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A review by mschlat
When the Sacred Ginmill Closes by Lawrence Block
4.0
I started this book badly.
When I read the initial chapter, it was pretty clear that it was set before [b:Eight Million Ways to Die|76758|Eight Million Ways to Die (Matthew Scudder, #5)|Lawrence Block|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1366669683l/76758._SY75_.jpg|2905875] (the previous installment), and I wasn't really interested in going back to that Matthew Scudder. Moreover, there's a cast of "bar friends" of Matthew's that (IIRC) had never appeared before, and I wasn't that interested in getting to know them. The problem is that those "bar friends" are the major characters of this novel, and my lack of interest meant I kinda slogged through the first half of the book.
But the ending might be, hands down, my favorite ending of a Scudder novel to date, as least when considering the resolution of the mystery. The ending is bleak and frightening and incredibly apropos, and I was rocked back on my heels during at least two scenes. A must read if you have enjoyed any book in the series.
When I read the initial chapter, it was pretty clear that it was set before [b:Eight Million Ways to Die|76758|Eight Million Ways to Die (Matthew Scudder, #5)|Lawrence Block|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1366669683l/76758._SY75_.jpg|2905875] (the previous installment), and I wasn't really interested in going back to that Matthew Scudder. Moreover, there's a cast of "bar friends" of Matthew's that (IIRC) had never appeared before, and I wasn't that interested in getting to know them. The problem is that those "bar friends" are the major characters of this novel, and my lack of interest meant I kinda slogged through the first half of the book.
But the ending might be, hands down, my favorite ending of a Scudder novel to date, as least when considering the resolution of the mystery. The ending is bleak and frightening and incredibly apropos, and I was rocked back on my heels during at least two scenes. A must read if you have enjoyed any book in the series.