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Title: A Long Line of Dead Men: A Matthew Scudder Mystery by Lawrence Block ISBN: 0-380-80604-5 Publisher: Quill Pub. Date: 06 April, 1999 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $12.50 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.08 (13 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Scudder getting dull with age? Uhh...
Comment: Maybe, but the novel is still a wonderful one. Sure, Matt Scudder is getting older, so he's less active (like a dull razor). He's also 10 years sober, so the alcohol battle that put his name on the maps is becoming less of a challenge (and less interesting to read about). His relationship with Elaine is dry, if not at all meaningful, and his network of criminal friends is the same old bull. So what keeps this mystery alive? A solid plot. Interesting, mysterious, and quite a good tale all in all. I hate to see Scudder dwindling away, but I have to say that this book was still a hit.
Rating: 5
Summary: explosive and engaging
Comment: The premise is unusual - a secret society of businessmen, that started in ancient Babylon and has continued to this day. A set of 31 men, who gather once a year for a dinner, and patiently wait until only one remains, who selects 30 young men to regenerate the process. But somebody has noticed the current crop is dying at a rate well off the life insurance actuarial charts. Several of these deaths are obvious murders, but others that were dismissed as suicides or accidents are now being re-examined. Matt Scudder is employed to found out if there is a sinister plot to thin the ranks, and if so, why.
This book was outstanding. I love Lawrence Block's writing style, whether he's writing about Matt Scudder or Bernie Rhodenbarr. Can Matt Scudder uncover a mass murderer who has patiently worked for years before he strikes again? You'll be on the edge of your seat as you read this one.
Rating: 5
Summary: Tontine Society
Comment: There is something appealing (to some people, including me) about a 'secret society' that only meets once a year or so and whose membership is selected with no particular requirements beyond the nomination, even though it is a matter of the whim of the nominator. No dues, no qualifications, no rules (except silence about the club). This one has just 31 members, the last one living selecting the next 30, and has gone on for umpty generations. Now somebody is killing the members -- is it to 'inherit' the chairmanship? Apparently not, since a leading member asks Scudder to investigate. Like Rex Stout's "League of Frightened Men" this is a classic of this sub-category of detective-novel themes. The mystery is intriguing, and I am happy to say that Matt Scudder is selected to become a new member in spite of there being some survivors. He should be very proud to belong to such a society (even though it isn't mentioned in subsequent books, but maybe that's because it's supposed to be a 'secret society' -- in which case why did Scudder write about it? -- oh, well, that's the only way first-person narratives get written in the first place). Great idea for an old-man club, though they start out young. Meet once a year, eat well, and sigh 'well, I'm still here'.
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Title: The Devil Knows You're Dead by Lawrence Block ISBN: 038072023X Publisher: Avon Pub. Date: 01 October, 1994 List Price(USD): $7.50 |
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Title: A Walk Among the Tombstones by Lawrence Block ISBN: 0380713756 Publisher: Avon Pub. Date: 01 November, 1993 List Price(USD): $7.50 |
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Title: Everybody Dies by Lawrence Block ISBN: 0380725355 Publisher: Avon Pub. Date: 09 November, 1999 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Even the Wicked: A Matthew Scudder Novel by Lawrence Block ISBN: 0380725347 Publisher: Avon Pub. Date: 01 February, 1998 List Price(USD): $7.50 |
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Title: A Dance at the Slaughterhouse by Lawrence Block ISBN: 0380713748 Publisher: Avon Pub. Date: 01 August, 1992 List Price(USD): $7.50 |
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