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mandalor3960's review against another edition
2.0
I'm being a bit generous with the rating. This book finally puts Scudder in the position to be a part of the actual investigation for a criminal. Now Scudder has to worry about his own hide and he's not earning any money for catching Motley. This book places Scudder for once in the fray of it all.
The watered down confrontation that occurs at the end of this book though between Motley and Scudder wasn't as entertaining. At least the book explored Scudder's behavior towards his position of being hunted. The recurrence of previous characters is also pleasing.
Rating Update 3/12/2019 - 4 to 3 stars. I was being to generous. I definitely don't consider this book to be 4 stars now in hindsight.
Rating Update 4/6/19- 3 stars to 2 stars. And I definitely don't consider this book to be 3 stars. The ending was anticlimatic and reading mystery books bore me.
Rating Update 4 June 2019
With the adoption of my new rating system, a two star rating is befitting. As the original review and subsequent rating updates explain, the anticlimactic ending and my dislike of the mystery genre lowered the rating of this book to two stars, despite my liking of Scudder being hunted and the recurring characters.
December 30, 2019
Update
I have listed the book as a 20 type book in the "Goodreads Books 2.0" document. A 20 book type is described as follows: "Similar to the 1G type: “Usually books in genres I don’t enjoy (*cough* Mystery *cough*). These books are long and take forever to get to parts I enjoy. The buildup is way too long. It may have some minor parts I enjoyed but the buildup kills it”. Except the buildup doesn’t kill it and I am find with the lengthiness". The 2O book type is appropriate to A Ticket to the Boneyard and is in part, based on my belief of how I felt after reading the book and what I wrote in the original review.
January 19, 2020
Update
I believe that the original review does not digress on whether my appraisal for "Scudder [being] in the position to be a part of the actual investigation for a criminal". Also, I cannot recall any feelings of liking the book (a three star-rated emotion). I had ranked A Ticket to the Boneyard below A Dance at the Slaughterhouse and A Walk Among the Tombstones, a currently both rated two star-rated book. Disregarding even the rating, these are books with reviews whose extensive notes lean more to a two star-rating.
February 18, 2020
Update
Support for leaving the rating at two stars includes A Ticket to the Boneyard being ranked above Eight Million Ways to Die and Out on the Cutting Edge, both of which are two star-rated books with more support for their two star-ratings than A Ticket to the Boneyard.
June 3, 2020
Update
Because of the logic, used in the previous two updates, for rating this book, I have colored the rating yellow. The logic uses less of the original review and memories of this book, but relies more on the ranking list.
I have modified the 2O rating type and created the 2OA rating type: “”Usually books in genres I don’t enjoy (*cough* Mystery *cough*). These books are long and take forever to get to parts I enjoy. The buildup is way too long. It may have some minor parts I enjoyed but the buildup kills it”. Except the buildup doesn’t kill it and I am fine with the lengthiness.Typically there’s a good ending and I am fine with how things turned out“ There is a lot more potential in this book but it is wasted with a mediocre ending.
The watered down confrontation that occurs at the end of this book though between Motley and Scudder wasn't as entertaining. At least the book explored Scudder's behavior towards his position of being hunted. The recurrence of previous characters is also pleasing.
Rating Update 3/12/2019 - 4 to 3 stars. I was being to generous. I definitely don't consider this book to be 4 stars now in hindsight.
Rating Update 4/6/19- 3 stars to 2 stars. And I definitely don't consider this book to be 3 stars. The ending was anticlimatic and reading mystery books bore me.
Rating Update 4 June 2019
With the adoption of my new rating system, a two star rating is befitting. As the original review and subsequent rating updates explain, the anticlimactic ending and my dislike of the mystery genre lowered the rating of this book to two stars, despite my liking of Scudder being hunted and the recurring characters.
December 30, 2019
Update
I have listed the book as a 20 type book in the "Goodreads Books 2.0" document. A 20 book type is described as follows: "Similar to the 1G type: “Usually books in genres I don’t enjoy (*cough* Mystery *cough*). These books are long and take forever to get to parts I enjoy. The buildup is way too long. It may have some minor parts I enjoyed but the buildup kills it”. Except the buildup doesn’t kill it and I am find with the lengthiness". The 2O book type is appropriate to A Ticket to the Boneyard and is in part, based on my belief of how I felt after reading the book and what I wrote in the original review.
January 19, 2020
Update
I believe that the original review does not digress on whether my appraisal for "Scudder [being] in the position to be a part of the actual investigation for a criminal". Also, I cannot recall any feelings of liking the book (a three star-rated emotion). I had ranked A Ticket to the Boneyard below A Dance at the Slaughterhouse and A Walk Among the Tombstones, a currently both rated two star-rated book. Disregarding even the rating, these are books with reviews whose extensive notes lean more to a two star-rating.
