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Matthew Scudder #17
A Drop of the Hard Stuff
Facing his demons in his first year of sobriety, Matthew Scudder finds himself on the trail of a killer. When Scudder's childhood friend Jack Ellery is murdered, presumably while attempting to atone for past sins, Scudder reluctantly begins his own investigation, with just one lead: Ellery's Alcoholics Anonymous list of people he wronged. One of them may be a killer, but that's not necessarily Scudder's greatest danger. Immersing himself in Ellery's world may lead him right back to the bar stool.
In a novel widely celebrated by critics and readers, Lawrence Block circle back to how it all began, reestablishing the Matthew Scudder series as one of the pinnacles of American detective fiction.
In a novel widely celebrated by critics and readers, Lawrence Block circle back to how it all began, reestablishing the Matthew Scudder series as one of the pinnacles of American detective fiction.
319 pages, Hardcover
First published May 12, 2011
189 people are currently reading
1813 people want to read
About the author
Lawrence Block
768 books2,958 followersLawrence Block has been writing crime, mystery, and suspense fiction for more than half a century. He has published in excess (oh, wretched excess!) of 100 books, and no end of short stories.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he’d be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them.
His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg. The first time Lawrence Block’s name appeared in print was when his short story “You Can’t Lose” was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death. In 2005 it became the first offering from Hard Case Crime, and bore for the first time LB’s original title, Grifter’s Game.
LB is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-private investigator Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller.
Because one name is never enough, LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
LB’s magazine appearances include American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Linn’s Stamp News, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times. His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar’s Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.
Several of LB’s books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder and is scheduled for release in September, 2014.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.)
LB and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.
He is a modest and humble fellow, although you would never guess as much from this biographical note.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he’d be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them.
His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg. The first time Lawrence Block’s name appeared in print was when his short story “You Can’t Lose” was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death. In 2005 it became the first offering from Hard Case Crime, and bore for the first time LB’s original title, Grifter’s Game.
LB is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-private investigator Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller.
Because one name is never enough, LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
LB’s magazine appearances include American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Linn’s Stamp News, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times. His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar’s Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.
Several of LB’s books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder and is scheduled for release in September, 2014.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.)
LB and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.
He is a modest and humble fellow, although you would never guess as much from this biographical note.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 518 reviews
January 11, 2024
Sometimes nostalgia is a boozy, teary drunk, blathering on about loss, other drunken times, other bottles. And sometimes, it's a fine stroll down memory lane, leafing through a photo album of your friends and that one perfect summer, a glass of wine in your hand. Block nails it here in the (currently) last of the Matt Scudder series, walking the fine line between fond remembrance and maudlin. He and Mick are closing the pub, Mick with his whiskey, Scudder with his club soda. Looking back, Mick wonders, "could you have gone the other way?" What follows is a well done tale, set during the time Scudder was off the force and doing 'favors' out of his hotel residence, and working hard to stay sober, one day at a time.
It begins with Jack Ellery, an old boyhood chum appearing at an AA meeting. "I knew him at a glance. He looked older than he had on the other side of the one-way glass, and there was more in his face than the years alone could account for. There's no charge for the seats in an AA room, but that's because you pay for them in advance."
Jack went the other way until he did time and finally gave up the booze. He's working the steps, and is wrestling with Step 9, 'Make Direct Amends to People whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.' Trouble is, when you've led a life of crime, some of those you've injured might react quite badly to your confessional.
The story is as much Scudder's as Jack's, and it's pure reading pleasure as Scudder recounts their wrestling with the AA steps. One of the most interesting parts of Scudder's characterization is his relationship with alcohol. Block has almost always avoided the opportunity to have Scudder wallow in self-pity, and instead captures his somewhat resigned determination to stay sober. This time, Block also touches on his anger. Jack knows early sobriety's a challenge, and is a little unsure about getting in touch with Scudder around his 90-day sobriety mark:
"'I was a little anxious about calling, " he said, 'because I figured you'd make it, but you never know, do you? And how would you feel if you had a slip and here's this asshole calling to congratulate you on ninety days that you haven't got? And I said this to my sponsor, and he reminded me I'm not the center of the universe, which never fails to be news to me.'"
