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brents's review against another edition
4.0
I've been slowly working my way through these Scudder novels as they are in the Audible Plus catalog. This one was probably my second favorite behind A Walk Among The Tombstones. Like some of the others the characters and case is interesting, but it almost feels like it needs more room to breathe. The story wraps up a little too fast like it barely has any sort of climax. Still a fairly entertaining short listen.
usbsticky's review against another edition
4.0
Spoilers ahead: As close to a linear plot as I've read in this series. A psychopath (Motley) targets prostitutes one of whom is a friend of Scudder's (Elaine). Not only does Motley use the services of Elaine for free, he takes money off her and hurts her. At a chance meeting at Elaine's apartment Scudder fights with Motley, then frames him in order to put him in prison.
After 12 years in the slammer Motley is free. He vows revenge, first killing an ex-prostitute friend of Elaine in Ohio and her entire family. He then travels back to New York, threatens Elaine and Scudder in advance, then starts a campaign of terrorism killing people close to or associated with Scudder before they finally meet in a showdown.
I find the plot a bit limited, cliched and farfetched. It's like Eli Wallach said in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly: If you're going to shoot, shoot, don't talk. Motley goes through all this charade just to get killed in the end.
There isn't much of the usual police protocol mystery where Scudder interviews people because we already know who the villain is. There isn't even much suspense in finding out where he is. There's a lot of word filler, some interesting, some not. This is a short book, but it could have been even shorter without the word filler. It doesn't really add anything to the canon. It does give Scudder a new friend in Ohio (the detective in the Ohio case) and reaffirms his friendship with The Butcher, and creates a rift between him and Durkin.
So overall, a call-it-in type of crime fiction book. I would definitely not recommend this as a first Matthew Scudder book as it would probably turn people off from reading the series.
After 12 years in the slammer Motley is free. He vows revenge, first killing an ex-prostitute friend of Elaine in Ohio and her entire family. He then travels back to New York, threatens Elaine and Scudder in advance, then starts a campaign of terrorism killing people close to or associated with Scudder before they finally meet in a showdown.
I find the plot a bit limited, cliched and farfetched. It's like Eli Wallach said in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly: If you're going to shoot, shoot, don't talk. Motley goes through all this charade just to get killed in the end.
There isn't much of the usual police protocol mystery where Scudder interviews people because we already know who the villain is. There isn't even much suspense in finding out where he is. There's a lot of word filler, some interesting, some not. This is a short book, but it could have been even shorter without the word filler. It doesn't really add anything to the canon. It does give Scudder a new friend in Ohio (the detective in the Ohio case) and reaffirms his friendship with The Butcher, and creates a rift between him and Durkin.
So overall, a call-it-in type of crime fiction book. I would definitely not recommend this as a first Matthew Scudder book as it would probably turn people off from reading the series.
gracenow's review against another edition
3.0
Third time through. For me, at this point in my life, the bad guy was just too ruthless and icky. Well drawn, but yuck, don't need that anymore. We see Matt with Elaine some in this and he spends time with Mick Ballou, the Butcher.
bundy23's review against another edition
4.0
The Scudder series has slowly evolved from a few basic detective novels, through a couple of genuine masterpieces dealing with extreme depression and alcoholism and now Block has given us something that’s much more of a c-grade thriller than anything…
Despite the fact that this is a tale of an impossibly amazing serial killer and has some HUGE plot holes not to mention that the reader has to except that the newly sober Scudder has developed a complete lack of common sense, I actually did enjoy this because the killer is genuinely pure fucking evil who kills children and anally rapes corpses. How can you not love that?
3.75 stars.
Despite the fact that this is a tale of an impossibly amazing serial killer and has some HUGE plot holes not to mention that the reader has to except that the newly sober Scudder has developed a complete lack of common sense, I actually did enjoy this because the killer is genuinely pure fucking evil who kills children and anally rapes corpses. How can you not love that?
3.75 stars.
innae's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book quite a lot more than I thought I would. I am not usually a fan of the noir/detective novels, and this one started out a bit slow. It did not stay slow however, and while it is not a who-dunit, it is a really good story. It is well written, with just enough detail to get you through.
joshster142's review against another edition
1.0
I’ve read all 7 Scudder books before this and the only one I disliked was eight million ways to die which seems to be the most critically acclaimed of the series. As I reached 54% of this one before giving up and it is also highly rated I seem to have accidentally become a strange Lawrence Block hipster, only enjoying his less popular novels!
