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graymorally's review
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
usbsticky's review
5.0
Spoilers ahead: Probably the best of the series so far. It's written in a strange format, that of a reminiscence 10 years back. The only reason I can think of is that in book 5 he finally manages to stay off the booze but due to the plot in this book, he has to hit the booze and he can't do that because of book 5.
This book also has 3 mysteries. I've seen this done in other books, mainly because each mystery is too short to make into a book itself.
The first mystery is: Scudder is drinking in an off license Irish bar operated by some Irish heavy hitters (brothers). Despite that, they are robbed one late night. The owners make it known that they are willing to pay a reward of $10k to find the pair of robbers.
Mystery 2: A neighborhood bar is being blackmailed. This bar does a lot of cash business and hides a lot of cash takings under the table from the IRS. Despite this, they keep an honest set of books as well, just so keep track of how much they are making. This set of books are stolen and the blackmailers require $50k or they send the books to the IRS. The owner is a friend of Scudder and asks him to help.
Mystery 3: An acquaintance is cheating on his wife. While he is out, a pair of burglars burgle his home and stab his wife during the burglary. The robbers are caught while fencing some goods but point the finger at the husband for setting the burglary up and insist that the wife wasn't home during the burglary and they didn't kill anyone. Meanwhile the husband's alibis clearly prove that he is out about town during the time of the wife's death. He hires Scudder to prove that he didn't have anything to do with it.
Scudder spends a lot of the book simply drinking at various bars around his neighborhood. And in between his drunken hazes he investigates the mysteries. For some reason even though he's strapped for money, he isn't enthusiastic about taking any of the 3 jobs but they are somehow foisted on him.
In the end, he solves the mysteries by doing the requisite footwork, asking questions, trying to make sense of the answers and trying to fit the pieces into the puzzle until he solves them. Block doesn't do the greatest job of the reveal, this is probably the best job he's done in the 6 books I've read.
But mainly I love his books/writing because he does a great job of making the characters and setting interesting and interesting. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
This book also has 3 mysteries. I've seen this done in other books, mainly because each mystery is too short to make into a book itself.
The first mystery is: Scudder is drinking in an off license Irish bar operated by some Irish heavy hitters (brothers). Despite that, they are robbed one late night. The owners make it known that they are willing to pay a reward of $10k to find the pair of robbers.
Mystery 2: A neighborhood bar is being blackmailed. This bar does a lot of cash business and hides a lot of cash takings under the table from the IRS. Despite this, they keep an honest set of books as well, just so keep track of how much they are making. This set of books are stolen and the blackmailers require $50k or they send the books to the IRS. The owner is a friend of Scudder and asks him to help.
Mystery 3: An acquaintance is cheating on his wife. While he is out, a pair of burglars burgle his home and stab his wife during the burglary. The robbers are caught while fencing some goods but point the finger at the husband for setting the burglary up and insist that the wife wasn't home during the burglary and they didn't kill anyone. Meanwhile the husband's alibis clearly prove that he is out about town during the time of the wife's death. He hires Scudder to prove that he didn't have anything to do with it.
Scudder spends a lot of the book simply drinking at various bars around his neighborhood. And in between his drunken hazes he investigates the mysteries. For some reason even though he's strapped for money, he isn't enthusiastic about taking any of the 3 jobs but they are somehow foisted on him.
In the end, he solves the mysteries by doing the requisite footwork, asking questions, trying to make sense of the answers and trying to fit the pieces into the puzzle until he solves them. Block doesn't do the greatest job of the reveal, this is probably the best job he's done in the 6 books I've read.
But mainly I love his books/writing because he does a great job of making the characters and setting interesting and interesting. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
bundy23's review
5.0
4.5 stars.
Despite the fact that the actual investigation part of this book is probably the strongest in the series so far and all three resolutions were close to perfect I still felt like this was a slight step backwards after the absolutely brilliant [b:Eight Million Ways to Die|36844778|Eight Million Ways to Die|John K. Snyder|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1525275413l/36844778._SY75_.jpg|58613673].
Why?
Matt Scudder quite literally goes back in time, this is set even before [b:The Sins of the Fathers|39507|The Sins of the Fathers (Matthew Scudder, #1)|Lawrence Block|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1408929959l/39507._SY75_.jpg|1593410], which means he's not really fighting his alcoholism so it's more sad than tragic.
It's still a great read though.