Things progress (insert plot spoilers here) and we get a chance to watch Scudder investigate as well as negotiate some of the troubles in his own life. The mystery was satisfying, and Block maintains a nice balance between Scudder's issues and those of the investigation. Characterization shines as usual, particularly Greg Stillman, Jack's AA sponsor, and Scooter Williams, pothead and moving man:
"His voice trailed off, and I could see him running the question in his mind. He looked to be capable of devoting the next hour to its philosophical implications." Jan and Jim figure prominently in Scudder's life as he comes up on a year of sobriety and reflects on the advice not to make any major changes within the year after quitting.
There's a little bit of wry, gentle humor here, all the more poignant for the melancholy and grief threaded through it. The detective in charge of Jack's case is doubtful of his potential for success:
"So I'd like to clear it,' he said, 'because it's on my plate, and my mother raised me to finish everything.' He patted his stomach. 'A lesson I learned all too well. But on the dinner plate of crime, my friend, Jack Ellery is the Brussels sprouts.'"
I had to laugh at a funny running joke about the word 'sobriquet,' first started by Danny Boy and carried on by Scudder. It's the kind of word game I would indulge in, and I just love that Block does it as well. Scudder also shares a similar feeling about a particular flavor of soda pop:
"We drank our orange sodas out of the can. I couldn't remember the last time I'd had one, and decided I was willing to go that long before I had another."
Then there was a laugh out loud at a New Yorker dig:
"'I can't,' I said. 'I have to go to Brooklyn.'
'Really? Were you a bad boy? Are you being punished?'"
Overall, a fabulous read, the best kind of nostalgia where you reflect with a friend and discover something new, something that highlights just a little bit more about their personality and life story, and makes you feel lucky you had the opportunity to share.
Cross posted at http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/0...
It begins with Jack Ellery, an old boyhood chum appearing at an AA meeting. "I knew him at a glance. He looked older than he had on the other side of the one-way glass, and there was more in his face than the years alone could account for. There's no charge for the seats in an AA room, but that's because you pay for them in advance."
Jack went the other way until he did time and finally gave up the booze. He's working the steps, and is wrestling with Step 9, 'Make Direct Amends to People whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.' Trouble is, when you've led a life of crime, some of those you've injured might react quite badly to your confessional.
The story is as much Scudder's as Jack's, and it's pure reading pleasure as Scudder recounts their wrestling with the AA steps. One of the most interesting parts of Scudder's characterization is his relationship with alcohol. Block has almost always avoided the opportunity to have Scudder wallow in self-pity, and instead captures his somewhat resigned determination to stay sober. This time, Block also touches on his anger. Jack knows early sobriety's a challenge, and is a little unsure about getting in touch with Scudder around his 90-day sobriety mark:
"'I was a little anxious about calling, " he said, 'because I figured you'd make it, but you never know, do you? And how would you feel if you had a slip and here's this asshole calling to congratulate you on ninety days that you haven't got? And I said this to my sponsor, and he reminded me I'm not the center of the universe, which never fails to be news to me.'"
Things progress (insert plot spoilers here) and we get a chance to watch Scudder investigate as well as negotiate some of the troubles in his own life. The mystery was satisfying, and Block maintains a nice balance between Scudder's issues and those of the investigation. Characterization shines as usual, particularly Greg Stillman, Jack's AA sponsor, and Scooter Williams, pothead and moving man:
"His voice trailed off, and I could see him running the question in his mind. He looked to be capable of devoting the next hour to its philosophical implications." Jan and Jim figure prominently in Scudder's life as he comes up on a year of sobriety and reflects on the advice not to make any major changes within the year after quitting.
There's a little bit of wry, gentle humor here, all the more poignant for the melancholy and grief threaded through it. The detective in charge of Jack's case is doubtful of his potential for success:
"So I'd like to clear it,' he said, 'because it's on my plate, and my mother raised me to finish everything.' He patted his stomach. 'A lesson I learned all too well. But on the dinner plate of crime, my friend, Jack Ellery is the Brussels sprouts.'"
I had to laugh at a funny running joke about the word 'sobriquet,' first started by Danny Boy and carried on by Scudder. It's the kind of word game I would indulge in, and I just love that Block does it as well. Scudder also shares a similar feeling about a particular flavor of soda pop:
"We drank our orange sodas out of the can. I couldn't remember the last time I'd had one, and decided I was willing to go that long before I had another."
Then there was a laugh out loud at a New Yorker dig:
"'I can't,' I said. 'I have to go to Brooklyn.'