There is just no reason to read this one. There is no mystery at all as the villain is established at the start. I’m assuming the tension comes from finding out whether Scudder and his associates can avoid the villain’s clutches. The lack of consistency just pulled me out of the story though, the characters are terrified of the villain getting them in their houses, but then go out and about for dinner etc despite being threatened. HE CAN GET YOU EASIER OUTSIDE MATTHEW!!! There are also pretty graphic descriptions of horrific crimes in the book which do go overboard when a simple mention of the crime would have sufficed. This book is also full of the regular AA meetings which are found throughout later Scudder novels which I don’t feel add to the story at all. I understand it shows the change in his character from the start of the series where he is an alcoholic, but I’m sure Block just uses the same meeting descriptions in all his books and hopes we don’t notice. Also Scudder regularly attend these meetings despite being hunted by a violent killer. HE CAN GET YOU IN THE TOWN HALL MATTHEW.
Overall this is my least favourite Scudder novel and this one has put me off reading the rest of the series which is a shame as the first books got me back into reading.
I would recommend avoiding the general consensus, instead read books 1-4, follow those with When the sacred ginmill closes and then stop. You will enjoy this series a lot better that way!
There is just no reason to read this one. There is no mystery at all as the villain is established at the start. I’m assuming the tension comes from finding out whether Scudder and his associates can avoid the villain’s clutches. The lack of consistency just pulled me out of the story though, the characters are terrified of the villain getting them in their houses, but then go out and about for dinner etc despite being threatened. HE CAN GET YOU EASIER OUTSIDE MATTHEW!!! There are also pretty graphic descriptions of horrific crimes in the book which do go overboard when a simple mention of the crime would have sufficed. This book is also full of the regular AA meetings which are found throughout later Scudder novels which I don’t feel add to the story at all. I understand it shows the change in his character from the start of the series where he is an alcoholic, but I’m sure Block just uses the same meeting descriptions in all his books and hopes we don’t notice. Also Scudder regularly attend these meetings despite being hunted by a violent killer. HE CAN GET YOU IN THE TOWN HALL MATTHEW.
Overall this is my least favourite Scudder novel and this one has put me off reading the rest of the series which is a shame as the first books got me back into reading.
I would recommend avoiding the general consensus, instead read books 1-4, follow those with When the sacred ginmill closes and then stop. You will enjoy this series a lot better that way!
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I try hard to avoid books that are marketed specifically for older white guys. You know the type because they’re everywhere: lone wolf alpha male, usually with some military or police background, goes on the prowl in a specific terrain to vanquish the bad guy in defense of someone, most commonly a woman. Basically, they’re westerns with different topographies. While I’ve occasionally enjoyed the works of authors such as Lee Child, these books really aren’t my thing.
Lawrence Block’s Matthew Scudder series fits the mold for much of this, indeed that’s why I avoided the series for years. But I’ve been drawn to it this year, in part because of a need for quality New York tales but also because Scudder is different. He doesn’t talk like he’s in an Eastwood movie and there’s rarely a girl involved in the plot that needs avenging. He’s human and trying to hold on to his humanity after years as an alcoholic. His books don’t have that neo-western feel, rather they’re often tales of another down-on-his luck loser in pre-gentification New York trying to make a buck on the side.
Unfortunately, A Ticket to the Boneyard checks in big on the dad scale for the first time in the series. There’s a woman who needs avenging, a serial killer mastermind, and Scudder getting pushed to resolve it all by himself. It felt like lazy plotting in a way these books often have not. Had I started with this one in the series, I likely wouldn’t have finished.
And what’s a shame is the dive into Matthew’s personal life is done quite well. He’s struggling with sobriety, developing a love interest, and trying to figure out his place in the world, the latter of which Block writes so well. He’s reading Marcus Auerlius and understanding him on a street level. I liked seeing this human side of Matthew, for even when he’s screwing up (like slut shaming the woman he’s trying to woo or hanging out in a gangster’s bar), he feels like a fully formed person and not a cynical cypher. This tends to defy the dad stereotype. I don’t need to like or dislike Matthew. I just need to know enough to keep being invested in reading his stories.
And I am. I just hope the next book has a better plot.
