Thursday, 29 September 2022

LAWRENCE BLOCK - THE BURGLAR WHO TRADED TED WILLIAMS (1994)

 


Synopsis/blurb ...

Bernie Rhodenbarr is trying to make an honest living, but when his new landlord raises the rent to an astronomical sum, there's only one thing left for a reformed burglar to do.

On his first night back on the job, Bernie finds not only a stash of cash but a very dead body. Yet the next day the police are blaming him for a different burglary, and what's missing is a valuable baseball card collection.

To prove himself "innocent," Bernie's got to pull out all his master skills: picking locks and picking brains, to uncover a scheme he should have been smart enough to avoid, or at least get a piece of ...

Ted Williams is the sixth in Lawrence Block's Bernie (Burglar) Rhodenbarr series and it's another one I enjoyed. Despite knowing next to zero about (mainly the nuances of) baseball, I could relate to the big prize at the centre of the tale. 

As a young boy, I used to get dragged to coin, stamp and cigarette fairs with my parents. My dad collected a bit of all three and when I was a bit older so did I. I think I liked cigarette cards the best, as they were always attractive to look at and the variety of subjects and sets of cards to collect was vast. On that level I could relate to baseball cards and their collectability and desirability and value.

We have the same high jinks, the same kind of plot - ergo, Bernie in a jam, the same New York, Carolyn - the constant friend, and a landlord that needs to be brought down a peg or two.

Funny, entertaining, interesting and a bit nostalgic, mainly because of the memories it awakened in me of time spent with my late Dad, ssharing something we both enjoyed.

4.5 from 5

Previously enjoyed...                                       


I think if I picked up any of these six again in the future, I'd enjoy them just as much second time around. I find a Lawrence Block book a bit of a comfort blanket.

Read - August, 2022
Published - 1994
Page count - 386
Source - owned copy
Format - Paperback
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4 comments:

  1. Margot Kinberg29 September 2022 at 05:35

    That's the thing about a book that triggers happy memories, Col - that link makes you enjoy the book all the more, and that's great. I have to admit I didn't collect trading cards, but people I know who've done that have really enjoyed it. All that plus Block's writing and Bernie's personality - little wonder you liked this one!

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    1. col291030 September 2022 at 05:09

      Margot, yep happy memories invoked by this one!

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  2. TracyK29 September 2022 at 14:56

    I saw that you have been reading a lot of these books. I read the second in the series (in August I think?) and enjoyed it a lot. Unfortunately I only have one or two in hardcover and the rest are in paperback and print too tiny for me to enjoy reading. The ebooks are too expensive for me to buy. I think I can find old used copies for lower prices though.

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    1. col291030 September 2022 at 05:12

      Tracy, I'm trying to get through them all by the middle of October, but I'm slacking a bit. I must admit I have been reading all of these in paperback, plus some other papebacks that were published in the 70s. My eyes can cope with the smallish typeface during daylight hours but not when I read a bit in bed. I have to switch books at that point. I hope you get back to the series soon. They don't seem particularly expensive secondhand, there's so many editions and printings of them.

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