Lawrence Block's classic Bernie Rhodenbarr capers continue with this long-unavailable adventure for the Greenwich Village bookseller who can't resist a little breaking-and-entering now and then. Serendipity is a curious thing. It's just good luck that Bernie knows that Hank and Wanda Colcannon's Chelsea apartment is empty while they're out of town. But it's lousy luck that somebody beats him to the job and ransacks the place before he arrives. But then again, it's great luck that Bernie turns up a rare 1913 V-nickel. He knows that it's valuable, but when he takes it to Abel Crowe, his local fence, and finds out that the five-cent piece is worth a cool half a mil, well that's just stupefying. Abel has a soft spot for Bernie, who's always bringing him rare books on philosophy, including the writings of Baruch Spinoza, so he agrees to handle the hot coin.
