A Writer Prepares is the new memoir from author Lawrence Block that details his early years as a writer and how he broke into the industry offering a A Writer Prepares is the new memoir from author Lawrence Block that details his early years as a writer and how he broke into the industry offering a glimpse into an incredibly successful and prolific career.
How this book came together is just as interesting as the content itself. Block began writing this memoir in the mid-90s while in his mid-fifties hoping to fulfill an obligation to a publisher. Ultimately, even though he was several thousand words deep, Block decided against finishing the damn thing and shelved it. Now, nearly twenty-five years later, and Block now in his eighties, he picked up where he left off and is finally releasing it.
Despite knowing from an early age that he wanted to be a writer, Block didn’t quite know where to start. He took a job early on working for a literary agency where he would read short stories, novellas and novels and offer feedback to amateur writers desperate to break into the market. He’d work that mind-numbing job all day and then turn around and pump out erotica in his spare time as a writer-for-hire under various pseudonyms.
He mentions in the book that much of his early work ended up being stories he wanted to distance himself from as he became more established under his own name. In fact, he would flat-out refuse to sign some of the stuff that had been floating around under any of these old pen names, which is surprising to me considering some of those stories are really quite good (Sinner Man and Lucky at Cards come to mind).
I guess we have a publisher like Hard Case Crime to thank for his change of heart. With Hard Case publishing several of his early novels and the favorable response from readers, Block now takes to self-publishing much of his back catalog. Which is great, because you’ll never hear me complaining about more Block!
I’m happy that Block ultimately decided to finish and release this book. While Block has written several books about the craft of writing, I’ve always wanted to know more about just how one of my favorite authors got his start and A Writer Prepares allowed me to sit down and get to know him a little better....more
Kit Toliver spends her days picking up men and promptly murdering them afterwards. While her behavior could likely be traced back to a traumatic evenKit Toliver spends her days picking up men and promptly murdering them afterwards. While her behavior could likely be traced back to a traumatic event in her childhood, she certainly doesn’t hide the fact that she enjoys what she’s doing. One day, when thinking back to all of the men she’s disposed of, she’s reminded of the five that escaped with their lives. She decides to put things right in her mind and go after the ones that got away.
Lawrence Block and Hard Case Crime weren’t kidding when they labeled GETTING OFF “a novel of sex and violence”. In the 1960s and 70s, Block had penned a handful of sexually charged novels under the pseudonym Jill Emmerson. Following a brief hiatus in 2010, Hard Case Crime was looking to relaunch in a big way. What better way than reaching out to Block and having him resurrect an old pen name and style that fits perfectly within the publisher’s wheelhouse?
GETTING OFF is without a doubt one of the most violent and sexually explicit novels I’ve ever read. I’d like to consider myself fairly well-read when it comes to Hard Case Crime’s catalog, but I can’t recall anything quite as dark, brutal or sexual from them as this one from Block. That isn’t meant to be a knock, so don’t take it that way. I definitely knew what I was getting into when I had read a few reviews beforehand. That said, I continued to be shocked on occasion throughout the story as Block seemingly refused to hold anything back when it came to Kit’s adventurous side either in the bedroom or on the other end of a knife.
Even though Kit is reprehensible in her actions, she’s an easy character to get behind (pun intended) as she’s equipped with razor sharp wit leading to a level of charm that’s quite infectious. The relationship she develops with Rita, a woman she rents a room from midway through the novel, is an integral part of the story that allows Kit to grow and develop as a character rather than just a mindless killing machine.
Although Kit’s trauma is probably far worse than many of us will experience in our lives, it’s still something that, throughout the novel, she is constantly coming to terms with. GETTING OFF, while at its core is a story meant to affect the reader in a certain way, is more of a nuanced look at how life molds and shapes us, how we’re sometimes powerless to change our behavior despite knowing that it can often be detrimental to our lives. GETTING OFF is proof that genre fiction has much more to say than just what appears at surface level and it’s why Hard Case Crime is one of the best places for those voices....more
Keller is enjoying a quiet life in New Orleans with his wife and daughter when, like many Americans at the time, he is hit by the financial crisis of Keller is enjoying a quiet life in New Orleans with his wife and daughter when, like many Americans at the time, he is hit by the financial crisis of the late 2000s. With his house-flipping business belly-up, Keller receives a call from Dot asking if he’s willing to come out of retirement.
