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A robbery turns into a brutal home invasion. Both the suspects are found dead in an open and shut suicide-murder case except Scudder believes there was a third man involved. The biggest change here is every now and then the perspective changes from Scudder to the killer. From the reviews I perused on GR, most fans were not enthused by the decision. It is always jarring when a long running series suddenly changes POV but beyond the initial shock, it worked for me.

This series has always been happy to reinvent itself. From novella to novels, gritty mysteries to action thrillers, pre Mick Ballou to post Mick Ballou (when Scudder gets more trigger happy). I thought most of those changes impacted the series much more significantly than the change in POV. The former occasionally changed the type of stories that were being told about Scudder while Hope to Die only changes the storytelling technique. And more crucially Block is brilliant at putting us into the head of a deranged sadist. I have seen him do the same in a couple of his short stories and he replicates it here. The killer initially appears as an egotistical narcissist albeit a competent one. As the narrative progresses, Block shows us how his psyche unravels and he becomes more unhinged.

Scudder as a character has not always stayed consistent from one book to the next specially when it came to his views on murder and vigilantism. But in spite of that he had always remained an interesting character, because Block creates such a lived in world for him. His interactions with a variety of supporting characters, both regulars and new ones feel authentic in ways that is not always obvious in crime fiction. The biggest effect being plotlines that scream filler in lesser books actually help to enrich the characters here. For example Scudder's adult sons make their first appearance in the series and their scenes are excellent though they have no bearing over the crime story. I think Block realized that he was almost done with series (2 more books to go) and he dropped some parallels to the way Scudder started off. Scudder starts tithing again and gets back to being an unlicensed PI, similar to the first few books. Like the cyclicity of the whole thing.

The only minor problem here is the relative open-ended conclusion. I am not a fan of 'to be continued' storylines. However it answered the relevant mysteries that were set up in the book while keeping the coast clear for a direct sequel. The motivation behind the crime is also absurdly far-fetched. It might he considered a flaw by some but my take is different. It is an intentional plotting decision by Block to show how deluded the killer is.

The usual highpoints are present. The mystery is good and Block's dialogue crackles with a dry wit, without getting so cute that it breaks immersion or draws attention to itself. If I am asked to name my top ten crime books, Block's works would not even enter the discussion. But Block himself will always find a place in my list of top ten crime authors. This book perfectly demonstrates why. Block might not ever be brilliant but he is consistently great. Nothing ground breaking here but just a consummate professional dazzling the readers with virtuosity and versatility. Rating - 4/5.