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From: chuqui@nsc.UUCP (Cheshire Chuqui)
Newsgroups: net.books
Subject: Lawrence Block
Message-ID: <1878@nsc.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 19-Nov-84 20:10:42 EST
Article-I.D.: nsc.1878
Posted: Mon Nov 19 20:10:42 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 20-Nov-84 07:29:40 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: The Bistro
Lines: 39

For the mystery/spy genre readers, you ought to track down a writer by the
name of Lawrence Block, finally out in paperback with Jove. I've read parts
of two of his series, and both are good, clean lighthearted books. 

The first series of books to hit paperback was the burglar series, starring
Bernie Rhodenbarr, gentleman burglar. The titles tell you a lot-- 'The
Burglar in the Closet', 'The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling', 'The
Burglar who studied Spinoza'-- Bernie usually goes after some rather
esoteric object, someone gets killed (by someone else), and he is off
trying to keep his name out of it (or clear it) and keep the payoff at the
same time. Written in a rather silly vein, it's a great thing to relax
over.

The other series, of which I've only read one, is about Evan Tanner. Tanner
was injured in the Korean War and had his sleep center accidently
destroyed. He hasn't slept in 16 years, and uses the time in educating
himself. Through a series of accidents he has become a spy for some unnamed
supersecret organization of the Government and runs around doing spy type
things. The plotting is rather preposterous in retrospect, but I really
enjoyed it. The book I picked up was 'The Cancelled Czech' where Tanner has
to sneak into Prague, break into a prison, kidnap a Nazi that everyone
(including Tanner and tanners bosses) wants dead and rescue him long 
enough to steal his secrets on an organization he controls. He does this
with the aid of a strange rag-tag group of beings including a group of
radical Jews who want to kidnap him from the Czechs (who are going to kill
him for war crimes) long enough so THEY can kill him for war crimes. It
moves rather quickly, and in reality it's an impossibly plot, but you don't
really seem to notice. Again, not a deep thinker like LeCarre, but good for
airport waiting areas...

chuq
-- 
From the Department of Bistromatics:                   Chuq Von Rospach
{cbosgd,decwrl,fortune,hplabs,ihnp4,seismo}!nsc!chuqui  nsc!chuqui@decwrl.ARPA

  This plane is equipped with 4 emergency exits, at the front and back of
  the plane and two above the wings. Please note that the plane will be
  travelling at an average altitude of 31,000 feet, so any use of these
  exits in an emergency situation will most likely be futile.