Once again, Block eschews the novel format for a collection of loosely connected short stories. Honestly, I have no preference between the two ways in which Block chooses to present Keller’s story – each has its own merits. This time around, we see Keller venture back to the Big Apple to take down a prominent holy man, go on a "vacation" with his wife Julia where a fellow passenger is a dead-man walking, and also work alongside a woman in Cheyenne who is looking to unload her deceased husband’s stamp collection.
I will say that choosing to read every book in a series in quick succession is not something I normally do. I generally like to space novels out to just get the illusion of more time with a character. However, Block’s prose goes down as easily as my favorite comfort food, so it was easy to make an exception to my own rule. That said, I got a bit worn down by all the stamp talk in this one. I realize it’s important to the character and helps to ground him in reality, but I think I hit my limit mid-way through HIT ME. That’s probably just fatigue speaking though. Hard to hold it against the series in any way.
These were some fun stories. I particularly enjoyed "Keller’s Homecoming" where he has to come up with a way to knock off an Abbott inside a Monastery. Not an easy task. The best bits of the story involve Keller struggling with the loss of comfort in the city he called home the majority of his life. It’s not like the target on his back brought about by the events in Des Moines will ever truly go away, so it’s dangerous to risk being recognized in New York City. Block did a good job balancing Keller’s anxiety over how to complete the job while attempting to stay undercover.
There’s still a novella on the horizon that I need to read, so I’m not entirely finished with Keller just yet. I’m going to give myself a bit of a breather before this one though. As long as Block wishes to keep writing about his humble hit-man, I’m willing to read on....more
Keller is in Des Moines, Iowa awaiting instructions on when to complete a hit when an urgent news bulletin breaks showing the sudden assassination of Keller is in Des Moines, Iowa awaiting instructions on when to complete a hit when an urgent news bulletin breaks showing the sudden assassination of the state’s governor. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem for Keller considering he had nothing to do with it but when he spots his picture on television identified as the culprit, things take a drastic turn for the worse. On the run and desperate to connect with Dot, Keller has to somehow keep under the radar while coming up with a plan.
This is a very different novel than the preceding three Keller adventures. Gone are the scenes of Keller and his taskmaster Dot jawing over iced tea, gone are the self-reflective moments wherein Keller plays with his stamps in his New York City apartment, gone are the multiple assignments with Keller jet-setting across the country. What we’re left with is a cat-and-mouse dynamic with Keller trying to stay one step ahead of the authorities while he tries to figure out what in the hell just happened.
Block takes a crowbar and smashes Keller’s world to bits and I’m just supposed to sit here and take it? What gives, man! How dare you mess with a good thing? I guess I should have given Block more credit when things go pear-shaped because he knew just exactly what he was doing. I kept trying to figure out just how Keller was going to get himself out of this mess and of the multiple scenarios in my head, Block still happened to give me one I didn’t exactly see coming.
There is a moment late in the novel that made me think a little less of one of the characters but then I quickly remembered exactly who these people are. They’re the baddies! There’s no switch they flip and all of sudden they’re upstanding members of society. I suppose Keller has been able to do that on a few occasions, but Block rarely lets his audience forget who Keller is at his core.
I know there’s another book and another novella yet to read, but if this was the end of Keller’s run, Block couldn’t have picked a better ship for Keller to sail away on. On to book five!...more
In the third installment of his John Keller series, author Lawrence Block brings his readers another collection of short stories showcasing the humbleIn the third installment of his John Keller series, author Lawrence Block brings his readers another collection of short stories showcasing the humble hit man for hire. This go-round we see Keller tasked with striking out a star baseball player, playing both sides of jilted lovers and even being forced to take out a fellow stamp collector.
While the above stories entertain well enough, my favorite moments deal with Keller’s feelings about the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent effect they have on his job. It was easy enough to buy a plane ticket under an assumed name in cash shortly before final boarding but now, with the overhaul in security, it makes everything that much more difficult and while there is certainly no shortage of work in the Big Apple, Keller often defers to the old saying “don’t shit where you eat” and tends to take the majority of his assignments out of state. I found this really interesting – even criminals had to adapt to the “new normal”.
