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A review by jamespatrickjoyce
In the Midst of Death by Lawrence Block
4.0
Lawrence Block's Scudder is a wonderful character. He and his world are entirely believable. In fact, these are stories that could be an account of a real guy's experiences, which is not usually the case in hardboiled detective fiction.
This is a hard-drinking PI (without a license) who, later in the series, kicks the booze and starts attending AA meetings at whatever church/center is closest. If you've seen the movie with Liam Neeson, then you know why he quit the police force (accidentally kills a child, while apprehending two murderers) and that's also why he becomes a functioning alcoholic. He's a complex character who is tough, but not able to kick a roomful of ass, a good detective, but not able to solve mysteries without the necessary luck and clues... basically, a believable knight in tarnished armour.
This one involves a murdered dominatrix, a framed cop who is dirty as hell, but not a murderer, political dirty dealing, and just a little bit of (off camera) sex. Oh... and a hell of a lot of drinking.
"It was a hard morning. I swallowed some aspirin and went downstairs to the Red Flame for a lot of coffee. It helped a little. My hands were slightly shaky and my stomach kept threatening to turn over.
What I wanted was a drink. But I wanted it badly enough to know not to have it. I had things to do, places to go, people to see. So I stuck with the coffee."
I like the honesty of his struggle, and how it progresses through the series.
This is a hard-drinking PI (without a license) who, later in the series, kicks the booze and starts attending AA meetings at whatever church/center is closest. If you've seen the movie with Liam Neeson, then you know why he quit the police force (accidentally kills a child, while apprehending two murderers) and that's also why he becomes a functioning alcoholic. He's a complex character who is tough, but not able to kick a roomful of ass, a good detective, but not able to solve mysteries without the necessary luck and clues... basically, a believable knight in tarnished armour.
This one involves a murdered dominatrix, a framed cop who is dirty as hell, but not a murderer, political dirty dealing, and just a little bit of (off camera) sex. Oh... and a hell of a lot of drinking.
"It was a hard morning. I swallowed some aspirin and went downstairs to the Red Flame for a lot of coffee. It helped a little. My hands were slightly shaky and my stomach kept threatening to turn over.
What I wanted was a drink. But I wanted it badly enough to know not to have it. I had things to do, places to go, people to see. So I stuck with the coffee."
I like the honesty of his struggle, and how it progresses through the series.