Take a photo of a barcode or cover
matt2thefuture 's review for:
A Stab in the Dark
by Lawrence Block
Ah, Lawrence Block, you dazzling devil you.
A Stab in the Dark is not a bombastic thriller. It's not a fast-paced, thrill-a-minute ratchet-up-the-tension screamer. That's not what it is. And that's absolutely fine.
The fourth Scudder is a slow burn. It's a thoughtful, contemplative journey into the past. What Block manages to do so well is draw you into the case-du-jour and then show you how the past has changed the lives of those involved and the effects of Scudder stirring up the dust. There are scenes in this that are so subtly and beautifully done, I smiled and wanted to put on a cap just so I could tip it. Block does such a stellar job at making the novel about more than just what it's about. We're talking levels here.
I've loved the Scudder books from the beginning and the fourth shines just like the first three. I love how Block allows his story to unfold--he's not holding your hand, and he's writing about something without writing about something. It's a author who's comfortable that the reader will enjoy the story and that many of them may just feel the story beneath the text. There are so many wonderful little character moments here that it's easy to see why A Stab in the Dark was a Shamus nominee.
It's not an epic. But it's very near a masterpiece. Wonderfully done. I'm a little torn as to the rating. As a mystery, it's definitely a four. As a character piece, it's unequivocally a five.
Highly recommended across the board, although I can see how having read the first three would add another level of depth a newcomer to the series may not have invested yet.
A Stab in the Dark is not a bombastic thriller. It's not a fast-paced, thrill-a-minute ratchet-up-the-tension screamer. That's not what it is. And that's absolutely fine.
The fourth Scudder is a slow burn. It's a thoughtful, contemplative journey into the past. What Block manages to do so well is draw you into the case-du-jour and then show you how the past has changed the lives of those involved and the effects of Scudder stirring up the dust. There are scenes in this that are so subtly and beautifully done, I smiled and wanted to put on a cap just so I could tip it. Block does such a stellar job at making the novel about more than just what it's about. We're talking levels here.
I've loved the Scudder books from the beginning and the fourth shines just like the first three. I love how Block allows his story to unfold--he's not holding your hand, and he's writing about something without writing about something. It's a author who's comfortable that the reader will enjoy the story and that many of them may just feel the story beneath the text. There are so many wonderful little character moments here that it's easy to see why A Stab in the Dark was a Shamus nominee.
It's not an epic. But it's very near a masterpiece. Wonderfully done. I'm a little torn as to the rating. As a mystery, it's definitely a four. As a character piece, it's unequivocally a five.
Highly recommended across the board, although I can see how having read the first three would add another level of depth a newcomer to the series may not have invested yet.