The Burglar by Thomas Perry

ABOUT THE BOOK

A cunning thief is on the run for her life in a breakneck thriller from the New York Times–bestselling “master of nail-biting suspense” (Los Angeles Times).

Elle Stowell is a young woman with an unconventional profession: burglary. But Elle is no petty thief—with just the right combination of smarts, looks, and skills, she can easily stroll through ritzy Bel Air neighborhoods and pick out the perfect home for plucking the most valuable items. This is how Elle has always gotten by—she is good at it, and she thrives on the thrill. But after stumbling upon a grisly triple homicide while stealing from the home of a wealthy art dealer, Elle discovers that she is no longer the only one sneaking around. Somebody is searching for her.

As Elle realizes that her knowledge of the high-profile murder has made her a target, she races to solve the case before becoming the next casualty, using her breaking-and-entering skills to uncover the truth about exactly who the victims were and why someone might have wanted them dead. With high-stakes action and shocking revelations, The Burglar will keep readers on the edge of their seats as they barrel towards the heart-racing conclusion.

“The fact is, there are probably only half a dozen suspense writers now alive who can be depended upon to deliver high voltage shocks . . . Thomas Perry is one of them.” —Stephen King

Purchase on Amazon

REVIEW

I would like to disclose that I did not finish this novel, the following is my opinion until chapter 16. Grove Atlantic, through NetGalley, gave me a copy of The Burglar by Thomas Perry for my honest opinion. I encourage all readers to draw their own conclusions.

Elle is good at her job as a cat burglar. She does her homework to ensure she does not get caught and no one gets hurt, she gets in and out quickly and is not too greedy. It is interesting to watch her execute plans. A lot of thought is put into the best way to present a successful thief. Elle takes advantage of an empty house and happens upon a crime scene which threatens her anonymity. A trio of naked victims who were in the midst of recording their interlude is dead, and Elle is on film entering the area. She attempts to guarantee she is not implicated in the crime while trying to ensure the police solve the murder.

Elle attempts to investigate the crime herself in case something eventually points to her. As the story moves forward, Elle seems to make little progress. She discovers someone breaks into her apartment, someone is stalking her favorite hang-out spot, she tracks someone following her to what could be a base of operations, but none of them lead to any revelations. 

Instead, she moves to several hotels within the city, changing cars often to throw off any pursuers, this is the majority of what she does, for too long. A Canadian Cowboy, as Elle he calls him, hits on her at one of her hotel stays. Elle fills some inner monologue hinting she shouldn't trust him, then she lets him drive her to the middle of nowhere. When it turns out the cowboy is not what he seems Elle spends several more paragraphs berating herself for trusting him. That is where the book lost me. Maybe it gets better when the loose ends start tying together. Unfortunately, I don't have the patience to find out. Although there were a few interesting occurrences, my particular favorite is when Elle stands up to a threatening jewel fence, her story did not grip me. I wish it did.