Block has done such a masterful job of constructing John Keller that it’s entirely believable that someone can do this kind of work and not be a complete lunatic. It’s almost like a switch that Keller is able to turn on and off and as a result, is able to successfully keep his personal and professional life separate (most of the time). That might be easy for you and me, but when it involves beating people to death with a candlestick that may be difficult for the average Joe. but I guess it isn’t always easy to turn your mind off when being paid to knock someone off. There are the odd jobs where Keller believes he needs to know why the person he’s been assigned to kill is destined to die, and usually those are moments brought about by a particular gut feeling. So I like seeing Keller performing and sparring mental gymnastics with Dot over the sudden unexpected arrival of Keller’s conscience.
Another solid entry in the Keller saga. On to book four!...more
Someone has been hitting Keller’s targets before he gets the chance. It’s not all bad though as Keller still gets paid in the end. The worrisome part Someone has been hitting Keller’s targets before he gets the chance. It’s not all bad though as Keller still gets paid in the end. The worrisome part deals with the fact that after murdering his mark, the competing hit man is also trying to kill Keller. Can Keller uncover his stalker before it’s too late?
After I finished the first Keller collection on my Kindle, I immediately picked up book two. Turns out I bought this alongside an Evan Tanner novel a few years ago in a used book store. Lucky me! Much like the first book, this was a breezy read that had me journey from cover to cover in only three days. This time around, between jobs, Keller goes on a few dates and gets hauled in for jury duty.
The jury duty bits were among my favorite moments in the book. Block gets to mess around with the idea of an assassin getting to play a part in whether or not someone goes to jail, which is funny enough in and of itself, but Block makes sure to add in a lot of humor that had me laughing out loud. At this point, Block could ruminate about anything at this point and I’d be entertained – it just happens to be so impressive that he does so from the mind of an assassin that we can all somehow sympathize with.
The long conversations with Dot are also welcome, which both serve to entertain the reader and build upon each character. Although it’s not as light-hearted, I get the same vibe from these two as the one I get between Perry and Della from the old Perry Mason series – the two play off each other that well. Keller would be lost without Dot as the nature of his profession doesn’t exactly make it easy for Keller to foster a close and honest relationship, which I suppose serves to keep Keller from losing his mind from loneliness as much as it pains him to admit it.
Hit List is another excellent peek into the life of a humble hit man for hire....more
Between his trips out of state to kill people, Keller spends his days just like you and I would. Going to therapy, collecting stamps and ordering takBetween his trips out of state to kill people, Keller spends his days just like you and I would. Going to therapy, collecting stamps and ordering takeout. Oh? You want to hear more about how he kills people? Well, you’re in luck. In “Hit Man”, Lawrence Block collects the first ten tales from the world of Keller – assassin for hire.
As a self-proclaimed “large fan of Lawrence Block”, you’ll have to forgive the fact that outside of his infamous detective series featuring Matt Scudder, I haven’t checked out any of his other series. Well, after reading the first Keller book, that’s likely not going to be a problem for much longer.
Being a reader of noir for several years, I’m already used to rooting for the bad guy at this point. With Keller, it doesn’t take too much on the part of the reader to drop their proclivity to cheer for the good guy. Sure, Keller does some reprehensible stuff, but it’s clear he isn’t doing it with malice. He’s very much a blue collar guy punching the clock although instead of say, hauling bricks, he’s breaking necks.
As with most of Block’s work, the true joy doesn’t come from the violence, but rather the characters and their relationships. Much of the killing is reserved for quick, one-sentence scenes where Keller is done before you know it (the work that goes alongside with setting up a hit is much more intricate and focused). The rest of the story is populated by Keller’s meetings and long conversations with Dot, the lady who works in the house in White Plains where all of Keller’s work originates from and by moments in his personal life and the women he goes to bed with.
It’s rare that I ever have anything but a great time reading whatever Block writes and John Keller is proving to be no exception. Hit Man lays the groundwork for a truly interesting series that I cannot wait to explore....more
As the calendar turned to 2020, and with the release of Dead Girl Blues, Lawrence Block entered his eighth decade as an author. With published work sAs the calendar turned to 2020, and with the release of Dead Girl Blues, Lawrence Block entered his eighth decade as an author. With published work spanning all the way back to the 1950s, and a level of quality most authors can only dream of, it certainly says something that this book is being called perhaps his best work yet.
That being said, a book receiving such praise won’t be for everyone. Why? Well, there’s a graphic, brutal crime committed at the very beginning that would likely turn off most readers. I won’t go into detail here but suffice it to say, it’s as heinous an act as you can imagine. Block then asks the reader to stick with this human being for the duration of the story. It’s a tough sell, but it’s Lawrence Block after all and I think he’s owed a chance to tell the story he wants to tell here.
