No comments about Ariel (Unabridged).

No comments about Hit and Run.

No comments about Ariel {Unabridged Audio}.

No comments about Even the Wicked.

No comments about Hit And Run, Narrated By Richard Poe, 7 Cds [Complete & Unabridged Audio Work].

5 comments about Krueger's Men: The Secret Nazi Counterfeit Plot and the Prisoners of Block 19.

1. An excellent companion piece for the Academy Award-wining (Best Foreign film 2008) "The Counterfeiters." This book will take you behind the scenes on how the operation was organized and executed beyond the confines of the concentration camp. The insights into how the Bank of England dealt with the waves of fake pound notes (bottom line - they didn't) are especially interesting.



2. Krueger's Men: The Secret Nazi Counterfeit Plot and the Prisoners of Block 19 covers the wider context behind the decision by the Nazi hierarchy to counterfeit the currencies of Britain and America in order to undermine their economies. As such it offers background material on this military strategy down through the ages before focusing on the prisoners of Block 19. It is a useful corrective to the film which re-arranges and in some cases invents events, and merges several characters together. For example, you get no sense that over 140 prisoners were involved in the effort but the film suggests only a few dozen at most. It also corrects a technical error in the film that states that genuine US dollars were printed by rotogravure, which has a fine screen through it which would make the edges of curves and type slightly staircased. In fact, the dollar was printed by intaglio in which the plate or roller is etched and the ink is pulled from the depression by the pressure on the roller and the tack of the ink.
   
   An interesting aspect of this account is following the fortunes of the agents who had to unload the counterfeit banknotes in sufficient quantities to destabilise the real currency. The narrative is slightly diminished by the journalistic impulse to add irrelevant colour but, fortunately, the sources of information are cited in full for those who would want to immerse themselves in greater detail.



3. I read this good book, here in Brazil.This book is about the massive production of fake notes of British pounds, by nazi Germany, during World War II.The production of false notes of England's money was massive and of good quuality.Even so, it was next to nothing, in nazi Germany war effort.The chapter 10 is about what really these fake notes,were really used.Chapter 11 is about the failure, with the american dollar.The last chapter is about what happened with the men involved, into this operation.
   This book is good, but its real problem, is that this operation had almost no impact in World War II.



4. Only so-so as a book 2 1/2 stars, really. An interesting story, a more modest book. the author spends a lot of energy trying to stretch the material out into book format, and insists on making numerous unnecessary editorial comments on all things Nazi. Like many of those picking up the book at this point, I saw the Counterfeiters and wanted to know more. Here's one book where the movie was far better, if not entirely accurate, it would seem. Another film "inspired by true events."



5. I looked forward to reading this book immensely, and I was not disappointed. Also I recommend reading: "THE HOAX OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY" by Arthur R. Butz.

5 comments about The Burglar on the Prowl (Bernie Rhodenbarr Mysteries).

1. In a series of unbelievable coincidences, a burglar breaks into a random woman's apartment to relief her of some of her possessions. Before he can make good his escape, the woman comes home with a man. The man date rapes the woman while the burglar hides under the bed. Meanwhile, an apartment upstairs in the same building is burglarized and Bernie (the coward that hid under the bed) is blamed. Now, the two people in the upstairs apartment die (as does the doorman) and it turns out that the murder is connected to a plastic surgeon that Bernie burglarized the night before. Another unbelievable coincidence. Not as unbelievable as the fact that Bernie starts dating the woman that he burglarized and when he tells her he hid under the bed as she was raped, this woman decides to continue dating him. How understanding! Most women hold grudges for petty things, how did this guy get away with that?!
   
   The author has a good writing style, but the story is just too unbelievable.



2. I've just finished reading THE BURGLAR ON THE PROWL, my third Lawrence Block book in the continuing adventures of master burglar, Bernie Rhodenbar. I have to say that I've enjoyed them all tremendously. The charactors are thoroughly enjoyable and the stories, though wildly improbable, are just too much fun to miss.
   
