When Bernie and Carolyn enter the Colcannon's residence they discover that the place has already been robbed. Bernie is somewhat dismayed. The first thieves were decidedly unprofessional, leaving a path of destruction in their wake. He decides to look for the more valuable items anyway, reasoning that his predecessors were probably not clever enough to find the safe or even open it if they did.

His reasoning is sound and he finds a watch, a pair of earrings and a valuable coin which he takes to make his visit worthwhile. The next day Bernie discovers that the Colcannons had returned home that night after his visit, presumably interrupting yet another burglary in progress. During this robbery, Mrs. Colcannon is killed.

When the police come to investigate, they find evidence that makes them believe Bernie has been at the Colcannon's home.. In order to prevent being arrested not only for a burglary, but also for a murder he didn't commit, Bernie is forced to unravel the mystery.

The Burglar Who Studied Spinoza was originally published in 1980 and occasionally shows its age. Indeed, some of the action may seem a little strange to a reader in the 90's. Bernie is constantly looking for a phone booth and change in order to make a call, and enjoys listening to LP's on his stereo.

However, the story is an excellent one and Bernie's analysis of the crime and ultimate discovery of the villain have not suffered through the passage of time. They are still as entertaining as ever.

Lawrence Block is a master of character development and dialogue. Bernie Rhodenbarr is a thief, but only of necessity. It is impossible to make a living selling books, but this is what he wants to do. He steals with taste, and isn't greedy. He is erudite and teaches the reader about literature and the used book business. The minor characters are not given as much attention as Bernie, but they are clever and interesting in their own right.

The plot itself is quite amusing, although a bit of a stretch to believe that three burglaries to the same house could occur in one night. Yet similar things have occurred in New York, and no doubt stranger crimes have been reported in the New York newspapers. The action moves along at a brisk pace, with some physical confrontation. No one is seriously injured, except, of course, the unfortunate victims that are killed.

In addition to being entertained by Bernie's antics, bits of information about books and coin collecting are included to make this book completely delightful.

--Andy Plonka