After the crime is committed, the story follows the perpetrator as he travels across the United States in search of a new life for himself. As time passes and he weaves himself into everyday life, he faces an ongoing battle with whether or not he should chance it and commit that crime once again.
Maybe it’s the supporting cast that Block chose to surround his main character with or the quaint charm of small town life that had me flying through this novel. And let’s be honest, Block’s prose is so effortlessly digestible that it can be fed to anyone looking to nurse themselves back from a reading slump. It could be any one of these. Or it could just be a really good story in the end?
The truth is, it’s a story about a hopelessly damaged individual with little to no regret for his actions, yet the path he chooses in life is an honorable one. Does he only do this because he thinks it's what he has to do to keep himself in check or does he begrudgingly enjoy this life he’s made for himself? I would find myself at times actually rooting for this guy and pleased he was able to find security but then I remember just exactly what he is and get brought back down to earth. It’s such an incredible achievement in what I want to say is reader manipulation, but I don’t even believe it's quite that as the narrator isn’t at any point dishonest or misleading to his audience.
Dead Girl Blues is an easy five-star read from me and is likely going to be the most interesting book I read in 2020. Whether you’re a fan of Block or not, it’s worth checking out. Screw the publishers who passed on it!
I received an advanced copy from the author for a review....more
At Home in the Dark is a collection of short stories from various authors edited by Lawrence Block.
I received a free copy from the editor in exchange At Home in the Dark is a collection of short stories from various authors edited by Lawrence Block.
I received a free copy from the editor in exchange for an honest review.
When asked about what is the common denominator that links these stories, editor Lawrence Block said – “…two come to mind. They’re all dark stories, with nothing cozy or comforting about them. And every last one of them packs a punch.” While there were some that I enjoyed more than others, I can absolutely agree with Block’s assessment.
Two of my favorite authors – Duane Swierczynski and Joe Hill – come armed with memorable tales (Giant’s Despair and Faun, respectively) that stuck with me after I finished the collection. Others I enjoyed were Nancy Pickard’s “If You Would Only Leave Me” – a story about a failing marriage with deadly consequences, and Jill D. Block’s “O, Swear Not By The Moon”, a quick tale about two teens who meet a tragic end following a secret love affair. Joe R. Lansdale’s “The Senior Girls Bayonet Drill Team” was another memorable tale about a dystopian future where high school girls viciously slaughter each other for an audience’s enjoyment.
Overall, I thought the collection was worth my time. I’m a big fan of darker fiction in general, so it was up my alley to begin with. Lawrence Block...more
I had started reading Block’s Scudder books way back in 2011 and when I finally got to the fifth installment - Eight Million Ways to Die - I knew I haI had started reading Block’s Scudder books way back in 2011 and when I finally got to the fifth installment - Eight Million Ways to Die - I knew I had just read a game changer for the series. In his foreword, Block says that in the original novel, he was trying to tell three stories: the overarching case involving the disappearance of Kim, the hopelessness of life in New York where death lurks around every corner, and finally Scudder’s struggle to stay sober. He managed to blend all three together seamlessly to craft the first truly “great” book in the series.
IDW received praise for its work in publishing Darwyn Cooke’s Parker passion project - his series of adaptations of Richard Stark’s tough-guy noirs from the 60s - so it’s not surprising they would again wish to walk down that dark alley and showcase another hard-boiled story. For Eight Million Ways to Die, John K. Snyder III (Grendel, Suicide Squad) is a one man show in adapting Block’s critically acclaimed novel to the comics format. And the results are tremendous.
I think Snyder really nailed the look of 1980s New York - a point in history where The Big Apple was at its most rotten. He paints the landscape in dark colors with rough edges and heavy shading. It all feels very murky and nihilistic - perfect for a story where the main character is nearly devoid of hope for humanity. It was neat to see Snyder’s versions of characters I’ve imagined over the course of nearly twenty novels. Scudder himself looked to be about how I’d picture him; same goes for Danny Boy Bell. I’d love for Snyder to adapt another Scudder novel just so I can see his vision of Mick Ballou come to life.