   Mr. Block writes in a style that is quick but deliberately paced, keeping those pages turning well into the evening. The characters are funny, sterotypical, completely predictable, and absolutely marvelous. That perhaps is the great charm of these books - they are like riding a roller coaster. You can see what's coming a mile away, you anticipate the plunges, dips, swerves and loops. You know they're coming, you're absolutely delighted as you go through them, and you are always satisfied with the result once you're done.
   
   Granted, these stories do not rise to the level of a really engaging John Le Carre, P.D. James or Collin Dexter mystery. Actually, they put me more in mind of a Lilian Jackson Braun "Cat" novel or a really funny episode of Monk on the television. If you want a dark, brooding mystery with gritty realism, leave Block's books on the shelf. If, on the other hand, you want a great experience of light reading on a cold winter's evening or while lounging on a sunny beach - these are the books for you.



3. I like Block and Rodenbarr and have read many in the series. This one is a real letdown. Recently authors appear to be having more and more problems bringing their tales to a satisfactory close. That's true in spades in this book. At the end the author actually has Bernie review what the police will say happened, what really happened, and what could have happened. It is all jumbled and unintelligible. The book ends with a classic showdown in a drawing room like some '30's series. That's no problem but the reader doesn't really know who half the people are or why they are there. It's just too much confusion for a story that's pretty dull to begin with. The author does take time to praise Bernie's illegal immigrant doorman. Apparently Block feels that the high crime rate, astronomical High School drop out rate and appalling illigitimacy rate are nothing compaired with the joy that comes from rich Manhattanites being able to find good menial help who know their place. People don't get much dumber than upper west side liberals.



4. Bernie (the burglar) is always witty, inventive and in trouble. His fast-paced mysteries are a joy to read and Mr. Bloch's dialogue keeps the memory of Rex Stout alive. I have all the Bernie adventures and hope that his creator loves him as much as I do and will keep on writing for years and years.



5. As always Lawrence Block has another exciting quick read book. It is a shame he has taken a break for both his series. But will wait patiently for the next one to hit the shelves.

5 comments about Burglars Can't Be Choosers: Library Edition.

1. Personally, we enjoyed the Matt Scudder and Keller novels by Lawrence Block better than the Bernie Rhodenbarr series! But according to Craig Ferguson, Mr. Block prefers bumbling, burgling Bernie, so what do I know? If you haven't read the 16 Scudder novels, or the 4 Keller novels yet, what the heck are you waiting for???



2. Burglars Can't Be Choosers (1977) introduces Bernie Rhodenbarr, a burglar in New York City. While on the job in a fancy apartment, Bernie is surprised by two policemen responding to a call. Recognizing one, Bernie offers a bribe, which is accepted, and all is well until the other cop finds a dead body in the bedroom. Bernie makes a quick escape and hides out in the apartment of an actor acquaintance who is on tour. With the assistance of the girl who appears to water his friend's plants, Bernie is soon on the hunt for the real murderer. Bernie is a charming protagonist, quick-witted and proud of his burglary skills. This lighthearted caper is a fast-moving puzzle with enough surprises to keep you guessing until the end.
   
   [...]



3. This was Lawrence Block's first Bernie Rhodenbarr mystery. Originally published in 1977 it features Block's humor, but it's missing his nifty plotting and three-dimensional women characters. It features yet another example of Block's obsession with lesbians (someone could write a dissertation thesis on this), but this time it seems gratuitious and exploitive. Read this one for background, but there are much better books in the series.



4. I enjoy reading all of LB books but this series is fast reading and allot of twists and turns. Bernie sounds like a real doll but sure can get into trouble.



