rhodenbarr, he has gotten old, the biggest mistake he ever made. He has been editing anthologies in recent years, but he sounds very much as if this volume is his final work, or close to it. His fans might want to pick it up just to pay their respects to an excellent crime writer. New fans might be better served by starting with The Sins of the Fathers and by browsing his other novels.

RECOMMENDED

Loved this book. Plenty of devious surprises and crackling suspense, along with interesting characters. Just the sort of book to cause a lack of sleep, but I won't complain! Highly recommended.

*This book was provided to me as an ARC at no charge in exchange for my honest review. My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to participate in this program.*

THE BURGLAR IN SHORT ORDER by Lawrence Block is a fine assortment of short stories, and is the 12th book in the “Bernie Rhodenbarr series”, with novels based on an owner of a bookstore who uses it as a front for his criminal activities as a highly successful burglar, and who is elusive as a result of having learned how to avoid leaving anything behind to implicate him, as well as maintaining a low profile so that he is successful in flying under the radar to avoid suspicion for the crimes he’s committed.

Excellent assortment of short stories included here that are supported by sections where Block provides detailed descriptions of how the Rhodenbarr “Burglar”character came about as a nameless burglar at first, in addition he also describes his personal and professional life at that point, and explains how the series develops and plays into furthering his career.

Highly recommended to fans of Lawrence Block novels and this series in particular, this book also includes the author’s thoughts on Bernie Rhodenbarr in comparison to other characters from novels in his highly successful career.

4 stars.

Lawrence Block writes wonderful short stories, and I really enjoy the Bernie Rhoddenbarr series, so this particular book was a real treat. I enjoyed every one of these stories and would recommend this book to anyone. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC for review.

Short stories are always fun. Lawrence Block is amazing at short form. This anthology is a collection of all the previously published Bernie Rhoddenbarr series.

The Burglar in Short Order by Lawrence Block is a wonderful compilation of short Bernie Rhodenbarr tales.
This is a treat for Bernie fans. Old fans will see this as a great addition to their collection. New readers will surely go out a start reading all the previous Bernie Rhodenbarr novels (and then the Scudder and the Keller series).
Please keep them coming.
I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for eARC provided for review purposes.

A treasure trove of short stories, glimpses into daily life of Bernie and frenemies. Solid 5 out of 5 stars as if you are reading this collection you are already a fan of Blocks' Bernie Rhodenbarr.
I received an e-galley of this book compliments of NetGalley and the Publisher.

The Burglar in Short Order is a new collection of short pieces and chapter excerpts from both new and previously published work by Lawrence Block. Due out 29th Feb 2020 from Subterranean Press, it's 144 pages and will be available in a hardcover limited edition from the publisher.

I've loved Bernie Rhodenbarr since he first debuted 40+ years ago. It's a series I revisit regularly whenever I need a short and humorous uplifting read. They're wonderfully undemanding hugely entertaining reads. This collection, although admittedly short on new material, is filled with 15 selections perfect for a short interlude or commute read.

The pieces included are varied in point of view and narration. There's also a teaser at the end of the book which takes the form of a short dialogue between the author, Mr. Block, and Bernie, the fictional character, on what the future holds for Bernie's adventures since time has stood more or less still for Bernie while it's marched on for the rest of us. I also liked being able to read a very early story with a recognizable 'seed' of a story which later germinated into the Bernie/Burglar series. He's not named in the story, but it's proto-Bernie for sure.

This is a bittersweet collection and generally of a quality which compares well with the rest of the books. I definitely recommend it highly to fans of the canonical series as well as mystery lovers who were previously unfamiliar with Mrs. Rhodenbarr's son Bernie.

Five stars for Block fans like me, four for everyone else.

Do you enjoy Mrs. Rhodenbarr's boy Bernie? If you do, you are in a bit of a treat! Lawrence Block has collected in one volume all the various short adventures or related material of Bernie Rhodenbarr, bookseller and gentleman burglar. Some I had encountered before in various anthologies over the years, but it is nice to have them all in one tidy package that you can place on the shelf with the novels. Two of my favorites were "The Burglar Who Collected Copernicus" which brings Tanner into Bernie's universe and "Five Books Bernie Has Read More Than Once" which includes a fictitious John Sandford novel I wish was real. This title is a quick read, but very enjoyable.

Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this title!

For fans of thief/bookstore owner Bernie Rhodenbarr and his adventures in crime and detection, Lawrence Block gives us a collection of short stories, book excerpts, and essays. With a few exceptions, the material is mostly re-published from previous works, but given that the Burglar series was published over a period of several decades, most readers will enjoy being reminded of adventures read long ago. Not all of us caught every short story featuring Bernie as it came out, so even some of the oldies gathered here will feel new. How can you resist the familiar, regular-guy humor? (Just one example of Bernie's voice: “It’s quiet out there,” I thought, like so many supporting characters in so many Westerns.)
The afterword, which imagines an encounter between Bernie and the author, has both nostalgia for vanishing used bookstores and a valedictory flavor that makes it seem like this book is the last installment in the Burglar series. Bernie, you will be missed. Thanks for the stories!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital advance review copy.

