The Burglar Who Counted the Spoons (Bernie Rhodenbarr #11) by Lawrence Block

Dear ole Bernie is back.  He owns a bookstore and spends his days there, but nights are still open for burglary.  Somehow, his cases seem to get more complex as he goes along...

Lawrence Block sent me an ARC of this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get it in ebook or trade paperback form.  Check with your local bookstore.

Bernie is the lighter character in Mr. Block's gallery of main characters.  Keller is my favorite, but Bernie is always worth a read.  After all, his light fingers can steal almost anything and the author is so good at describing it and making it seem possible it almost makes me wonder if he's had actual experience at this.  How else could he create multiple robbery scenes in one book?  Oh, you think it's just because he's an author?  OK, that might be true but...

Mr. Block adds facts and history to his stories as he writes them.  They might be light or dark fiction but somehow you end up learning some trivia you might not know otherwise.  In this book, you learn about buttons.  He might be stealing a silver spoon but it still has connection to buttons.

I found it fun to read.  It's like spending time with an old friend who's been gone for a while.  You know something is going to trip Bernie up somewhere and you just have to wait for it to happen.  All I have to say is that Bernie was almost too smart for his own good in this story.  Read it and see what you think.

Happy reading.