Lawrence Block’s Matthew Scudder series fits the mold for much of this, indeed that’s why I avoided the series for years. But I’ve been drawn to it this year, in part because of a need for quality New York tales but also because Scudder is different. He doesn’t talk like he’s in an Eastwood movie and there’s rarely a girl involved in the plot that needs avenging. He’s human and trying to hold on to his humanity after years as an alcoholic. His books don’t have that neo-western feel, rather they’re often tales of another down-on-his luck loser in pre-gentification New York trying to make a buck on the side.
Unfortunately, A Ticket to the Boneyard checks in big on the dad scale for the first time in the series. There’s a woman who needs avenging, a serial killer mastermind, and Scudder getting pushed to resolve it all by himself. It felt like lazy plotting in a way these books often have not. Had I started with this one in the series, I likely wouldn’t have finished.
And what’s a shame is the dive into Matthew’s personal life is done quite well. He’s struggling with sobriety, developing a love interest, and trying to figure out his place in the world, the latter of which Block writes so well. He’s reading Marcus Auerlius and understanding him on a street level. I liked seeing this human side of Matthew, for even when he’s screwing up (like slut shaming the woman he’s trying to woo or hanging out in a gangster’s bar), he feels like a fully formed person and not a cynical cypher. This tends to defy the dad stereotype. I don’t need to like or dislike Matthew. I just need to know enough to keep being invested in reading his stories.
And I am. I just hope the next book has a better plot.
lobo1tomia's review against another edition
4.0
Matt Scudderben a jellemét kedveli az ember. Még akkor is, amikor sorra derülnek ki csúnya dolgok a múltjából. Amiket ő nem is tagad, elvégre a körülmények, ahogy Motleyt a rács mögé juttatta nem éppen tiszták, ráadásul ő akkoriban éppen piás, nős de feleségét csaló, itt-ott kenőpénzt elfogadó hekus volt. S most úgy érzi, hogy mert egyszer istent játszott, ezért fizet mindenki más helyette. Mert az egyetlen dolog, amiben mindig is hitt, hogy a bűnözőknek meg kell kapniuk amit megérdemelnek. Úgyhogy nem elég, hogy Motley kegyetlen, fizikai fájdalmakat okoz, de még komoly lelkiismereti problémái is vannak miatt Scuddernek, ami persze nem tesz jót annak, hogy az alkoholizmusát próbálja leküzdeni. Még a békét adó és nyugtató, AA gyűlésekre se tud járni mert attól fél, hogy másokat sodor veszélybe… ezzel persze saját magát teszi ki a kísértésnek. Scudder azonban ebben a regényben is fejlődik, megint kiderül, hogy hol vannak a rejtett tartalékai. Úgyhogy azért szeretem őt, mert esendő, hibákkal teli, hétköznapi, de van tartása és a gerince amióta eltávolodott a rendőrségtől egyre egyenesebb.
Részletek: http://olvasonaplo.net/olvasonaplo/2010/10/03/lawrence_block_hosszu_ut_a_sirkertbe/
Részletek: http://olvasonaplo.net/olvasonaplo/2010/10/03/lawrence_block_hosszu_ut_a_sirkertbe/
redsg's review against another edition
3.0
2.5/5 rounded up to a 3.
After a long hiatus, I have finally returned to the World of Scudder, and I gotta say the wait was worth it. I know I have talked about it in the past, but one thing about Block that I just cannot praise him enough for is his prose. I am slightly dyslexic when it comes to reading, meaning it takes me a longer time than usual to get through a novel due to me having to re-read sentences or individual words. I have gotten significantly better over the years, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't still an issue every now and then.
And yet, I have never had this problem when I'm reading a Scudder book. Block's syntax flows like smooth butter, gliding from comma to semicolon to period without feeling bumpy or staccato in construction. Even when the quality of the mystery dips, the quality of the writing itself never falters, and that's a genuine testament to his talent as a composer of the written arts.
Now, all that praise aside, I did give A Ticket to the Boneyard a 2.5/5 (upscaled to a 3 since it has more enjoyable aspects than unenjoyable ones) for a reason- it isn't quite the thrill ride it purports to be.
