"I don t play cards with men named Doc， or eat at places called Mom s. Or drink before I burgle. . . . It is， I should point out， not a career I would recommend for anyone. The fact that I evidently can t give it up doesn t mean I m not well aware of the disagreeably sordid nature of what I do." -- Bernie Rhodenbarr Acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Lawrence Block returns with one of his most inspired and popular characters: the extraordinary Bernie Rhodenbarr. Antiquarian bookseller by day， burglar by night， Bernie has an innate knack， a gift， for getting into places designed to keep him out. Sophisticated yet down-to-earth， philosophical yet practical， Bernie is a gentleman who knows and loves his territory， the gloriously diverse and electric streets of Manhattan; a connoisseur who surrounds himself with the finer things in life， including his tailless Manx tabby， Raffles， and good friends like his neighbor Carolyn. In fact， it s a friend who gets him in his latest jam. Bernie is minding his own business when he s asked for a favor -- a neat， uncomplicated bit of vengeful larceny that will reap a tidy profit -- an offer the intrepid thief can t refuse. But with a few days to go before the crime， Bernie gets restless. So what does a burglar do to change his mood? Go on the prowl， of course. Though not the best way to do business， as he well knows. This bit of prowling lands Bernie in a pile of trouble that includes four murders and the burglary of his own home. Caught in the center of a deadly mystery， he must use his wits and wiles to connect the dots and add up the coincidences. Because if Bernie doesn t catch a killer， he ll lose not only his freedom but his life. Infused with the rich atmosphere of New York City and filled with a smart， charming cast of characters headed by the stylish Bernie， The Burglar on the Prowl is an engaging and delightfully suspenseful tale sure to be savored by Block fans old and new.

当今欧美硬汉派侦探小说第一人

侯孝贤、张大春、朱天文、朱天心最推崇的侦探文学大师

王家卫作品《蓝莓之夜》编剧，梁朝伟最想演绎其作品中的角色

他的作品不仅在美国备受推崇，还完全征服了自诩为侦探小说原乡的欧洲

劳伦斯•布洛克（Lawrence Block，1938年6月24日— ）生于水牛城，目前定居纽约。被誉为“在纽约游走的忧郁灵魂”，很多精英分子为之迷狂。侯孝贤把他的书推荐给梁朝伟，后者很希望扮演他笔下的角色；朱天心评价布洛克——“他是类型小说大师，又是一位不愿驯服的抗拒的越界者”……四十年来，布洛克伴随着落魄固执的私家侦探马修•斯卡德，绅士大盗伯尼•罗登巴尔、睡不着觉的密探伊凡•谭纳、冷酷杀手凯勒，见证了纽约最极致的繁华与罪恶。即使第一页就暴露了凶手，对他的作品也丝毫没有影响。有人说，布洛克的本领是先在血腥里看见恐怖，然后把恐怖化成悬疑再在悬疑里寻求理解，理解杀人者为何而杀，被杀者因何而死。

侦探小说最重要的两个奖项，爱伦•坡奖的终身成就奖和钻石匕首奖均肯定了劳伦斯的大师地位。他曾三次获得爱伦•坡奖，两获马耳他之鹰奖，四获夏姆奖（后两个奖项都是重要的硬汉派侦探小说奖项）。他亦被称为“纽约犯罪风景的行吟诗人”。