This version of Eight Million Ways To Die is easily one of my favorite graphic novel adaptations and I’d hold it up next to the aforementioned Parker series as examples of how to properly transfer mystery novels to comics - especially one as dialogue heavy as Block’s story....more
Through his wife Elaine, Matt Scudder is introduced to a young woman being stalked and threatened by a former client of hers. Without a name or photo Through his wife Elaine, Matt Scudder is introduced to a young woman being stalked and threatened by a former client of hers. Without a name or photo to go on, can Matt track him down and scare him off?
Having believed to be done with Scudder, Block surprised us all when he announced a new novella featuring his titular sleuth. This would not be a flashback entry like A Drop of the Hard Stuff, but a present day story that catches us up with Matt as he hovers near eighty.
Full disclosure: Lawrence Block sent me an advanced copy for review. While I happen to get dozens of complimentary books each year to read, it will never cease to amaze me that I receive books directly from one of my favorite authors.
With the release of The Sins of the Fathers back in 1976, it’s been forty-three years since Matt’s first story. So is he showing signs of age? Sure, Matt’s a little slower and he’s been dealing with a recurring knee issue for some time now, but that doesn’t mean his mind isn’t as sharp as ever. That said, readers likely aren’t coming to the Scudder series for action (not that Scudder hasn’t dealt out some physical justice in the past). It’s the characters and their relationships that keep Block’s audience returning time and time again. The banter between Scudder and Elaine, Scudder’s internal dialogue and a few cameos make this one feel like coming home.
A Time to Scatter Stones is a worthy entry into the Scudder saga and longtime fans will be satisfied with this excellent, albeit quick, read....more
Sinner Man tells the story of small town insurance-peddler Don Barshter, and how after a few too many drinks, inadvertently murders his wife followingSinner Man tells the story of small town insurance-peddler Don Barshter, and how after a few too many drinks, inadvertently murders his wife following an errant strike. Rather than call the police and turn himself in, Don decides to cram his wife’s body into a closet and flee town. It’s during his aimless travels that Don forms a plan - get to Buffalo and join the mob under a new identity. Now known as Nat Crowley, he quickly begins a career in organized crime and subsequently hooks up with a woman who may be more dangerous than she first lets on.
Nat Crowley, while trying his best to frame himself in a positive light, is a despicable, layered character - as all great noir protagonists are. Barshter suffers from the “smartest man in the room” syndrome where his own arrogance and self-perceived intelligence blinds him. How can you blame him? His ramshackle, cartoonish plan actually unfolds as he envisioned but when ripples begin to show, he ignores them thinking he’s infallible. So while it appears at the beginning he’s done a serviceable job replacing the spineless Don Barshter with the cold, callous Nat Crowley, he realizes too late that like leopards, you can’t change your spots (sorry for the overdone expression) and despite his best efforts, history threatens to repeat itself before all is said and done.
Identified as Block’s first ever crime novel, Sinner Man is ripe with noir excellence. You’ve got all the hallmarks of the genre; tough-talking baddies, femme fatales, a plethora of murders and steamy sex scenes. For fans of Hard Case Crime, this is an easy sell - Sinner Man lives up to their publishing standards revealing itself as a hidden gem from Lawrence Block’s vast catalogue of work....more
The Night & The Music holds eleven Scudder short stories that cover a wide spectrum of his literary life. The first few tales take place while Matt waThe Night & The Music holds eleven Scudder short stories that cover a wide spectrum of his literary life. The first few tales take place while Matt was still sucking down bourbon and coffee while the latter bring us up to his marriage with Elaine as well as his friendship with Irish gangster Mick Ballou.
There’s a lot of great stuff in here, particularly a story that involves Scudder investigating the suspects of a robbery/murder titled By Dawn’s Early Light. It draws a lot of parallels to A Long Line of Dead Men, one of my personal favorites in the Scudder saga.
I found it pretty jarring to go back to Scudder’s beginnings. It goes to show just how much the character had grown over time. I’ve grown accustomed to Matt and Elaine living together as well as TJ popping up on occasion - both of which are elements missing from the first half of the book. Matt was just treading water in those early years, unsure of who or what he was supposed to be. Seeing him seemingly drift through life was like watching another person.
It goes without saying that “One Last Night at Grogan’s” is an important story that every fan of Block’s signature detective should seek out. While Block has on more than one occasion believed he was finished with Scudder, this one definitely gives you that feeling he’s content to put the series to bed.
