Lawrence Block's latest Bernie Rhodenbarr novel, The Burglar in the Library is based on the premise that Raymond Chandler to Dashiell Hammett, gave it to him, and then the book was inadvertently left at the place where the two had met for drinks. That building, an old mansion, became a classic English style inn, and Bernie has high hopes the book, now worth a fortune, is still stuck in with the other titles in the huge library. He and Carolyn his lesbian, dog-grooming friend, spend the weekend there. Soon there are bodies everywhere, they are snowed in, the rope bridge has been cut, and the guests all begin to suspect each.Not only that but Bernie' sex-girlfriend (ex- by only a week) up with a new husband for her honeymoon is one of the guests. That complicates things. This is really one of Block's absolute best. It has the side splitting wisecracks and Bernie' constant reference to books and authors — he is, after all, a bookseller when he' not burgling. Block is obviously well-read and I' added several new authors to the thousands on my list. Not only that, but this book pays homage to two great genres of mystery: the classic English and the great Philip Marlowe detective stories. This one is not to be missed.
