The Burglar Who Painted Like Mondrian: A Bernie Rhodenbarr Mystery

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If the only side of Lawrence Block you know is the dark and gloomy Matt Scudder books, such as the noir classic When the Sacred Ginmill Closes, then you might be surprised to hear that he's also one of the most delightfully droll writers in the mystery business.

"I hurried uptown and changed into chinos and a short-sleeved shirt that would have been an Alligator except that the embroidered device on the breast was not that reptile but a bird in flight. I guess it was supposed to be a swallow, either winging its way back to Capistrano or not quite making a summer, because the brand name was Swallowtail. It had never quite caught on and I can understand why." That's Bernie Rhodenbarr, used book dealer and gentleman burglar, making a literary fashion statement in this latest return to print of one of Block's best books about him.

As with the other entries in this admirable series--The Burglar in the Closet, The Burglar in the Library, The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling, The Burglar Who Studied Spinoza, The Burglar Who Thought He Was Bogart, The Burglar Who Traded Ted Williams, Burglars Can't Be Choosers--Block manages to be very amusing, moderately suspenseful, and impressively erudite all at the same time. The plot is a complicated tangle of double-cross and deceit surrounding the theft of a valuable painting and two murders. Mondrian isn't the only artist being framed here: Bernie has to use all of his skills--as burglar, lover, and art expert--to prove his (relative) innocence. --Dick Adler

Book Description

Lawrence Block's legions of fans have heralded the return of classic Bernie Rhodenbarr books to print. Now, with The Burglar Who Painted Like Mondrian, readers can complete their Rhodenbarr collection with this, the fifth and final of Dutton's reissues. As always for the intrepid bookseller-by-day, burglar-by-night, a simple job leads to bigger things. First up, Bernie the bookseller is asked by a Manhattan collector to appraise his impressive library. He does so, and while in the apartment building, makes off with a terrific cache of rare stamps. Then, upon returning home he finds best friend Carolyn Kaiser in tears. Her beloved cat has been abducted, and the ransom is a painting by Mondrian, currently on display in a museum and nearly impossible to steal. Nearly. But then Bernie remembers seeing another Mondrian hanging somewhere...in the book collector's apartment. Before too long, the painting is gone, a body turns up and the police are knocking on Bernie's door. Guess who their number one suspect is?