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A review by jakewritesbooks
A Stab in the Dark by Lawrence Block
4.0
Made a recent commitment to make my way through Lawrence Block’s Matthew Scudder series. I found the first three enjoyable enough for passing the time but mostly unmemorable. This was the first one that really moved me.
And that’s surprising because the crime itself is based on a mystery trope I hate: slashed women/murdered women/serial killer. When I saw the plot for A Stab in the Dark, I audibly groaned. I can’t stand books like that and I rarely read them. Had I not already been familiar with Block’s work, I might’ve just dead ended the series here.
Fortunately, Block does not give in to cliches. Sure, his Scudder is an alcoholic ex-cop working as a PI but I knew I wasn’t going to get any We have to protect the city from the bad men who seek to ruin it kind of bs. Scudder doesn’t have the energy to be a cynic; he’s too drunk and depressed most days. He’s just trying to do his job because it gives him focus.
So no, there are no genius serial killing masterminds. Just a guy taking a case in part for cash and also to stave off the boredom that leads to binge drinking. We get a whirlwind tour of the city, from Scudder’s Hell’s Kitchen haunts out to Brooklyn and even as far as Long Island. The people he interviews feel real and not like stock characters. The plot is tense. The conclusion is iffy; it’s probably my least favorite part of the book. But it works.
I’m excited that Block took this series up a notch and am looking forward to getting to the rest of it.
And that’s surprising because the crime itself is based on a mystery trope I hate: slashed women/murdered women/serial killer. When I saw the plot for A Stab in the Dark, I audibly groaned. I can’t stand books like that and I rarely read them. Had I not already been familiar with Block’s work, I might’ve just dead ended the series here.
Fortunately, Block does not give in to cliches. Sure, his Scudder is an alcoholic ex-cop working as a PI but I knew I wasn’t going to get any We have to protect the city from the bad men who seek to ruin it kind of bs. Scudder doesn’t have the energy to be a cynic; he’s too drunk and depressed most days. He’s just trying to do his job because it gives him focus.
So no, there are no genius serial killing masterminds. Just a guy taking a case in part for cash and also to stave off the boredom that leads to binge drinking. We get a whirlwind tour of the city, from Scudder’s Hell’s Kitchen haunts out to Brooklyn and even as far as Long Island. The people he interviews feel real and not like stock characters. The plot is tense. The conclusion is iffy; it’s probably my least favorite part of the book. But it works.
I’m excited that Block took this series up a notch and am looking forward to getting to the rest of it.