In my review of When the Sacred Ginmill Closes, I noted that the Scudder series stands apart from the crowded canvas of detective/PI stories by way of tackling unconventional mysteries. Instead of a straightforward "whodunit" or "howcatchem" you had the ex-alcoholic try to resolve strange situations like finding out who was framing a whistleblower cop or discovering whether a deranged serial killer was telling the truth about not murdering a specific victim years ago. The two times he ventured into a more-straightforward "hardboiled" territory resulted in him producing the weakest outings in the Scudder franchise: Time to Murder and Create and Sacred Ginmill (yes, I know 8 Million Ways to Die technically revolved around a typical homicide, but the actual narrative was about Scudder coming to terms with his guilt and alcoholism- proven by the resolution to the prostitute's death coming out of nowhere). The reality is, it just isn't a strong suit of Block's.
Alas, A Ticket to the Boneyard falls prey to this same issue as Block evidently thought the third time would be the charm. To clarify, Boneyard isn't about finding the clues to a crime- it's about Scudder dealing with a personal grudge held by a psycho he helped put away years ago. The question is how many times have we seen this plot done in police procedurals? Off the top of my head I can recall episodes in Monk, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and Criminals Minds that all did this, and I'm sure there are innumerable books that did the same. It also doesn't help Block that he's essentially rehashing a lot of the plot from Cape Fear (Boneyard was published a year before Scorsese's 1991 remake, but well after the 1962 J. Lee Thompson classic with Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum). To be clear, there are enough differences for me to avoid calling it a rip-off, but I'm sure Cape Fear will be the first thing contemporary audiences will think of.
The Cady figure in this case is James Leo Motley, and Block sets him up to be a real ugly son-of-a-bitch. He beats and rapes women because it gives him power, and has no qualms over murdering if it means exerting his strength over others. Part of me wishes Block had given Motley more of a characterization since sociopathic deviants are a dime a dozen in crime novels, but on the other hand, this is the first time that Block has gotten a chance to tackle this archetype (with the exception of 8 Million, every other book has had a decently-fleshed out perpetrator who wasn't flat-out evil the way Motley is), and he definitely deserves a chance to take a swing at it.
I can safely say that he succeeds. Motley is a scary guy: the kind of person who you would want put in solitary confinement for the rest of their life. Who is he was isn't as important as who he is, and what made him the person he is today isn't as important as what he does as the person of today. He wants to hurt others, and he does so with a sadistic grin on his face.
Despite Motley not actually appearing as much in the book as you would think (he certainly doesn't have anywhere near the screen time that Cady did, for comparison), Block crafts a nice thriller with him. He is doing thing that are genuinely putting Scudder on edge, and seeing Matt suffer from anxiety as Motley's vicious exploits hit closer and closer to home was electrifying to read. We have seen a lot of Scudder's emotions explored in past tales, so for Block to find a new angle to hone in on was nice and made for many tense moments.
Unfortunately, Boneyard doesn't exclusively focus on this cat-and-mouse game between the two, which would not have been a bad thing if the diversions had been executed better. The first concerns a romance between Elaine and Scudder. Elaine Mardell is a recurring character in the series, and so to see her brought back in a more vivid supporting role was nice, and showcases that Block knows how to maintain continuity despite writing these books years apart- in fact, numerous figures from past entries are incorporated here in some form or another, and Block works them in so geniusly that both newcomers and older readers should be pleased: if you're the former, you won't be overwhelmed since their past relationship with Scudder is highlighted only briefly and doesn't slow down the plotline; if you're the latter, then you know who these folks are and what (mis)adventures they had with the titular character.
I always liked Elaine, and having her have a connection to Motley in the past made her inclusion organic. Theoretically, her relationship with Scudder should've been equally as organic given that it was established that they two had a thing back in the man's cop days, but Block stumbles in the dialogue and dynamic, and I can't say I'm surprised. Romance was another weak suit of his in the preceding novels, with Jan Keane probably being the only decent thing to come out (and even that paramour lacked chemistry). I get that an officer and a prostitute who fall in love years after an amorous entanglement would have an unconventional approach to intimacy, yet I don't know....it just wasn't satisfying or engaging to read. The would-be couple don't know what they want, and I have a feeling that Block didn't know what he wanted to do with them either. Your mileage will of course personally vary, but for me personally, I found that every moment/chapter dedicated to their passionate affair slowed down the narrative noticeably.