The release of The Night & The Music is kind of like a best-selling musician releasing a compilation of their b-sides; those extra tracks that you wouldn’t find on a greatest hits album. That’s not to say they’re of lesser quality, they’re more for fans you would consider “completists”. After all, it’s nice to get all those “songs” in one easy-to-find “album”....more
Doak Miller is a former cop living out his retirement in Florida. Not content to sit on his ass and collect a pension, Doak picks up a P.I. license aDoak Miller is a former cop living out his retirement in Florida. Not content to sit on his ass and collect a pension, Doak picks up a P.I. license and takes the odd job that floats his way. When a local sheriff comes to him with a request to impersonate a hit-man to a housewife looking to knock off her bastard of a husband, Doak takes the assignment. But what happens when Doak falls under the spell of his titillating target?
Seeing as Block cut his teeth writing erotic yarns, it isn’t hard to believe he could write such filthy fiction. The smut in here is about as graphic as can be but the scenes don’t feel like filler. Unlike Pelecanos’ The Double, a novel that soured me with what I perceived as unnecessary sex sessions, Block’s book makes good use of the mature material, tying it into Doak and using it to showcase his aggressive nature and desire for violence.
The plot works well within the Hard Case Crime dynamic. Much of the story is spent inside Doak’s mind from a third party narrator giving insight into his sex-crazed ambitions as well as his plan to try and get away with murder. Given HCC’s tendency to showcase scumbags as their novel’s protagonists, Doak fits the mold. That being said, it’s hard not to root for him after discovering the wife’s motive.
Although it took a few days to get through this one, it felt like a quick read. The Girl with the Deep Blue Eyes is something that could easily be devoured in a few hours. I had a hard time putting this one down. As long as Block feels like writing new novels, I’ll keep reading them....more
Seeing as Matt Scudder ages along with his creator, Lawrence Block doesn’t feel there’s much interest in following the activities of a detective in hiSeeing as Matt Scudder ages along with his creator, Lawrence Block doesn’t feel there’s much interest in following the activities of a detective in his mid-70s. Rather than write a follow-up to All The Flowers Are Dying, Block backtracks about thirty years, all the way back to Scudder’s first year of sobriety where he finds himself on the trail of a killer.
An old friend of Scudder’s, fellow AA member Jack Ellery, is found murdered. Having no friends or family, Jack’s sponsor hires Matt to look into his death by providing a copy of Jack’s eighth step, a list of individuals Jack has wronged during his life. Jack’s sponsor believes that one of the people on this list may be responsible for Jack’s untimely demise.
Lawrence Block has gone on record stating that with A Drop of the Hard Stuff, he believes he’s written his final Matt Scudder novel, but admittedly, he’s believed that on a few occasions. However, if that’s the case, you can’t blame the guy for wanting to go out on top. A Drop of the Hard Stuff is a tightly paced thriller that kept me guessing right up to the very end. **
Many of Scudder’s supporting cast members make an appearance or two. Danny Boy Bell, Jan and Jim Fader are present but series favorites Elaine and TJ are noticeably absent given that this story takes place prior to their heavy involvement in Scudder’s life. While they were missed, Scudder’s battle with booze plays a huge part in the story taking up all of Scudder’s free time outside of picking up phones and knocking on doors.
I’m sad to see Scudder go but seventeen original novels leave little room for complaining. A Drop of the Hard Stuff is a fine glass of sipping whiskey that goes down smooth.
** I read this novel on my Kindle. As you know, there’s a percentage that shows up in the lower right hand of the screen that indicates how much of the story you’ve read. Well, I had 91% left when the story finished, so the ending caught me off guard. It made sense but it seemed rather abrupt.
The remaining 9% was an excerpt from Block’s then soon-to-be-released Keller novel, Hit Me....more
The day I started my journey through the Scudder series in 2011, I’ve been dreading this moment. I somehow managed to stretch the sixteen novels over The day I started my journey through the Scudder series in 2011, I’ve been dreading this moment. I somehow managed to stretch the sixteen novels over the past four years in an attempt to get maximum enjoyment out of the series. It was a great choice, if I don’t say so myself. While there are still two books to follow (A Drop of The Hard Stuff / The Night & The Music), this is the final novel in the Scudder chronology.
