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dantastic's review against another edition
5.0
Someone has declared war on Mick Ballou and his criminal enterprises and Matthew Scudder is caught in the middle, first having a friend gunned down in front of him and then nearly being killed at Mick's bar. Can Matt figure out who is behind the attacks before anyone else close to him is killed?
Wow. After I finished Even the Wicked, I thought Lawrence Block might have been phoning in the rest of them. How wrong I was!
The thing that keeps me coming back to the Matthew Scudder books is the fluid nature of Matthew Scudder and his world. The supporting cast are as big of an attraction to me as Scudder himself. Hard Way Ray, Joe Durkin, Danny Boy Bell, Lisa Holtzman, then all make appearances in this one. A couple of them will never make appearances again. That's what made Everybody Dies so powerful. A few long-running cast members end up dead at the hands of a criminal gunning for Mick Ballou. Not even TJ gets out unscathed.
I had an idea who the mole was in Mick's crew about halfway through but I didn't figure out who the big baddie was until about a paragraph before Matt. This one had a finale that sticks out as one of my all time favorites in crime fiction, a glorious shit storm of violence. Like Matt said to Elaine near the end "Everybody else is dead."
I'd been waiting to read a Matthew Scudder story centering in Mick Ballou for a long time and this one did not disappoint. It's easily in the Scudder top three.
Wow. After I finished Even the Wicked, I thought Lawrence Block might have been phoning in the rest of them. How wrong I was!
The thing that keeps me coming back to the Matthew Scudder books is the fluid nature of Matthew Scudder and his world. The supporting cast are as big of an attraction to me as Scudder himself. Hard Way Ray, Joe Durkin, Danny Boy Bell, Lisa Holtzman, then all make appearances in this one. A couple of them will never make appearances again. That's what made Everybody Dies so powerful. A few long-running cast members end up dead at the hands of a criminal gunning for Mick Ballou. Not even TJ gets out unscathed.
I had an idea who the mole was in Mick's crew about halfway through but I didn't figure out who the big baddie was until about a paragraph before Matt. This one had a finale that sticks out as one of my all time favorites in crime fiction, a glorious shit storm of violence. Like Matt said to Elaine near the end "Everybody else is dead."
I'd been waiting to read a Matthew Scudder story centering in Mick Ballou for a long time and this one did not disappoint. It's easily in the Scudder top three.
arthur_pendrgn's review against another edition
3.0
It's not often you read a title that gives away the entire plot.
usbsticky's review against another edition
4.0
Summary/Spoilers ahead:
Mick's stash of whisky ($10k worth) is robbed from his storage unit and a couple of his boys killed during the robbery. Scudder is roped in when he is asked to help bury the bodies at the farm. And thus it starts.
Next Scudder is waylaid and given a beating to warn him away from Mick but Scudder fights back and wounds the two assailants instead. Things get serious when Jim Faber (Scudder's sponsor) is accidentally murdered in a case of mistaken identity. Finally Grogan's Bar is attacked by 2 assailants with an automatic gun and a bomb killing a dozen people and wounding 7 more.
Mick goes into hiding but they don't know who or why he is being targeted. Mick hires Scudder to find out who is trying to kill Mick's gang, including Scudder. Scudder uses his usual sources such as Danny Boy and TJ. The shooters are identified and working backwards, Scudder is able to find the source.
Real spoilers here, don't read if you don't want to know.
It turns out that the instigator is Paddy Farrelly's son, who has grown up to be a violent criminal. Somehow he has convinced a bunch of other criminals he met in Attica to kill Mick in revenge. The book ends in a gigantic gunfight at the farm.
The plot is different from any of the others so far and we're given a look into Mick's enterprise and his gang (all of whom are eventually killed) including the O'Garas at the farm. The action is pretty fast paced except for the stretched dialog between Mick and Scudder concerning confession. I'm not really sure what to think about these stretched dialogs anymore. I usually fast read them but this one about confession made me read it in its entirety.