The second facet that affects the storyline is Scudder's talks with Mick Ballou. Ballou is a notorious racketeer introduced in (I believe) Out on the Cutting Edge who is fronting as a saloonkeeper. I don't recall particularly caring for the mobster then, but even if I did I just did not like his current relationship with Scudder. He's shown to be his emotional confidante for all the turmoil caused by Motley. On the one hand, I get that Scudder couldn't exactly talk to his other friends about the illicit actions he committed: Joe Durkin is a cop, Jim Faber is his innocent AA sponsor, and Anita is his ex-wife generally out of his life. But on the other, I didn't get why that meant these two had to be buddy-buddy. They share drinks, talk about stories, speak on religion, and even go to Mass together. I don't even remember them having extensive interactions in the earlier novel, so what would cause this shift to mega-camaraderie when Scudder hasn't even spoken to him a while.
I guess it's not so much the writing as it is the idea of Matt frolicking around with gangsters that bothers me. While antiheroic to an extent, Scudder has always boasted a strong morale compass that I feel is negatively impacted by Ballou. Ballou isn't even an annoying person to peruse- it's just his inherent aura that I find, for lack of a better term, repulsive as a reader. But I acknowledge this could very well just be me. Overall though, he overstays his welcome, making his sections with Scudder drag out worse than the latter's paramour with Elaine.
Three other, albeit smaller, points of contrition are 1) Block's attempts at revisiting Scudder's feelings of guilt- he had already done a masterful job of it in 8 Million Ways that it was always going to be next-to-impossible to top, but even then he only spends a few paragraphs here, making it seem like an afterthought (a shame because it leads to one of the tensest moments in the book that doesn't involve Motley!). 2) The ending, and some of the external resolutions, feel partly unsatsifactory. What's strange is that they don't come off as rushed or disappointing despite their short nature, but there's just something lacking in their depiction. *Spoiler tag here for more below*. 3) A scene in the book that has not aged well courtesy of Do the Right Thing and modern media events (though strangely, DTRT came out a year before Boneyard was published, making me wonder why Block didn't alter it via a quick edit).
All this knocking and yet I ultimately chose to round up to a 3- why? It's because I cannot overstate how good Block's prose is. He knows how to make conversations invigorating, character thoughts vivid, and movements fluid. Sure, he could do better when it comes to action descriptions and imagery in general, but a thriller like A Ticket to the Boneyard is built on syntax, and Block knows how to construct a damn good sentence. I also appreciated that he continued to make small developments for Scudder by way of having him try to become a licensed PI. Overall, this was a decent excursion into uncharted territory for the author, but I would like him to take it as a sign that conventional plotlines just aren't his thing.
=SPOILERS=
*Scudder admits that he's playing G-D when he chooses to permanently silence Motley, and believes playing G-D in the first place led to this predicament. Scudder's decision to this is admittedly very amoral of him considering he went in with the intent of getting a confession and taking Motley in for good via handcuffs he procured. While the fight is short, I surprisingly didn't have much of a problem with that as it was gritty enough in scope. However, I'm not sure how I feel about Scudder doing something I'd expect from a Jack Reacher novel- maybe I'd have an easier time buying it if Block put effort into fleshing out these god thoughts, but it's kind of wrapped up neatly- even the conversation with Ballou doesn't amount to any hard philosophy, which is kind of ironic given that Marcus Aurelius's Meditations is frequently mentioned/cited by Scudder throughout the book.
Another resolution I didn't like was Elaine getting over the severe trauma that was inflicted on her. Her surviving may be seen as too generically happy an ending, but I felt Block gave enough justifications for the positive outcome. However, why she is psychologically all fine and dandy after getting raped and nearly tortured to death for close to 2 hours boggles me- Block doesn't even spend a paragraph showcasing how she is, only giving her dialogue wherein she comforts Scudder in his choice to execute Motley. I sincerely hope the follow-up novel doesn't ignore this.
After a long hiatus, I have finally returned to the World of Scudder, and I gotta say the wait was worth it. I know I have talked about it in the past, but one thing about Block that I just cannot praise him enough for is his prose. I am slightly dyslexic when it comes to reading, meaning it takes me a longer time than usual to get through a novel due to me having to re-read sentences or individual words. I have gotten significantly better over the years, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't still an issue every now and then.
And yet, I have never had this problem when I'm reading a Scudder book. Block's syntax flows like smooth butter, gliding from comma to semicolon to period without feeling bumpy or staccato in construction. Even when the quality of the mystery dips, the quality of the writing itself never falters, and that's a genuine testament to his talent as a composer of the written arts.