5. This is the first book I've read from the Burglar series, and my first Block book as well. The highest praise that I can give 'Burglars Can't be Chooseres' is to say that I started it Saturday morning and finished it before I went to bed Saturday night. Now, I read a lot, but I seldom finish a book in one day. 'Burglars Can't be Choosers' is such a breeze to read and every second is loads of fun. I would compare it to Robert B. Parker's Spenser series in that it is very fast paced and doesn't get bogged down with a lot of superfluous details. Also, like the Spenser books, 'Burglars' is full of well-done dialogue that is fun and realistic. If you are looking for a thinking man's mystery, this probably isn't for you, but if you just want an enjoyable, lighthearted mystery that will leave you hungry for more, then Bernie is your man and 'Burglars Can't be Choosers' is your book.

2 comments about Hit Parade CD (John Keller Mysteries).

1. Contract killer John Keller has been at it for a long time, methodically rubbing out his victims while attempting to fill in the holes in his vintage stamp collection. Keller is thinking about retirement but he has been spending so much money on postage stamps that he needs to work even harder. He stalks a baseball player all around the country, waiting for him to attain some statistical milestones before fulfilling the contract. He enjoys the ballgames and picks up some Turkish postage stamps along the way. He checks in with Dot to update her on the progress of his work, she is his contact with various death brokers and Block keeps his dark subject very light and breezy. The real joy of this audiobook is that Larry Block is the reader. The book is great, his reading is dead on and a sweet thing to hear. The combination of zingy writing read by a real master makes this audiobook a real treat!



2. The main character, Keller, is interesting and Block certainly is creative in the situations he creates and resolves. It keeps your interest. With respect to the material, the only criticism I really have is that his dialogues between Dot & Keller seem to carry too much explanation; in other words they are constantly explaining to each other what they meant to say, which is often obvious. Further, you'd think 2 people who had worked together so long and had a face-to-face relationship would have found a smoother communication style.
   
   With respect to the audio, I found the quality of his voice a little grating and the irritation not fade over multiple discs. Further, and this is related only to the audio, Block's narration did not offer much distinction between his dialogue as Keller and his dialogue as Dot thus causing some confusion as to who was speaking at times. I have listened to about 25 audio books and usually, the narrators chance pitch or inflection a little to distinguish characters. Block is not very good at this.

5 comments about Grifter's Game (Hard Case Crime).

1. 
   Grifter's Game is a novel from early in Lawrence Block's career (only his second
   published I believe) so I took it up expecting it to read like a work written while
   Mr. Block was still serving his literary apprenticeship, a work by a promising young
   author offering a few hints of what the mature writer would be capable of. Well,
   apprenticeship work or no, Grifter's Game is really quite a fine book, an efficient,
   well paced thriller with those humanistic touches that make all of Mr Block's novels
   more than merely suspense driven pieces of clockwork.
   
   The novel's protagonist, Joe Marlin, is a grifter, a small time con man who makes
   his living (if you please) from the companionship of a succession wealthy widows,
   obtaining from them the financial means to support a modest but comfortable life
   style by convincing them, for a time, of his eventual matrimonial intentions. Despite
   the dubious means he has chosen to earn his livelihood, Marlin is a rather likable
   fellow; other than the loss of a small portion of their material wealth his marks come
   to no particular harm and, many of them being lonely older women, benefit from a
   few months of male companionship they might otherwise find it hard to come by.
   
   Of course even the most consummately skilled con artist will have one of his scams
   fail on him from time to time, leaving him temporarily without means of support
   and often with an urgent need to relocate to other premises far removed from his
   latest mark. It is in such a predicament that Joe Marlin finds himself in as the novel
   opens, residing in a hotel in Philadelphia (situated in one of the tonier parts of town
   to be sure) and contemplating a hotel bill he cannot pay; he decides there is nothing
   to do but to abruptly end his residency at the hotel, bill unpaid, and skip town. He
   settles on Atlantic City as his next destination, thinking the seaside resort to be a
   promising field of prospects from which to select his next mark.
   
