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heylook's review against another edition
3.0
Nice little murder mystery. Nothing too special but not bad at all.
twotoes's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
woody1881's review against another edition
4.0
It has been forever since I read Matthew Scudder and I am so sorry I waited.
I have never read anything by Lawrence Block that was not excellent. Matthew Scudder is an ex-cop who now works as a private investigator, though without any official licensing or other regulatory concerns that might slow him from making some really bad decisions. He is overall a good guy, but flawed. Like any other fiction book that contains a police officer or private detective as a protagonist, certain liberties must be allowed because real life cops and private investigators are seldom exciting enough to provide for a pamphlet, much less an entire book series. Block does an excellent job in my opinion. I would love to sit and have a bourbon and a cup of coffee with Scudder.
I have never read anything by Lawrence Block that was not excellent. Matthew Scudder is an ex-cop who now works as a private investigator, though without any official licensing or other regulatory concerns that might slow him from making some really bad decisions. He is overall a good guy, but flawed. Like any other fiction book that contains a police officer or private detective as a protagonist, certain liberties must be allowed because real life cops and private investigators are seldom exciting enough to provide for a pamphlet, much less an entire book series. Block does an excellent job in my opinion. I would love to sit and have a bourbon and a cup of coffee with Scudder.
jbrito's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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
3.75
ogreart's review against another edition
4.0
Another dark journey for Scudder. He finds his own path to justice for the murder of a man who paid him to find his killer before he died. A man he didn't like. That no one liked. Scudder is willing to do the hard things.
dantastic's review against another edition
5.0
Stoolie and blackmailer Spinner Jablon winds up dead and due to a mysterious envelope entrusted to him by Spinner, Matthew Scudder is trying to find out who killed him. Only Spinner was blackmailing three people: a former porn actress, a rich man who covered up his daughter's hit and run accident, and a pedophile who may just be the next governor of New York. Can Scudder find out who killed Jablon before he becomes a victim himself?
Wow. I knew I had something with Lawrence Block after I read the Grifter's Game a few years ago but I had no idea he was capable of something like this. Block really dished out the red herrings in this one. I picked out the killer out of the list of three suspects at the very beginning but Block kept tricking me into changing my mind. Crafty bastard. Scudder continues to develop as a character; he's opposed to murder but not opposed to picking a dead man's pockets. The victims were all well drawn, not cardboard cutouts. Scudder's friendship with Trina grew and his relationship with his estranged wife and kids continued on its course.
If you like noir, look no further. The Matthew Scudder series has what you need.
Wow. I knew I had something with Lawrence Block after I read the Grifter's Game a few years ago but I had no idea he was capable of something like this. Block really dished out the red herrings in this one. I picked out the killer out of the list of three suspects at the very beginning but Block kept tricking me into changing my mind. Crafty bastard. Scudder continues to develop as a character; he's opposed to murder but not opposed to picking a dead man's pockets. The victims were all well drawn, not cardboard cutouts. Scudder's friendship with Trina grew and his relationship with his estranged wife and kids continued on its course.
If you like noir, look no further. The Matthew Scudder series has what you need.
nixieknox's review against another edition
2.0
Kind of short, and more hard-boiled than I'd like. But I'm moving on to #3!
thejoeyharris's review against another edition
5.0
Scudder’s beginnings
Block is really starting to develop the Scudder character that we know with this novel. Highly enjoyable and easy to lose yourself reading!
Block is really starting to develop the Scudder character that we know with this novel. Highly enjoyable and easy to lose yourself reading!
mickeymole's review against another edition
2.0
I generally like Block novels, but this one was just stupid.