Now, all that praise aside, I did give A Ticket to the Boneyard a 2.5/5 (upscaled to a 3 since it has more enjoyable aspects than unenjoyable ones) for a reason- it isn't quite the thrill ride it purports to be.
In my review of When the Sacred Ginmill Closes, I noted that the Scudder series stands apart from the crowded canvas of detective/PI stories by way of tackling unconventional mysteries. Instead of a straightforward "whodunit" or "howcatchem" you had the ex-alcoholic try to resolve strange situations like finding out who was framing a whistleblower cop or discovering whether a deranged serial killer was telling the truth about not murdering a specific victim years ago. The two times he ventured into a more-straightforward "hardboiled" territory resulted in him producing the weakest outings in the Scudder franchise: Time to Murder and Create and Sacred Ginmill (yes, I know 8 Million Ways to Die technically revolved around a typical homicide, but the actual narrative was about Scudder coming to terms with his guilt and alcoholism- proven by the resolution to the prostitute's death coming out of nowhere). The reality is, it just isn't a strong suit of Block's.
Alas, A Ticket to the Boneyard falls prey to this same issue as Block evidently thought the third time would be the charm. To clarify, Boneyard isn't about finding the clues to a crime- it's about Scudder dealing with a personal grudge held by a psycho he helped put away years ago. The question is how many times have we seen this plot done in police procedurals? Off the top of my head I can recall episodes in Monk, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and Criminals Minds that all did this, and I'm sure there are innumerable books that did the same. It also doesn't help Block that he's essentially rehashing a lot of the plot from Cape Fear (Boneyard was published a year before Scorsese's 1991 remake, but well after the 1962 J. Lee Thompson classic with Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum). To be clear, there are enough differences for me to avoid calling it a rip-off, but I'm sure Cape Fear will be the first thing contemporary audiences will think of.
The Cady figure in this case is James Leo Motley, and Block sets him up to be a real ugly son-of-a-bitch. He beats and rapes women because it gives him power, and has no qualms over murdering if it means exerting his strength over others. Part of me wishes Block had given Motley more of a characterization since sociopathic deviants are a dime a dozen in crime novels, but on the other hand, this is the first time that Block has gotten a chance to tackle this archetype (with the exception of 8 Million, every other book has had a decently-fleshed out perpetrator who wasn't flat-out evil the way Motley is), and he definitely deserves a chance to take a swing at it.
I can safely say that he succeeds. Motley is a scary guy: the kind of person who you would want put in solitary confinement for the rest of their life. Who is he was isn't as important as who he is, and what made him the person he is today isn't as important as what he does as the person of today. He wants to hurt others, and he does so with a sadistic grin on his face.
Despite Motley not actually appearing as much in the book as you would think (he certainly doesn't have anywhere near the screen time that Cady did, for comparison), Block crafts a nice thriller with him. He is doing thing that are genuinely putting Scudder on edge, and seeing Matt suffer from anxiety as Motley's vicious exploits hit closer and closer to home was electrifying to read. We have seen a lot of Scudder's emotions explored in past tales, so for Block to find a new angle to hone in on was nice and made for many tense moments.
Unfortunately, Boneyard doesn't exclusively focus on this cat-and-mouse game between the two, which would not have been a bad thing if the diversions had been executed better. The first concerns a romance between Elaine and Scudder. Elaine Mardell is a recurring character in the series, and so to see her brought back in a more vivid supporting role was nice, and showcases that Block knows how to maintain continuity despite writing these books years apart- in fact, numerous figures from past entries are incorporated here in some form or another, and Block works them in so geniusly that both newcomers and older readers should be pleased: if you're the former, you won't be overwhelmed since their past relationship with Scudder is highlighted only briefly and doesn't slow down the plotline; if you're the latter, then you know who these folks are and what (mis)adventures they had with the titular character.