   Alas, so suddenly was Marlin compelled to make a surreptitious departure from his
   former residence, he arrives in Atlantic City without any luggage, burdened only
   with the clothes he is wearing. As any classy hotel would look askance at one
   traveling so lightly, he realizes that, if he hopes to register as a guest at any such
   establishment, he has to acquire some baggage. Given his temporary lack of funds
   he cannot purchase any so he has to steal those of a fellow passenger.
   
   Making his way to the railway station's luggage counter Marlin finds there a pair
   of apparently unattended suitcases and retrieves them, walking out of the station
   carrying one in each hand. He finds a beachfront hotel, checks in and, leaving it
   for later to unpack, heads right for the beach.
   
   Upon returning to his room Marlin discovers, in the course of an inspection of their
   contents, that one of the suitcases is carrying a concealed cache of heroin; the size
   and purity of the stash leave him with no doubt that he has stolen luggage belonging
   to a major dealer in the dope trade, one who was evidently taking a delivery. The
   resale value of the heroin is obviously enormous and Marlin's first impulse is to find
   a distributor to whom he can sell it.
   
   The potential financial benefits of this windfall are counterbalanced both by moral
   qualms Marlin has about becoming involved in the dope trade and by a cold certitude:
   traffickers being notoriously unforgiving when it comes to the matter of stolen
   merchandise, he realizes that, if he is unable to dispose of the heroin before its theft
   is traced to him, his impromptu act of larceny has inadvertently place him in a lethal
   predicament.
   
   As he considers his course of action he continues to pursue a newly formed liaison
   with a beautiful young women named Mona Brassard, met on the very day of his
   arrival (and seemingly by chance) while relaxing earlier on the beach.
   
   It does not take long for these two developments in Marlin's life to intersect and thereby
   is the plot of this novel set into motion.
   
   A reader familiar with the plot mechanics of the generic crime thriller should be able
   to foresee much of Grifter's Game unfolding story; the novel, nevertheless, holds the
   reader's continued interest not by delivering surprising and unexpected twists and
   turns in the plot but by keeping him in suspenseful anticipation of a denouement that
   he knows is inevitable but will come he knows not when and how. In this sense the
   author spins a tale in a Hitchcockian mode. (There is a scene in the novel in which
   Mr. Block seems to offer the reader a slyly acknowledgment of this. In the scene in
   question Marlin is in a movie theater killing an afternoon by attending a matinee
   showing of a Hitchcock film. He becomes engrossed in the films' plot and reflects
   on the director's power to tell a story so compellingly that the viewer is made to
   forget its reliance on a tissue of wildly improbable coincidences; he is then suddenly
   brought up short by a realization of the similarly improbable skein of events and
   circumstances that have led him to his present predicament.)
   
   Though it was reissued by Hard Case Crime as its inaugural volume, a purist would
   not, I think, classify Grifter's Game as a 'hard boiled' crime novel. Despite there
   being among its ingredients a murderous plot and plenty of cheating and lying on all
   sides, the novel lacks the tone of gloomy cynicism characteristic of the hard boiled
   school of crime fiction. (It even concludes with a happy ending of sorts, though an
   admittedly ambiguous one). It is, furthermore, not a particularly violent novel; other
   than it's sole homicide the only act of violence to be found in its pages is a (somewhat
   implausible) display of martial arts prowess by its main protagonist. (Just where,
   when, and how did a small time grifter like Joe Marlin have the occasion to acquire
   such skills?)
   
   I will remark that, for a contemporary reader, one of the pleasures of this book
   (originally published in 1961 under the title Mona) is its setting in the America
   of the very early 1960's; though the author surely did not intend this modest little
   thriller to be an evocation of an era, the novel is, for this reader at least, a small
   time capsule from a time now gone. Much of the novel's first half, for instance,
   is set in Atlantic City, but not the glitzy cityscape of casinos and luxury hotels
   of today but, rather, the seedy, rundown seaside resort it had become prior to its
   reincarnation in the 1970's as the Las Vegas of the east coast; through the eyes
   of the narrator, this Atlantic City of yesteryear has the forlorn charm of a place
   bidding its time while waiting for better days.
   