'Really? Were you a bad boy? Are you being punished?'"
Overall, a fabulous read, the best kind of nostalgia where you reflect with a friend and discover something new, something that highlights just a little bit more about their personality and life story, and makes you feel lucky you had the opportunity to share.
Cross posted at http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/0...
July 27, 2021
“There’s a lot of good stories in the world, and that’s a very good one,” Mick said.
Hard Stuff, the 17th and final full length novel in the Matthew Scudder detective series by Lawrence Block, is a frame story, or a story-within-a-story. Or many stories within a story within a story, technically. Matt and Mick have one of their late-night, into-early-morning storytelling sessions; they are ex-cop and ex-criminal, the best of friends, now older men, in their sixties, but they do what they always do on these occasions, they tell each other stories. Neither are really religious, but Mick is Catholic, regularly goes to Mass, and Matt has AA; both groups require confessional stories, so they are used to this, and besides, they're old friends.
Matt tells a story of a childhood friend, Jack, who turned to crime as he turned to cop, not unlike the contrast between he and Mick. Matt meets Jack at AA, and he catches up on the past just at the point that Jack is trying to “make amends”—one of the steps in AA’s 12 step process. Jack apologizes to all those he screwed over, and offers ways to make it up to those he has offended. Many are also screw-ups, fellow criminals, and tell him to let it go, but one guy beats him up. Another is happy when, at some point in the process, he hears someone has killed Jack, whereupon Jack’s sponsor hires Matt to figure out what happened. This process involves Matt hearing the stories from all the people Jack talked with. The guy who murdered Jack also wants to murder Matt, and the resolution to the drama is sort of flat, with no neat or happy ending. But the resolution of the crime has rarely been the point of these books.
This is a great book (2011) on which the series might end, and it seems to have been intended that way. Number #15, Everyone Dies, which pairs Matt with his best friend Mick, feels like it could have been an ending to this series, but this one, #17, has Matt look back to events from the first year after he had stopped drinking. (There is a novella in the series I have yet to read that came out in 2019, and a couple of great Scudder stories, too, that come after this book).
I have maintained all along that the central theme of the Scudder series is alcoholism. It is always present, in all the books, and especially in this one, where everyone Jack, and then Matt, meets, is addicted—usually to booze, but there are also coke addicts and potheads. So in this last big book it seems right to sort of summarize what the series is principally about: addiction, storytelling as a way to heal, in the process of mysteries to solve. Matt tells stories of addiction, and each person he meets tells stories of their struggles of addiction, often confessional. You tell stories to make amends, to look back and to make sense of your life. To heal. You keep workin’ on mysteries without any clue, as Bob Seger sang; mysteries of all kinds: Crime, moral dilemmas, relationships. There's "good guys" and "bad guys," but not much really separates them, especially in the world of crime Matt inhabits.
I love this series, and if I were you and you were at all intrigued to read one of these, I’d start with #1 and go all the way through. They are not, of course, all equally good, but they are all good, and four or five of them are just flat out great.
Hard Stuff, the 17th and final full length novel in the Matthew Scudder detective series by Lawrence Block, is a frame story, or a story-within-a-story. Or many stories within a story within a story, technically. Matt and Mick have one of their late-night, into-early-morning storytelling sessions; they are ex-cop and ex-criminal, the best of friends, now older men, in their sixties, but they do what they always do on these occasions, they tell each other stories. Neither are really religious, but Mick is Catholic, regularly goes to Mass, and Matt has AA; both groups require confessional stories, so they are used to this, and besides, they're old friends.
Matt tells a story of a childhood friend, Jack, who turned to crime as he turned to cop, not unlike the contrast between he and Mick. Matt meets Jack at AA, and he catches up on the past just at the point that Jack is trying to “make amends”—one of the steps in AA’s 12 step process. Jack apologizes to all those he screwed over, and offers ways to make it up to those he has offended. Many are also screw-ups, fellow criminals, and tell him to let it go, but one guy beats him up. Another is happy when, at some point in the process, he hears someone has killed Jack, whereupon Jack’s sponsor hires Matt to figure out what happened. This process involves Matt hearing the stories from all the people Jack talked with. The guy who murdered Jack also wants to murder Matt, and the resolution to the drama is sort of flat, with no neat or happy ending. But the resolution of the crime has rarely been the point of these books.