Overall not a bad plot, linear and quick to read. I finished it within a day or two.
Mick's stash of whisky ($10k worth) is robbed from his storage unit and a couple of his boys killed during the robbery. Scudder is roped in when he is asked to help bury the bodies at the farm. And thus it starts.
Next Scudder is waylaid and given a beating to warn him away from Mick but Scudder fights back and wounds the two assailants instead. Things get serious when Jim Faber (Scudder's sponsor) is accidentally murdered in a case of mistaken identity. Finally Grogan's Bar is attacked by 2 assailants with an automatic gun and a bomb killing a dozen people and wounding 7 more.
Mick goes into hiding but they don't know who or why he is being targeted. Mick hires Scudder to find out who is trying to kill Mick's gang, including Scudder. Scudder uses his usual sources such as Danny Boy and TJ. The shooters are identified and working backwards, Scudder is able to find the source.
Real spoilers here, don't read if you don't want to know.
It turns out that the instigator is Paddy Farrelly's son, who has grown up to be a violent criminal. Somehow he has convinced a bunch of other criminals he met in Attica to kill Mick in revenge. The book ends in a gigantic gunfight at the farm.
The plot is different from any of the others so far and we're given a look into Mick's enterprise and his gang (all of whom are eventually killed) including the O'Garas at the farm. The action is pretty fast paced except for the stretched dialog between Mick and Scudder concerning confession. I'm not really sure what to think about these stretched dialogs anymore. I usually fast read them but this one about confession made me read it in its entirety.
Overall not a bad plot, linear and quick to read. I finished it within a day or two.
bundy23's review against another edition
5.0
I originally read this before I started the series and it still manages 4 stars but now I know the characters and the context of everyone's relationships I'm going to bump it up to a 5. More what I'd call "pure entertainment" than any of the earlier books and it's also the shortest, which I'm always a fan of.
naomi_x's review against another edition
4.0
a wee more intense and dark then many mysteries novels. just the way i like it.
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I usually don’t get excited about the specific plots of Lawrence Block’s Scudder novels. Just the opportunity to read a Scudder book is cause for excitement in and of itself. But I was pretty pumped for this one. I’ve always been fascinated with his Mick Ballou character, the last of the great Irish gangsters in Hell’s Kitchen according to Matt’s universe. Since this one centered around Ballou hiring Matt, I desperately wanted to get to it. I read through it’s predecessor novel Even the Wicked in anticipation of getting there.
So why the three stars when I usually give Scudder books 4?
I wouldn’t say this one is a let down, per se. The first half of it is rather compelling. Without giving too much away, some personal things happen to Matt and Block plays them to great effect. If you’ve walked this far on Matt’s journey, you know how much has changed from what was. Usually in cases, Matt’s personal life isn’t too involved. To see that happen here added an emotional layer to this one that I did not expect.
But the resolutions were both predictable and blasé, which is not what one often says about a Scudder novel. I was hoping for something different as these books usually have different endings with various levels of excitement but I called all the shots here and that’s sad. Shows the series is a little long in the tooth. I still love it but I was hoping for more. Expectation free…it’s closer to a 4-star read but again, that back half isn’t what I typically expect from Block.
So why the three stars when I usually give Scudder books 4?
I wouldn’t say this one is a let down, per se. The first half of it is rather compelling. Without giving too much away, some personal things happen to Matt and Block plays them to great effect. If you’ve walked this far on Matt’s journey, you know how much has changed from what was. Usually in cases, Matt’s personal life isn’t too involved. To see that happen here added an emotional layer to this one that I did not expect.
But the resolutions were both predictable and blasé, which is not what one often says about a Scudder novel. I was hoping for something different as these books usually have different endings with various levels of excitement but I called all the shots here and that’s sad. Shows the series is a little long in the tooth. I still love it but I was hoping for more. Expectation free…it’s closer to a 4-star read but again, that back half isn’t what I typically expect from Block.
johnnygamble's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this one, with his descent into criminality a mirror of his previous descent into alcoholism. The mystery is secondary
carol26388's review
4.0
Who is ready to weigh in on "How many books in a series is too much?"
