A review by thomasroche
The Sins of the Fathers by Lawrence Block

4.0

This is a very good P.I. novel, but I would be remiss if I didn't point out that the author and narrator essentially spend the whole novel blaming a prostitute for her own (borderline "inevitable") murder. Naturally, the perpetrator turns out to be someone "unexpected", and there's more to the story than first appears, or even appears until the 90% point. These facts don't quite override any political objection I have to this novel, but I'll live with it because it's very well-written and ultimately blames the blameworthy. Let's face it, if I really started beefing classic noir writers for underlying sex-negativity, uh... that wouldn't end well for anybody. In any event, Block is a damn solid writer; this is one of the classic seventies P.I. novels, and it's well worth a read if that's your jam.