Despite the fact that the actual investigation part of this book is probably the strongest in the series so far and all three resolutions were close to perfect I still felt like this was a slight step backwards after the absolutely brilliant [b:Eight Million Ways to Die|36844778|Eight Million Ways to Die|John K. Snyder|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1525275413l/36844778._SY75_.jpg|58613673].
Why?
Matt Scudder quite literally goes back in time, this is set even before [b:The Sins of the Fathers|39507|The Sins of the Fathers (Matthew Scudder, #1)|Lawrence Block|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1408929959l/39507._SY75_.jpg|1593410], which means he's not really fighting his alcoholism so it's more sad than tragic.
It's still a great read though.
dria42's review against another edition
5.0
Tightly-written gritty noir detective story. Loved it. Block is a craftsman.
ncrabb's review
3.0
I enjoyed this book as I have all of the Scudder series, but this one was particularly fascinating to me. It happened around the time of the New York City bankruptcy—a few years before technically. It was a time when bars in the city had Irish Republican Army influences running through them. It’s actually more of a flashback novel set in 1975 New York.
As the book opens, a nightclub is being held up by two men. Scudder is one of the patrons enjoying yet another drink. No one is hurt, and Scudder is somewhat surprised by the ease at which the holdup went down. Then bad things start happening to others with whom Scudder was drinking at the club. Its owners are IRA gunmen who want to find out who held up the place but who don’t want to involve the cops. Not convinced he has a chance of figuring out the mystery, Scudder dives in anyway. It all becomes rather personal when his friend’s wife is among those later killed by the same men.
As the book opens, a nightclub is being held up by two men. Scudder is one of the patrons enjoying yet another drink. No one is hurt, and Scudder is somewhat surprised by the ease at which the holdup went down. Then bad things start happening to others with whom Scudder was drinking at the club. Its owners are IRA gunmen who want to find out who held up the place but who don’t want to involve the cops. Not convinced he has a chance of figuring out the mystery, Scudder dives in anyway. It all becomes rather personal when his friend’s wife is among those later killed by the same men.
jakewritesbooks's review
4.0
My tour through Matthew Scudder’s New York continues. This is another solid entry in the series.
I was a little concerned when I saw Matthew drinking at Armstrong’s and other places on the west side. It seemed to negate the ending of Eight Million Ways to Die. Was Block going to retcon everything or just pretend it didn’t happen?
However, the reader soon realizes the whole time this is a flashback novel of something Matthew did in 1975, while he was still binge drinking. And while there’s enough for a book, it doesn’t feel shoehorned in. It feels like a quality, authentic Matthew Scudder tale.
There are two running threads in this one that somewhat connect together and all involve an Irish bar and a bunch of Irish-American folks who are Matthew’s drinking companions. One thread works better than another and the book drags in the middle a bit. But Block knows what he’s doing and is able to stick the landing more or less.
The mystery element to the first thread was somewhat interesting, not as much as for who did the robbery bit but how Matthew goes trying to unfold the case. The other is fine but predictable. Yet both do what Block does so effectively in this series: provide a pastiche of 1970s New York City in all its grim, gritty glory.
I wouldn’t say this is the best of the series but it’s definitely up there. Again, while I don’t think Block handles the plot as smoothly as he could have, he is at the very least competent with it and that’s all I’m going for. Throw in his good prose and it makes for a good read.
I was a little concerned when I saw Matthew drinking at Armstrong’s and other places on the west side. It seemed to negate the ending of Eight Million Ways to Die. Was Block going to retcon everything or just pretend it didn’t happen?
However, the reader soon realizes the whole time this is a flashback novel of something Matthew did in 1975, while he was still binge drinking. And while there’s enough for a book, it doesn’t feel shoehorned in. It feels like a quality, authentic Matthew Scudder tale.
There are two running threads in this one that somewhat connect together and all involve an Irish bar and a bunch of Irish-American folks who are Matthew’s drinking companions. One thread works better than another and the book drags in the middle a bit. But Block knows what he’s doing and is able to stick the landing more or less.
The mystery element to the first thread was somewhat interesting, not as much as for who did the robbery bit but how Matthew goes trying to unfold the case. The other is fine but predictable. Yet both do what Block does so effectively in this series: provide a pastiche of 1970s New York City in all its grim, gritty glory.
I wouldn’t say this is the best of the series but it’s definitely up there. Again, while I don’t think Block handles the plot as smoothly as he could have, he is at the very least competent with it and that’s all I’m going for. Throw in his good prose and it makes for a good read.