Luckily, Block chose to go out on a high note. In All The Flowers Are Dying, Matt is hired to do some digging on a man who may not be exactly who he says he is (side note: aren’t we all?). At the same time, a man in Virginia is awaiting execution after being given the death penalty for the gruesome murder of several young boys. While killing time in the clink, the prisoner is interviewed by a psychologist who may not have the best of intentions.
The narrative is broken up between Scudder and this shadowy psychologist for the length of the novel. Eventually, the two alternating stories merge putting both men on a collision course. Many of Scudder’s associates make appearances with Elaine, TJ, Danny Boy Bell and others lingering about alongside the grizzled gumshoe. As always, I find myself craving more Mick Ballou and fans of the Irish mobster will find his contributions to the book lacking.
I’m sad to see Scudder go but Block gives us a fitting ending to the series. I had asked Block in an interview last year if he had truly put the final nail in the Scudder saga and while he noted he had no immediate plans for future books, he has thought he was finished a few times in the past before ultimately returning to tell more stories. Here’s hoping he may have another prequel in the tank.
When a married couple is found brutally murdered in their own home, the two scum bags thought responsible are found dead in their own apartment of an When a married couple is found brutally murdered in their own home, the two scum bags thought responsible are found dead in their own apartment of an apparent murder suicide. While the NYPD feels confident in closing the case, the niece of the deceased does not. She mentions this in passing to TJ who in turn brings it to Scudder’s attention and it isn't long before the three are sitting down in a diner trading theories. While there’s a definite lack of proof, Scudder feels her concerns are valid enough to warrant turning over a few rocks.
As the investigation intensifies, Scudder comes to believe a third man was involved. Can Scudder and TJ track down this mystery man and stop him from killing again?
The preceding novel Everybody Dies was a landmark instalment in Block’s tremendous Scudder series. Both the character development and the brutality of the action will stick with me for years. I'm not sure if I was suffering from some sort of Scudder hangover but Hope to Die, while an intricately plotted and intriguing mystery, didn't feel as memorable.
I’ve come to love Matt's career criminal best friend Mick Ballou almost as much as Scudder himself and while he was central to Everybody Dies, he was seemingly relegated to a background character in Hope to Die. I can hardly blame Block for that as I wouldn't want Mick shoehorned into a story if Block felt he wasn't needed as much, but I sure as hell missed him.
I also didn't care too much for the chapters written from the perspective of the killer. While I noted above that I loved the growth of Scudder’s supporting cast in Everybody Dies, the switching of narratives rarely sit well with me. That being said, it certainly helped to establish that the man Scudder was hunting was mentally unhinged. Unfortunately, it would often take me out of the story.
I only have TWO Scudder novels remaining (as well as a short story collection) and I’m pretty bummed about it. One is a sequel (All The Flowers Are Dying) and one is a flashback story (A Drop of the Hard Stuff) and while I'm looking forward to reading them, I’m not looking forward to running out of new Scudder material. Say it ain't so!
“The most successful war seldom pays for its losses.” –Thomas Jefferson
Lawrence Block’s fourteenth entry in his long running Matt Scudder series is by“The most successful war seldom pays for its losses.” –Thomas Jefferson
Lawrence Block’s fourteenth entry in his long running Matt Scudder series is by far the most tragic. The loss of life within these pages is astounding and there came a time near the end where I thought very few would make it out alive. Hell, if I didn’t know there were more books to follow, I’d have had my doubts about Matt too.
Matt’s close friend – and ruthless Irish gangster – Mick Ballou is at war. Someone is picking off members of Mick’s organization and when Scudder is tasked to produce the identity of this murderous maniac, those close to Matt are threatened unless he backs off. Given how little he’s accomplished during his investigation, it feels like a blessing in disguise – he can get off without the guilt associated with disappointing Ballou. Unfortunately for Matt, Mick’s nemesis strikes before Scudder can officially get his hands off the case.
What follows is some of the most intense, nerve-wracking storytelling the series has ever produced and I would go so far as to say that Everybody Dies is my favorite of the series up to this point. Everything that makes a great Scudder story lives within this book; late night philosophical rap sessions with Ballou, comedic exchanges with T.J., butting heads with the police and memorable moments with Elaine – but you take all of those elements, add an unseen level of unpredictability and you have a novel that will keep you up at night.
Everybody Dies is so violent, so deadly, that I often wondered if Block had taken tips from George R.R. Martin in how to cause his audience grief. However, when you pick up a book titled Everybody Dies, you should know what you’re in for.