The Burglar Who Counted the Spoons

Bernie Rhodenbarr, Book 11

By: Lawrence Block

Narrated by: Richard Ferrone

Ever since The Burglar on the Prowl climbed the best seller lists in 2004, fans have been clamoring for a new book featuring the lighthearted and light-fingered Bernie Rhodenbarr. Now everybody's favorite burglar returns in an 11th adventure that finds him and his lesbian sidekick Carolyn Kaiser breaking into houses, apartments, and even a museum, in a madcap adventure replete with American Colonial silver, an F. Scott Fitzgerald manuscript, a priceless portrait, and a remarkable array of buttons. And, wouldn't you know it, there's a dead body, all stretched out on a Trent Barling carpet....

©2013 Lawrence Block (P)2014 Recorded Books

Welcome back, Bernie!

I swear Lawrence Block has revived and written more material since his 'retirement' than ever before. And don't think that, just because I've been a Bernie fan for years, I gave this book an automatic 5. There's always that chance of disappointment.
I'm glad to say that Bern and Carolyn are as fresh (and apparently young) and up to mischief as ever. Plenty of twists and ***s and pretty upbeat, considering it's Bernie and Carolyn. Also, I learned some stuff that I'll never need to know, but don't mind knowing anyway.
Richard Ferrone does a fine job of handing a handful of characters and is very easy to listen to.

This was a real gift from Mr. Block.

A new direction for Bernie Rodenbarr

What did you love best about The Burglar Who Counted the Spoons?

The story was even more complex than the usual Bernie Rodenbarr tales.

Any additional comments?

A very funny story.

Intelligent and Charming

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Mr. Rodenbahr is intriguing as a character, conflicted in his motivations. This is an intelligent and well written continuation of Block's burglar series that will not disappoint. The author draws you into the story and keeps you there with a little smirk on your face.

As usual, corny but very funny.

You will either like these corny mysteries and characters or you won't. I do, and I found this to be one of the funniest in the series. Richard Ferrone does an excellent job of giving voices and accents to the different main characters.

Best. Series. Ever.

Any additional comments?

I don't know any of Block's other books but in this series, for my money, he's priceless. The writing is damnably witty. These are not huge action-movie novels. There is nothing ugly in these books - no torture, cruelty or even gore.

BUT there are clever, twisty plots. There are wonderful characters; please, Bernie and Carolyn (the main character and his trusty sidekick, who is one of the most well-written lesbian characters I've encountered), please invite me along to the Bum Wrap for dinner and a drink! Most notably, there is absolutely delightful dialogue. If you've ever admired the repartee between Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in "His Girl Friday," there's a pretty good chance you're going to LOVE these books.

And then there is the narrator. Richard Ferrone is pure unmitigated genius. I can't imagine any plane of existence where anyone else could have narrated these books. His deliciously, ever-so-slightly deadpan delivery has caused me to chuckle like a goofball on too many occasions to list. What a delight it is to find that magic marriage between writer and narrator. This one is as good as it ever gets.

As for "Spoons" in particular, I won't bore you with details. Every single one of the series is great and they all stand on their own, so if you get them out of sequence, it won't matter much. Go. Buy. Listen. Smile. Repeat. You're welcome.