This is a great book (2011) on which the series might end, and it seems to have been intended that way. Number #15, Everyone Dies, which pairs Matt with his best friend Mick, feels like it could have been an ending to this series, but this one, #17, has Matt look back to events from the first year after he had stopped drinking. (There is a novella in the series I have yet to read that came out in 2019, and a couple of great Scudder stories, too, that come after this book).
I have maintained all along that the central theme of the Scudder series is alcoholism. It is always present, in all the books, and especially in this one, where everyone Jack, and then Matt, meets, is addicted—usually to booze, but there are also coke addicts and potheads. So in this last big book it seems right to sort of summarize what the series is principally about: addiction, storytelling as a way to heal, in the process of mysteries to solve. Matt tells stories of addiction, and each person he meets tells stories of their struggles of addiction, often confessional. You tell stories to make amends, to look back and to make sense of your life. To heal. You keep workin’ on mysteries without any clue, as Bob Seger sang; mysteries of all kinds: Crime, moral dilemmas, relationships. There's "good guys" and "bad guys," but not much really separates them, especially in the world of crime Matt inhabits.
I love this series, and if I were you and you were at all intrigued to read one of these, I’d start with #1 and go all the way through. They are not, of course, all equally good, but they are all good, and four or five of them are just flat out great.
July 8, 2019
This last book in the Matt Scudder series, published in 2011 when Block was seventy, harks back to events in Scudder’s life that happened almost thirty years before, in Matts first year as a recovering alcoholic.. It contains much of the vigor of his earlier work and will be—if Block chooses to end things here—a fine conclusions to a superior series.
This is a frame story (I have always liked frame stories), told by Matt himself to his old friend Mick Ballou during one of their frequent all night sessions—at Ballou’s bar “Grogans”—of fellowship and craic. It is the story of “High Low Jack” Ellery, a boy from Matt’s old neighborhood, who pursued a life of crime during the years when Matt worked on the police force. Years later, Matt encounters Jack at an AA meeting, and is surprised soon after to hear that Jack has been murdered. After the memorial service, Jack’s sponsor wants to hire him to investigate: “he is a “step Nazi,” the AA sponsor explains, and he fears Jack was killed while scrupulously attempting to complete AA’s “Ninth Step”: trying to make amends. So Matt begins to interview people whom Jack has harmed in his thieving, dishonest life, and before long—you guessed it—some of them end up dead.
This is a somber tale, but it is meditative and nostalgic too, lacking the jagged edge that characterizes some of Scudders last adventures. I am glad Block gave us this last yarn, and I will miss those nights with Matt and Mick in the backroom of Grogan’s bar.
May 26, 2016
It's high time I started on book one in Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder series, because I am LOVING what I'm reading so far!
Scudder is a once-cop, once-private investigator cum investigator (just seems to depend on the day and his finances) who's battling alcoholism. He's forced into a case somewhat close to his hardened heart, so he ends up looking into it just as much for the pay as for his own conscience.
In fine Block fashion, the reader is left wondering "Is this the guy who done it?...No wait, it's gotta be this guy! Or maybe..." almost right up to the end. I might've figured it out sooner, but I got stuck on this one character and having made up my mind it was him, I spent a third of a book looking for clues specifically for this one guy, thus missing any clues that would've pointed to the real killer. I swallowed the red herring bones and all. The clue that I was on the wrong track came when my killer got killed. Doh!
Folks that are looking for a straightforward mystery or crime story won't get it in A Drop of the Hard Stuff. Nope, and that's the beauty of it for me. I prefer books with some literary merit (SNOB ALERT!) and this has it. I'm not talking about highfalutin poetical bs, I'm talking about a little more character development than what you usually get with the genre stuff. You get plenty of character in this one! Scudder is working on his first year of sobriety and so many of the scenes take place in AA meetings. Block described some dynamite scenes of temptation and inner turmoil that really made you feel for these sad sods.
Even though I felt like this book provided some great insights into that world, of course not everyone's going to be down with reading about depressing AA meetings. Even I got a tad bored a time or two. There isn't a lot of action in this one, but when it heats up, it gets intense.
Now, it's time for me to start from book one. I am completely ready to get to know this Scudder fellow from the beginning!
