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    The Burglar in the Rye
    The Burglar in the Rye
    The Burglar in the Rye
    Audiobook8 hours

    The Burglar in the Rye

    Written by Lawrence Block

    Narrated by Richard Ferrone

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    About this audiobook

    Winner of multiple Edgar and Shamus Awards, Lawrence Block keeps fans guessing to the end with his rollicking Bernie Rhodenbarr mysteries. In this diverting caper, full-time bookstore owner and part-time burglar Bernie tries to do the right thing for a new friend, only to find himself accused of some terrible wrongs. All Bernie plans to do is steal some letters. A New York City literary agent is auctioning off her personal correspondence with enigmatic writer Gully Fairborn. Gully's attractive ex-girlfriend has asked Bernie to swipe the letters so she can return them to her old heartthrob. But when Bernie breaks in, the letters are missing, and the literary agent is in bed with no hope of waking up. With the police watching him very closely, Bernie relies on jiggers of rye and Caroline, his lesbian best friend, to sharpen his deductive skills and find the killer. Narrator Richard Ferrone expertly guides you on a laugh-filled journey through the twists and turns of the clever plot.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateAug 22, 2008
    ISBN9781436169486
    Author

    Lawrence Block

    Lawrence Block is one of the most widely recognized names in the mystery genre. He has been named a Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America and is a four-time winner of the prestigious Edgar and Shamus Awards, as well as a recipient of prizes in France, Germany, and Japan. He received the Diamond Dagger from the British Crime Writers' Association—only the third American to be given this award. He is a prolific author, having written more than fifty books and numerous short stories, and is a devoted New Yorker and an enthusiastic global traveler.

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    Reviews for The Burglar in the Rye

    4/5

    180 ratings15 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Bernie Rhodenbarr is a known bookseller and owner of Barnegat Books. His previous line of work, and occasional side line, is master thief.He has been hired to steal some letters of a reclusive author. Seems the author’s ex-agent is thinking of auctioning them off, and there is great interest in having them published. The author is not one for having his private life, or thought, exposed.Sounds simple, right? Not quite, as when Bernie gets into the penthouse apartment he finds the ex-agent dead. There is also the matter of the police to deal with.Bernie finds there are a number of interested parties for the letters, all willing to pay some sort of remuneration to see/get those letters. Then there is the case of the necklace that went missing during his robbery attempt – from another apartment!Bernie finds he’s not only trying to steal the letters, he is also trying to figure out who set him up for a murder wrap!Bernie Rhodenbarr books are a fun read. Life isn’t simple or easy, but Bernie makes it entertaining along with his friends, Carolyn Kaiser, owner of the Poodle Factory, and Ray Kirschmann, one of NYPD’s finest.Situations, characters, dialogue — all elements that work well together to provide an entertaining read.
    • 3/5
      This is my favorite of all the Bernie Rhodenbarr books.
    • 4/5
      Lawrence Block once again provides a good mystery involving the book world. This time Bernie gets involved with trying to retrieve letters written by an iconic reclusive author to the author's first literary agent, which letters the agent is in the process of submitting to Sotheby's for auction against the author's wishes. The identity of the murderer took me completely by surprise!
    • 4/5
      Bernie Rhodebarr slightly updated. This one is from 1999 but it feels much more contemporary than the earlier books in the series. It's an extended riff on Salinger and the industry that surrounded him. A bit longer and meatier than earlier entries in the series but the Rhodenbarr template is too good to fiddle with unnecessarily.
    • 5/5
      Block's ninth "Burglar" mystery is just as fun as the other ones in this series. To be blunt, either you enjoy this concept or you don't. In contrast to Block's Scudder series or some of his earlier novels, this series doesn't have the grittiness or the hardboiled feel to it that those books do. But, make no mistake about it, these are good books. They are fun to read. Bernie Rhodenbarr is a bookseller by day and a burglar by night. There is no lock made on earth that is impervious to his touch. He is a bit of a character. Often, however, things don't go as planned and, in the course of burgling a residence, he may sometimes stumble across someone he knows, a dead body, or something even stranger.

      "Burglar in the Rye," which is obviously poking a little fun at J.D. Salinger and the Catcher in the Rye, is no exception. Like Salinger, there is a reclusive author who no one has seen in years and a series of letters he wrote to a one-time love interest. And, everyone wants to get there hands on the letters, including someone who hired Bernie to filch them from a literary agent's hotel room. Its a hotel room in the Paddington and Block assures us that the hotel came before the bear, but every guest gets to have a bear in the room, if they leave the fifty dollar deposit, and many take the bear when they leave, leaving their deposit.

      As in most of the Burglar books, coincidences abound and Bernie happens to be at the hub of them all. It is an enjoyable, comedic twist on crime fiction. Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      NYC, humor, mystery, law-enforcement, burglar, murder Another fun murder mystery with Bernie Rhodenbarr stuck in the middle. This one is as twisty as the rest, and still manages to have a red herring or two. Carolyn is his best friend and foil as usual, and Det. Ray Kirschman's mangling of names will truly make you spew your caffeine! The rest of the characters really are that as well. This is a reread for me as I wanted to read them in order for once.Richard Ferrone did a great interpretation once again.
    • 3/5
      A pretty good story, although not his best. Still a decent read ... kind of an homage to J.D. Salinger.
    • 5/5
      All of the Burglar in the ....... series are just wonderful. The movie with Whoopi Goldberg is loosely based on the series and very funny but bears little relationship to the books.
    • 4/5
      Since Bernie has become a bookseller, the mysteries he has been involved in have enjoyed a more "bookish" feel and this one about a particularly private author and the possible sale of his letters is interesting more because of that aspect than even because of the murders. The story ends with the usual "wrap-up" - Mr. Block has a way of using the cliches and getting away with it!
    • 4/5
      This one didn’t disappoint. I love these books. They are light and fun, and a mystery to the end. Usually surprised, he keeps me guessing all the way through. These are self contained, and wrapped up at the end. It has a continuity ‘series’ aspect, where a base cast of characters and settings carry through, but it’s not necessary to know all the history to follow it through. I read The Catcher in the Rye first, thinking it might give me insight. This as well, not necessary. In fact, I noticed more references to Salinger, which I knew about from his recent death, then the book itself. Very cute catchy title though. The one bad thing I can say about this book, is I’ll never be able to read it again for the first time.
    • 3/5
      Plot's good, pacing good, characters are interesting. Love the biblio references. But what is it about Block's dialogue? It seems so unnatural--just never seems like how real people talk. Everyone says the other characters' names over and over again... small potatoes, perhaps, but nags at me nonetheless.
    • 3/5
      Pretty much the same as the other Burglar book. Bernie is trapped, this time in the bathroom, when the woman returns to her room with a date. Everyone knows that Bernie is just a thief and not a murderer.
    • 5/5
      In this ninth installment Bernie finds himself looking very guilty of a murder that he did not commit and widely suspected of having stolen some very valuable documents that he has never seen. The first person narrative is a powerful vehicle for Block's punchy style and this very polished episode is by turns very funny and tense.
    • 3/5
      A perfectly innocuous diversion, perfect for reading on the subway. By this point, Block appears to be phoning it in, but this is still an enjoyable - if predictable - book. Good fun that won't strain your brain unduly.
    • 4/5
      An enjoyable Bernie Rhodenbarr mystery. The former agent of a reclusive author, based on J. D. Salinger, is selling his letters to her. But she is killed, and the letters and a ruby necklace disappear. Bernie is right in the middle of it, and clears everything up at a meeting in the Paddington Hotel. I preferred "The Burglar in the Closet" because it had more suspense, but this one was still quite funny.