Lawrence Block is one of the most prolific mystery writers around, best exemplified by his innumerable smooth short stories, collected in ENOUGH ROPE. He is also the master of three very different and very popular series characters. My own favorite is the stamp-collecting professional hit man Keller (HIT MAN, natch), but he also has tons of Matthew Scudder novels (THE SINS OF THE FATHERS) and a slew of Bernie Rhodenbarr novels. THE BURGLAR WHO THOUGHT HE WAS BOGART is seventh in this latter series – a newly reissued paperback of the 1995 original – but you don’t have to worry about reading the books in order. In fact, if you haven’t tried a Block at all, this would be a good start.

Bernie Rhodenbarr is a bookseller, but he’s really a master thief. Written in the first person, Block has Bernie explain: “I steal from the rich, and for no better reason than Robin Hood did: the poor, God love ‘em, have nothing worth taking.” The flippancy is very much Rhodenbarr’s style, and the book is filled with hundreds of these bons mots, nicely seasoning an already rich stew of mystery.

Rhodenbarr is approached in his bookshop to do a job: just steal a large portfolio of important papers. Simple. He goes to the site and spots the target, but then must hide to avoid detection. When he emerges, the portfolio is gone. And things get sticky from here. There’s a beautiful woman from the fictional country of Anatruria, who seduces Rhodenbarr by taking him to a Humphrey Bogart film festival every night for two weeks. A man dies and Rhodenbarr’s attaché case is found nearby. And then the girl and all of her possessions go missing. To top it all off, there’s more than one person who really wants that portfolio. Uh-oh.

From here, Block dazzles us with his slick pacing and intriguing story style, giving us just enough information, bit by bit, and then dropping a stunner to keep you deeply involved. His ample dialogue sounds realistic, and his characters always act within believable parameters.

It’s hardly surprising. Block is a consummate professional, and his experience with writing quality fiction over many years is apparent on every page. The character of Rhodenbarr is a lovable and funny rogue, but he’s also a professional of the highest rank, and the team of Block and Rhodenbarr is a great read. Give it a try. –Mark Rose

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OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR:
• THE GIRL WITH THE LONG GREEN HEART by Lawrence Block