February 18, 2020
Update
Support for leaving the rating at two stars includes A Ticket to the Boneyard being ranked above Eight Million Ways to Die and Out on the Cutting Edge, both of which are two star-rated books with more support for their two star-ratings than A Ticket to the Boneyard.
June 3, 2020
Update
Because of the logic, used in the previous two updates, for rating this book, I have colored the rating yellow. The logic uses less of the original review and memories of this book, but relies more on the ranking list.
I have modified the 2O rating type and created the 2OA rating type: “”Usually books in genres I don’t enjoy (*cough* Mystery *cough*). These books are long and take forever to get to parts I enjoy. The buildup is way too long. It may have some minor parts I enjoyed but the buildup kills it”. Except the buildup doesn’t kill it and I am fine with the lengthiness.
henrismum's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Take away: This was hard to listen to, very violent and emotional.
Narration: Joe Barrett - another new reader. He was fine.
Normal Speed- Accelerated Speed
New - Second - Third - Committed
Series- Non Series - Non-Fiction - Author
Listening to this book was a chore.
I'm glad I listened to this book. (mostly)
I didn't want this book to end.
I could not wait to be done with this book.
Average, but better than anything I've written.
Narration: Joe Barrett - another new reader. He was fine.
Normal Speed
New - Second - Third -
Series
I'm glad I listened to this book. (mostly)
I could not wait to be done with this book.
Average, but better than anything I've written.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual violence, Blood, Sexual assault, and Torture
Moderate: Police brutality
darloharper's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
dantastic's review against another edition
5.0
A psychopath Matthew Scudder framed years ago when he was still a cop has gotten out of jail and is looking for revenge, killing Scudder's women friends one by one. Can Scudder stop him before he becomes another of the killer's victims?
Holy crap! James Leo Motley was the scariest villain I've run into a long time, far from a mustache twirling James Bond villain. He's crazy and nigh unstoppable. A few times while I was reading, I had to look over my shoulder and make sure he hadn't slipped into my house.
Aside from a chilling villain, Ticket has a lot going for it. Matthew Scudder is as capable as ever and Block does a good job at conveying his frustration and powerlessness as Motley kills victim after victim. Mick Ballou and Elaine Mardell are developed further as supporting characters, probably to return again. And the ending went down just like I hoped.
A Ticket to the Boneyard is another great entry in the Matthew Scudder series but definitely isn't for the squeamish.
Holy crap! James Leo Motley was the scariest villain I've run into a long time, far from a mustache twirling James Bond villain. He's crazy and nigh unstoppable. A few times while I was reading, I had to look over my shoulder and make sure he hadn't slipped into my house.
Aside from a chilling villain, Ticket has a lot going for it. Matthew Scudder is as capable as ever and Block does a good job at conveying his frustration and powerlessness as Motley kills victim after victim. Mick Ballou and Elaine Mardell are developed further as supporting characters, probably to return again. And the ending went down just like I hoped.
A Ticket to the Boneyard is another great entry in the Matthew Scudder series but definitely isn't for the squeamish.
thejoeyharris's review against another edition
5.0
Matt gets reunited with Elaine
The series is starting to come together as Matt gets reunited with Elaine. An unwelcome blast from the past brings them back together.
The series is starting to come together as Matt gets reunited with Elaine. An unwelcome blast from the past brings them back together.
mschlat's review against another edition
3.0
This was a particularly intense Matthew Scudder novel, with a serial rapist and murderer and some nasty descriptions, and for me that intensity blunted some of the other aspects of the novel. I liked how Block was investigating how Scudder dealt with being sober and feeling powerless, but in the end the novel didn't emerge beyond that constant sense of dread. Still a good book with some excellent dialogue between Scudder and his sponsor, but I doubt I will read it again.
poachedeggs's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent slice of Scudder's life, served up stone cold as usual. These are not so much mysteries as they are a continual character study of a (now-recovering ex-) alcoholic and ex-cop.
tackjr's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
paulataua's review against another edition
4.0
There is no mystery in the eighth book of the Matthew Scudder series. There is just a murdering psychopath hell bent on seeking revenge on Scudder and ‘all his women’. What I like most about the Scudder books is that he is no saint. He is all too human, and it all feels real. OK, so we have a call girl who collects art and quotes Browning, a psychopath who quotes Nietzsche, and Scudder who constantly refers to the Marcus Aurelius book he is reading, but that is my kind of real. It didn’t really reach the heights of some of the other books, but the conversations between call girl Elaine and Scudder are to die for. Go read it, join the Scudder club!