Scudder is a once-cop, once-private investigator cum investigator (just seems to depend on the day and his finances) who's battling alcoholism. He's forced into a case somewhat close to his hardened heart, so he ends up looking into it just as much for the pay as for his own conscience.
In fine Block fashion, the reader is left wondering "Is this the guy who done it?...No wait, it's gotta be this guy! Or maybe..." almost right up to the end. I might've figured it out sooner, but I got stuck on this one character and having made up my mind it was him, I spent a third of a book looking for clues specifically for this one guy, thus missing any clues that would've pointed to the real killer. I swallowed the red herring bones and all. The clue that I was on the wrong track came when my killer got killed. Doh!
Folks that are looking for a straightforward mystery or crime story won't get it in A Drop of the Hard Stuff. Nope, and that's the beauty of it for me. I prefer books with some literary merit (SNOB ALERT!) and this has it. I'm not talking about highfalutin poetical bs, I'm talking about a little more character development than what you usually get with the genre stuff. You get plenty of character in this one! Scudder is working on his first year of sobriety and so many of the scenes take place in AA meetings. Block described some dynamite scenes of temptation and inner turmoil that really made you feel for these sad sods.
Even though I felt like this book provided some great insights into that world, of course not everyone's going to be down with reading about depressing AA meetings. Even I got a tad bored a time or two. There isn't a lot of action in this one, but when it heats up, it gets intense.
Now, it's time for me to start from book one. I am completely ready to get to know this Scudder fellow from the beginning!
January 19, 2019
Winner, winner, chicken dinner!
Thanks to a contest here on Goodreads, I ended up with an advanced reader’s copy of the new Matt Scudder novel. I had actually been rereading all of the Scudder books in preparation for the release of this in May, but I had only made it to When the Sacred Ginmill Closes when this arrived. I briefly thought about waiting while I reread the rest of the series, but I’m not known for my patience or willpower so I burned through this in less than 24 hours.
There’s two ways to approach writing a character in a long running series. The author can put them in a limbo where they are timeless and there are never any big changes, or the character can age and grow as the series goes along. Block did this as well as anyone ever has in the Scudder books by taking Matt from a drunk former cop living in a hotel to his eventual recovery and building of a life for himself. The only downside to this is that the timeline puts Matt around 70 now, and Block had recognized this by slowing Matt down considerably and only writing two Scudder books in the last ten years.
To get around the geezer factor here, Block goes back to a trick he used in When the Scared Ginmill Closes, the flashback. A Drop of the Hard Stuff begins in a familiar setting with Matt and his friend Mick Ballou having one of their all night gab sessions in a closed saloon while Mick sips Irish whiskey and Matt has his club soda. In the framing chapters, Matt lets us know that even Mick has slowed down at this point, and that their all night talk fests are getting pretty rare since neither of them can pull an all-nighter like they used to. In the course of the conversation, Matt brings up a childhood friend, Jack Ellery, and tells Mick a story of what happened back in the mid-‘80s, during Matt’s first year of sobriety.
Matt and Jack knew each other as kids for a couple of years, but later, Jack became a petty criminal. Matt even saw him in a line-up once at his police station when he was still a cop. But when Matt bumps into Jack again at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, he finds that Jack has almost twice as much time sober as he does and is in the middle of his step of making amends to those he harmed while drinking.
Shortly after this, Jack turns up murdered. His sponsor, Greg, thinks that Jack may have accidently stirred up someone while making his apologies to those he wronged back when he was a criminal, but he doesn’t want to cause trouble for any innocent people. So Greg hires Matt to look into those that Jack was making amends to in order to see if there’s any viable suspects they can turn over to the police.
As this is going on, Matt is dealing with his upcoming first anniversary of sobriety and thinking about the next steps he needs to take. Seeing how hard Jack had worked to try and make up for his sins, but then getting killed because of it has rattled Matt. There are other lingering questions with Matt’s relationship with his steady girlfriend, another recovering alcoholic.
Reading this right after going back through 8 Million Ways to Die recently turned out to be perfect timing because the story takes place shortly after that, and since I’ve gone through the books with Matt’s early boozing days, getting some of his story during his first year of sobriety was a great piece of his history.