I always liked Elaine, and having her have a connection to Motley in the past made her inclusion organic. Theoretically, her relationship with Scudder should've been equally as organic given that it was established that they two had a thing back in the man's cop days, but Block stumbles in the dialogue and dynamic, and I can't say I'm surprised. Romance was another weak suit of his in the preceding novels, with Jan Keane probably being the only decent thing to come out (and even that paramour lacked chemistry). I get that an officer and a prostitute who fall in love years after an amorous entanglement would have an unconventional approach to intimacy, yet I don't know....it just wasn't satisfying or engaging to read. The would-be couple don't know what they want, and I have a feeling that Block didn't know what he wanted to do with them either. Your mileage will of course personally vary, but for me personally, I found that every moment/chapter dedicated to their passionate affair slowed down the narrative noticeably.
The second facet that affects the storyline is Scudder's talks with Mick Ballou. Ballou is a notorious racketeer introduced in (I believe) Out on the Cutting Edge who is fronting as a saloonkeeper. I don't recall particularly caring for the mobster then, but even if I did I just did not like his current relationship with Scudder. He's shown to be his emotional confidante for all the turmoil caused by Motley. On the one hand, I get that Scudder couldn't exactly talk to his other friends about the illicit actions he committed: Joe Durkin is a cop, Jim Faber is his innocent AA sponsor, and Anita is his ex-wife generally out of his life. But on the other, I didn't get why that meant these two had to be buddy-buddy. They share drinks, talk about stories, speak on religion, and even go to Mass together. I don't even remember them having extensive interactions in the earlier novel, so what would cause this shift to mega-camaraderie when Scudder hasn't even spoken to him a while.
I guess it's not so much the writing as it is the idea of Matt frolicking around with gangsters that bothers me. While antiheroic to an extent, Scudder has always boasted a strong morale compass that I feel is negatively impacted by Ballou. Ballou isn't even an annoying person to peruse- it's just his inherent aura that I find, for lack of a better term, repulsive as a reader. But I acknowledge this could very well just be me. Overall though, he overstays his welcome, making his sections with Scudder drag out worse than the latter's paramour with Elaine.
Three other, albeit smaller, points of contrition are 1) Block's attempts at revisiting Scudder's feelings of guilt- he had already done a masterful job of it in 8 Million Ways that it was always going to be next-to-impossible to top, but even then he only spends a few paragraphs here, making it seem like an afterthought (a shame because it leads to one of the tensest moments in the book that doesn't involve Motley!). 2) The ending, and some of the external resolutions, feel partly unsatsifactory. What's strange is that they don't come off as rushed or disappointing despite their short nature, but there's just something lacking in their depiction. *Spoiler tag here for more below*. 3) A scene in the book that has not aged well courtesy of Do the Right Thing and modern media events (though strangely, DTRT came out a year before Boneyard was published, making me wonder why Block didn't alter it via a quick edit).
All this knocking and yet I ultimately chose to round up to a 3- why? It's because I cannot overstate how good Block's prose is. He knows how to make conversations invigorating, character thoughts vivid, and movements fluid. Sure, he could do better when it comes to action descriptions and imagery in general, but a thriller like A Ticket to the Boneyard is built on syntax, and Block knows how to construct a damn good sentence. I also appreciated that he continued to make small developments for Scudder by way of having him try to become a licensed PI. Overall, this was a decent excursion into uncharted territory for the author, but I would like him to take it as a sign that conventional plotlines just aren't his thing.
=SPOILERS=
*Scudder admits that he's playing G-D when he chooses to permanently silence Motley, and believes playing G-D in the first place led to this predicament. Scudder's decision to this is admittedly very amoral of him considering he went in with the intent of getting a confession and taking Motley in for good via handcuffs he procured. While the fight is short, I surprisingly didn't have much of a problem with that as it was gritty enough in scope. However, I'm not sure how I feel about Scudder doing something I'd expect from a Jack Reacher novel- maybe I'd have an easier time buying it if Block put effort into fleshing out these god thoughts, but it's kind of wrapped up neatly- even the conversation with Ballou doesn't amount to any hard philosophy, which is kind of ironic given that Marcus Aurelius's Meditations is frequently mentioned/cited by Scudder throughout the book.
Another resolution I didn't like was Elaine getting over the severe trauma that was inflicted on her. Her surviving may be seen as too generically happy an ending, but I felt Block gave enough justifications for the positive outcome. However, why she is psychologically all fine and dandy after getting raped and nearly tortured to death for close to 2 hours boggles me- Block doesn't even spend a paragraph showcasing how she is, only giving her dialogue wherein she comforts Scudder in his choice to execute Motley. I sincerely hope the follow-up novel doesn't ignore this.