Reading Matt Scudder series again after few years is like meeting an old friend who never lets you down. I always look for Scudder simply walking throReading Matt Scudder series again after few years is like meeting an old friend who never lets you down. I always look for Scudder simply walking through his life, his streets of New York. That's rarefied air in the way I rate a hardboiled detective series. Luckily he is actually good PI too who does the legwork like a police detective, not like a TV detective where all the clues find him in his office.
When I started this novel i thought like some other reviews that the case of the secret club was too unrealistic like a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novels (Sherlock short stories are more realistic detective stories) but this still became a great one in the series , big favourite of mine because Scudder's down to earth, pretty mundane life, the way he moves around his streets of New York city dominated the story, the PI work was well done as usual....more
When i read first half of this novel it was midlevel quality Scudder book but it ended being a real powerful story both emotionally, cerebrally. It deWhen i read first half of this novel it was midlevel quality Scudder book but it ended being a real powerful story both emotionally, cerebrally. It dealt with deeper issues than you expect in crime books, Scudder had to deal in the end with morally questionable things that bothered me both emotionally and if it was right or wrong in my mind.
I had to think through what was discussed by the characters a few times when i finished the novel. I enjoyed that it left me something to think about afterwards. Sure its fun reading a good/great PI story but when there is more to it than that its even better. I would say this is the strongest novel in the series so far along with 8 Million Ways to Die (book 5)...more
This is the most chilling, unsettling Scudder novel so far.
Motley is a creepy villain and still plausible, normaly i dislike the sick serial killer tThis is the most chilling, unsettling Scudder novel so far.
Motley is a creepy villain and still plausible, normaly i dislike the sick serial killer type villain. Block brought back in the story the high-class prostitute named Elaine that Scudder use to be close with. That along with Scudder's new friendship with Mick Ballou, an Irish gangster made the story extra interesting and Matt less of depressing loner. Scudder in this series destroys the cool lone wolf type hero. He is a depressing loner that lost everyone close to him years before when he was a terrible drinker. As he says sometimes not drinking anymore didnt change his life much.
Really i cant say more of this book because i have simply run out of ways to write rave reviews about every book i read in this series. ...more
This series has become the benchmark for me of what a great PI book series is. I compare it to every detective book stories i have read before and eveThis series has become the benchmark for me of what a great PI book series is. I compare it to every detective book stories i have read before and everything i will read from now on. It is the best PI book series i have read of any era. I hold Hammett the best writer of this kind but his series was short stories with The Continental Op. Block series has surpassed the others with similar books.
The only real flaw in the novel was that Scudder was more lucky than he did good work in the case he worked. In another PI book it would have ruined the story, what i feel for the characters if the actual PI work was not good enough. In these books its not really too important even if the PI cases are usually realistic, great. Block writing, themes in other areas of the novel, Scudder himself is really the why i read the series. I don't read this series for simple entertaining PI story,plot. ...more
In the end i liked how different this book was from the 5th book that is so highly rated,award winning. I liked the flasback story mostly because of tIn the end i liked how different this book was from the 5th book that is so highly rated,award winning. I liked the flasback story mostly because of the gang of friends that hanged around with Matt in 1975. I liked Skip and co, the first Scudder book that hade lines that made me laugh. They tend to be more bleak,complex character study.
I liked how beliavable Block ended the different cases, how Matt worked without being some super detective. I liked the different things that the title was a symbol for in the story. Before i read the series i thought it was a simple title that catched your eye because a real ginmill was closing in the actual story. Hehe talk about not knowing Scudder books are not that straightforward...more
Another amazing novel by Block,i kept thinking wow this is something.It was very much about Scudder himself,his struggles with alcohol that made it soAnother amazing novel by Block,i kept thinking wow this is something.It was very much about Scudder himself,his struggles with alcohol that made it so strong this time too. The case was even less important than the novel before. It was complex story emotionally,i could have read 340+ pages of Matt Scudder and his problems without the crime plot,the violence.
The personal struggles made it much more darker than any violence could have been. I didnt care about the fact the case,the crime plot wasnt the most interesting in the series so far. One of those few crime books that could have been as great without the exciting crime plot and if it was a mundane non-genre novel. The characters,athmosphere,emotions was by the far the most impressive thing about the novel.
Its hard not get so impressed by this series when too many crime books,series are the same old stories,same formula and dont have near the same weight,realer than real characters. I could read 20 books about Matt Scudder going from and to his hotel,reading only his thoughts.
This book is my fav Scudder so far and not because of the plot,mystery he has to detect this time. It was the atmosphere,Scudder himself running arounThis book is my fav Scudder so far and not because of the plot,mystery he has to detect this time. It was the atmosphere,Scudder himself running around in NYC and making the setting coming alive so well. Scudder struggling with his alcoholism,his life in general is interesting as always. The case was interesting,not too flashy,convulted plot twists like there is too often in PI stories. I like it was mostly instinct,legwork much more realistic than what you usually see in the subgenre.
After this novel Block has risen many levels in my eyes as a writer of PI crime,a writer of great characters,human stories. The cover blurb comparing him to Hammett stories isnt hyperbole. I havent read PI stories of this quality outside Hammett's famous stories....more
Scudder continues to grow as a character. He keeps being very real as flawed but very moral man,a sort of private detective. I keep enjoying how he woScudder continues to grow as a character. He keeps being very real as flawed but very moral man,a sort of private detective. I keep enjoying how he works too,he thinks like a real detective and not someone with mythical abilities who knows everything about case just be thinking up ideas.
The way he chases around info he reminds me of Hammett's The Contintenal OP....more
A brilliant book this was, much better than the earlier one. Scudder had more challenging case this time and seeing him work his way through was a greA brilliant book this was, much better than the earlier one. Scudder had more challenging case this time and seeing him work his way through was a great read.
Scudder continues to develop,he gets more human,flawed but still very compelling. I liked how he was still thinking like a cop sometimes while he was something different on his own. Not a goody goody hero with a golden heart like the ones you see too often today in PI,police crime fiction....more
The first book in The Matt Scudder series is all about the main character who makes the book a compelling read on his own. Shows promise for the otherThe first book in The Matt Scudder series is all about the main character who makes the book a compelling read on his own. Shows promise for the other books in the series....more
This is the first book i have read in this series and it was a very good place to start. Bernie Rhodenbarr is such a witty,fun character to read aboutThis is the first book i have read in this series and it was a very good place to start. Bernie Rhodenbarr is such a witty,fun character to read about. His POV makes so much sense that i got past easily the fact he is burglar who likes to rob people. I expected this story to be more of heist story but it was fun combo of murder mustery and heist story. Its was so funny to read a burglar who enjoys his craft,takes pride in his skill and at the same time trying to act like an amateur ddetective and solve a murder case he is involved in.
Also a well written mystery that i tried to guess, predict the killer but Block was too good to make it predictable to guess. As usual i enjoyed Blocks vivid portrayl of street level New York City and his characters walking around in that setting....more
Loading...