This book has 14 short stories, mostly starring Bernie Rhodenbarr. I loved the whole series of novels about the Burglar, and found these stories amusing and clever. Among my favorites were "A bad night for burglars", in which a man comes home to find the burglar in his apartment going through his dresser. The man grabs a gun and the two men begin talking. Finally they agree to play chess. The ending of the story is when the burglar becomes really upset!

Another really good one was "The burglar who smells smoke". Bernie goes to see a collector of crime fiction with a first edition of the first Rex Stout book to sell. The man has a huge library with special burglar proof locks and like Nero Wolf and his orchids, the man spends several hours in his locked library. However, in this case, Bernie manages to win with a wonderful twist in the plot.

Anyone who enjoys Lawrence Block's Burglar series will love this collection of short stories.

Bernie Rhodenbarr is one of the great characters of the mystery genre and it is like revisiting an old friend when you read this anthology.
It has the first burglar story and a new not previously published one.
The stories are, in the main, excellent and well worth reading.
In the last short story, Mr. Block has a conversation with his protagonist that is quite charming. I hope he continues to write many, many, more Bernie books

Block is quite prolific and is a skilled story teller. His talent shows here in short stories. There are essays as well. I haven't read much of his work, so I compelled to circle back and catch up a little. Recommended.

Thank you for the ARC for review!!

I am a huge fan of Lawrence Block – he has written several series which I have read front to back, and I enjoy his non-series work as well. Along with Keller and Scudder, Bernie Rhodenbarr, a burglar and bookstore owner in New York City, is one of my favorites of Mr. Block. The sense of humor of everyday sensibility of Bernie makes him a character that you would love to meet, I look forward to every new adventure that Bernie undertakes.

Which is why I found this (short) collection so disappointing. There is very little new here – a couple of the stories are just chapters from books we (as fans) have all previously read. There are a couple of stand-alone short stories that are entertaining, and several very short essays that have Bernie provide his point of view on things. I am not a fan of characters breaking the fourth wall, or of authors who include themselves in their stories, so I did not necessarily find those essays amusing. Mr. Block’s experience in Hollywood was fun to read, but once again that’s not what I was expecting.

Mr. Block seems to imply that he is retiring from the writing business, which given his long and distinguished career he is entitled to do. But we can always hope for Rhodenbarr to come out of retirement and have one last adventure.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Subterranean Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

I wanted to read a book over the holidays that wasn't to in depth and this fit this books was perfect. A book that could be put down because it was filled with essays and short stories. Anyone that is a Block fan should read t his book.

A must have for fans of Lawrence Block's gentleman burglar: Bernie Rhodenbarr. For the first time ever all the short form stories, essays, and articles are available in one collection... plus there are two previously unpublished pieces.

From short stories with twist endings to a locked room mystery in the classic form to stand alone sections from several of the books to the author's recollections of the origins of the character and, finally, an imaginary conversation between creation and creator in what seems to be Bernie's final curtain call. You won't want to miss this one!

My personal favorite was an article that had Mr. Block recalling the Hollywood journey that led to a movie starring Whoopie Goldberg as Bernice Rhodenbarr in the film 'Burglar' (A pre-Die Hard Bruce Willis was originally going to be the star).

Highly recommended for fans of the book series. The original short stories are well worth a look for people unfamiliar with 'The Burglar....' book series but the rest of the essays and articles probably won't mean all that much if this is your first experience with Bernie Rhodenbarr: Gentleman Burglar.

***Thanks to NetGalley, Subterranean Press, and author Lawrence Block for providing me with a free digital copy of The Burglar in Short Order in exchange for an honest review

Larry Block fans - and this reader has long been one - will welcome the return of one of his favorite characters. Bernie Rhodebbarre , the bookseller who burgled - he just can't help helping himself to a variety of trinkets and treasures. This book is mostly a pastiche of previously published briefs, stories and fragments that are less than a novel, or even a novella - although there's one hiding in here somewhere. Reading it is like browsing in a bookstore - maybe one like Bernie' s, come to think of it...a few pages here, a chapter there, some pages you probably read before but are pleased to encounter again, however briefly. Don't let that dissuade you - even an old tale is well told here as a new one, and it's time amusingly spent.

I have read and reread all of the Bernie Rhodenbarr books multiple times in print, cassette, and audiobook, so don't think that this is unbiased! There are short stories, snippets from the books, plus background on Bernie and how some of the stories came to be. Loved it and can't wait to get a print copy!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Subterranean Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

Lawrence Block is the master, and this collection of short stories is not to be missed by any fans or lovers of great writing.

The Burglar in Short Order by Lawrence Block- This is a must-have book for Bernie Rhodenbarr fans, that burglar, cool, calm, and collected, who has appeared in eleven of Block's novels. This collection covers all the short stories involving our favorite burglar and more. In his introduction, Block goes on to tell us how he first came up with this character, and why he keeps going back to him. Some of the stories are rudimentary and no great brain teasers, but Bernie, with his comedic charm and wit, makes them eminently readable. I especially enjoyed The Burglar Who Dropped in on Elvis, and The Burglar Who Smelled Smoke. Then after the stories there are five mini-essays which delve into Bernie's world, almost short stories which are informative without plot or dialogue. I got an advanced digital readers copy, which was great, but I know how phenomenal Subterranean Press editions are. You won't want to miss this!