(http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/628822-how-many-books-to-a-series-what-is-your-thought#comment_id_61747914 )
Though Lawrence Block is on his 14th book about investigator Matthew Scudder, he has yet to reach the "too much" point. Despite being book 14, Everybody Dies still manages to surprise.
Mick Ballou has been backed into a corner. He suspects he's the target of a personal attack, but needless to say, he can't seek protection from the police. He requests Matt's help, and drives him out to Jersey to examine the death scene of two of Mick's employees. There's also a missing truckload of whiskey, worth ten grand or so, so it's possible that may be a motive. Scudder aids in clean-up but is reluctant to take the case further, and only agrees to verify it isn't a crime of opportunity. Unfortunately, even the quietest of inquiries from him and T.J. stirs up a host of trouble. Matt is walking up Fifty-third street, headed to report to Mick, when he gets jumped. Instinct kicks in and he fights back, getting away but potentially angering his unknown opponent.
Perhaps the least enjoyable section was Matt ruminating over whether or not he should become involved in Ballou's battles. After years of friendship with Mick and blatant vigilante justice, it's hardly an ethical issue at this point. Unfortunately, no matter what Matt decides, he's going to be dragged into the fray. From there, it quickly takes a number of unexpected turns. Although one small part of the mystery was predictable, the ending was shocking. My reaction on finishing was a stunned, "oh wow." I may have even wandered around the house for awhile, repeating, "oh wow."
Though it feels more violent than other Scudder books, it's actually less bloodthirsty. The violence is tempered with emotional loss, and will herald a number of significant changes in Matt's life. The attention to Matt's emotional life is one of the things that sets the Scudder series apart--the idea that there are ramifications, both political and emotional.
A compelling series that shows no signs of burning out.
Cross posted at: http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/06/21/everybody-dies-by-lawrence-block/
(http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/628822-how-many-books-to-a-series-what-is-your-thought#comment_id_61747914 )
Though Lawrence Block is on his 14th book about investigator Matthew Scudder, he has yet to reach the "too much" point. Despite being book 14, Everybody Dies still manages to surprise.
Mick Ballou has been backed into a corner. He suspects he's the target of a personal attack, but needless to say, he can't seek protection from the police. He requests Matt's help, and drives him out to Jersey to examine the death scene of two of Mick's employees. There's also a missing truckload of whiskey, worth ten grand or so, so it's possible that may be a motive. Scudder aids in clean-up but is reluctant to take the case further, and only agrees to verify it isn't a crime of opportunity. Unfortunately, even the quietest of inquiries from him and T.J. stirs up a host of trouble. Matt is walking up Fifty-third street, headed to report to Mick, when he gets jumped. Instinct kicks in and he fights back, getting away but potentially angering his unknown opponent.
Perhaps the least enjoyable section was Matt ruminating over whether or not he should become involved in Ballou's battles. After years of friendship with Mick and blatant vigilante justice, it's hardly an ethical issue at this point. Unfortunately, no matter what Matt decides, he's going to be dragged into the fray. From there, it quickly takes a number of unexpected turns. Although one small part of the mystery was predictable, the ending was shocking. My reaction on finishing was a stunned, "oh wow." I may have even wandered around the house for awhile, repeating, "oh wow."
Though it feels more violent than other Scudder books, it's actually less bloodthirsty. The violence is tempered with emotional loss, and will herald a number of significant changes in Matt's life. The attention to Matt's emotional life is one of the things that sets the Scudder series apart--the idea that there are ramifications, both political and emotional.
A compelling series that shows no signs of burning out.
Cross posted at: http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/06/21/everybody-dies-by-lawrence-block/