   I would like to end this review with a tip of the hat to Hard Case Crime, a
   publishing line dedicated to both reissuing vintage pulp fiction and publishing
   new and contemporary works written in the same vein; thanks to their efforts
   those paperback pulp novels (graced with gloriously lurid cover art) that, once
   upon a time, could be found in drugstore spinner racks and on newsstands
   everywhere are available again.



2. This was a decent enough hard boiled crime drama and worth the low price, but it was fairly predictable and the formatting was off on my Kindle DX. Single and double quotes looked like weird circle type thingies and what I think were meant to be dashes were off as well.



3. Hard core grifter? Check. Gorgeous beauty? Check. Illicit affair? Check? Suitcase full of heroin? Check and checkmate. Another doozy of a novel from Lawrence Block and Hard Case crime. The book grabs you quick and makes for an easy cover-to-cover read. The characters and twists and turns make these pages perfect for a lazy day by the pool, or the corner of your local dive bar. Loved it.



4. I enjoyed about ninety percent of this book. The author has a terrific eye for detail and it was like opening a time capsule from the late fifties/early sixties to read this novel (who knew people hated power steering when it first came out, for instance). The characters were believable and the hero sufficiently hard-boiled for the noir label, and I was absorbed in the story from the first paragraph. But it's the last ten percent of the book that will stay with me. The ending of this book is so appalling, so horrifying, so inhumane, that I'm not sure I will ever forget it. It was almost more than I could stand to finish reading the book. An over-reaction? Maybe. And I can't give the book a bad rating because it is so well-written and the story was very good. But that ending...yeesh!



5. Chronological snobbery cuts both ways. Although the term is usually applied to those who dismiss arguments simply because they're old, it could also describe people who eschew new things because they happen to be, well, new. You see this equally in literature as well as logic. There's the one camp endlessly surfing Amazon for new releases, yearning to catch the Next Big Thing right from the get go, while the other sniffs at anything published after, say, the nineteenth century and views the Internet as a not-quite-necessary evil. Such a tendency to judge things based on their age is why books like Grifter's Game (an early effort by crime-writing veteran Lawrence Block) are so important: They're complex enough to force careful evaluation.
   
   Joe Marlin has known a lot of women in his twenty-eight years, with very profitable results. Whether his marks happens to be idealistic young heiresses or needy (and wealthy) widows, Joe always finds a way to kiss them, bilk them and run, often with only the clothes on his back. While fleeing a failed seduction, he picks a bag at random from the luggage at the train station, figuring he can pawn it for a little dough. But among the shoes, slacks and shirts inside, he finds something else -- sixty cubic inches of pure heroin. Dazed by the discovery, Joe retreats to the beach for a little sun and surf, and that's where he meets Mrs. Mona Brassard, a blonde bombshell with a figure so lethal it ought to be registered with the police. One thing leads to another, and soon Joe and Mona are sharing a bed. It's a mutually enjoyable time, but there's one hitch: Mona wants to know why Joe has her husband's suitcase.
   
   Game was originally published in 1961, and even proponents of classic crime stories have to admit that much of it hasn't aged well. References to bellhops, boardwalks and telephone switchboard operators date the novel, and wry jabs at yesterday's innovations fall flat when viewed in the light of the present."The car moved like a retarded child," grouses Joe during a drive. "It was further encumbered with automatic transmission, which keeps you from shifting gears at the proper time, and power steering, which is an invention designed to drive anyone out of his mind." But even with such anachronisms, the novel defies easy dismissal. Why? Well, Game features a conclusion as cold as a knife between the ribs and so black it makes you remember why they call it noir. It wouldn't be exaggerating to call it genre-defining. Indeed, it isn't the antiquated references that stick with you when you reach the final page, but a profound sense of dread and poignancy, one that may very well linger long after the titles on today's bestseller lists have slid into obscurity.