As usual in the best of the Scudder novels, the mystery has elements that make Matt reflect on his personal life. The flashback aspect also plays into the wistfully nostalgic and melancholy tone that Block does so well in these books. This also features Matt yet again coming up with a creative way to deal with the killer after finding him. First time readers of Scudder should be warned that Matt does think about and discuss some of the people and cases he’s worked before so you could get some spoilers to some of the previous books. However, if you don’t care about that and are just looking for a terrific character based crime novel, you won’t find many better than this.
Now that he’s used the flashback again to create another first rate Scudder novel, I’m torn between hoping that Block will use the idea again and again or thinking that this should be the final farewell to Matt. He could certainly have Matt tell more stories from all over his thirty plus year career as a private detective. On the other hand, the opening and closing chapters in this have a nice tone of finality to them with Mick and Matt setting in the dark bar for what could be the last time. Whatever Block decides to do next, I'm glad we got this tale of Matt's earlier days.
Thanks to a contest here on Goodreads, I ended up with an advanced reader’s copy of the new Matt Scudder novel. I had actually been rereading all of the Scudder books in preparation for the release of this in May, but I had only made it to When the Sacred Ginmill Closes when this arrived. I briefly thought about waiting while I reread the rest of the series, but I’m not known for my patience or willpower so I burned through this in less than 24 hours.
There’s two ways to approach writing a character in a long running series. The author can put them in a limbo where they are timeless and there are never any big changes, or the character can age and grow as the series goes along. Block did this as well as anyone ever has in the Scudder books by taking Matt from a drunk former cop living in a hotel to his eventual recovery and building of a life for himself. The only downside to this is that the timeline puts Matt around 70 now, and Block had recognized this by slowing Matt down considerably and only writing two Scudder books in the last ten years.
To get around the geezer factor here, Block goes back to a trick he used in When the Scared Ginmill Closes, the flashback. A Drop of the Hard Stuff begins in a familiar setting with Matt and his friend Mick Ballou having one of their all night gab sessions in a closed saloon while Mick sips Irish whiskey and Matt has his club soda. In the framing chapters, Matt lets us know that even Mick has slowed down at this point, and that their all night talk fests are getting pretty rare since neither of them can pull an all-nighter like they used to. In the course of the conversation, Matt brings up a childhood friend, Jack Ellery, and tells Mick a story of what happened back in the mid-‘80s, during Matt’s first year of sobriety.
Matt and Jack knew each other as kids for a couple of years, but later, Jack became a petty criminal. Matt even saw him in a line-up once at his police station when he was still a cop. But when Matt bumps into Jack again at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, he finds that Jack has almost twice as much time sober as he does and is in the middle of his step of making amends to those he harmed while drinking.
Shortly after this, Jack turns up murdered. His sponsor, Greg, thinks that Jack may have accidently stirred up someone while making his apologies to those he wronged back when he was a criminal, but he doesn’t want to cause trouble for any innocent people. So Greg hires Matt to look into those that Jack was making amends to in order to see if there’s any viable suspects they can turn over to the police.
As this is going on, Matt is dealing with his upcoming first anniversary of sobriety and thinking about the next steps he needs to take. Seeing how hard Jack had worked to try and make up for his sins, but then getting killed because of it has rattled Matt. There are other lingering questions with Matt’s relationship with his steady girlfriend, another recovering alcoholic.
Reading this right after going back through 8 Million Ways to Die recently turned out to be perfect timing because the story takes place shortly after that, and since I’ve gone through the books with Matt’s early boozing days, getting some of his story during his first year of sobriety was a great piece of his history.
As usual in the best of the Scudder novels, the mystery has elements that make Matt reflect on his personal life. The flashback aspect also plays into the wistfully nostalgic and melancholy tone that Block does so well in these books. This also features Matt yet again coming up with a creative way to deal with the killer after finding him. First time readers of Scudder should be warned that Matt does think about and discuss some of the people and cases he’s worked before so you could get some spoilers to some of the previous books. However, if you don’t care about that and are just looking for a terrific character based crime novel, you won’t find many better than this.
Now that he’s used the flashback again to create another first rate Scudder novel, I’m torn between hoping that Block will use the idea again and again or thinking that this should be the final farewell to Matt. He could certainly have Matt tell more stories from all over his thirty plus year career as a private detective. On the other hand, the opening and closing chapters in this have a nice tone of finality to them with Mick and Matt setting in the dark bar for what could be the last time. Whatever Block decides to do next, I'm glad we got this tale of Matt's earlier days.
May 5, 2011
A friend of Matt Scudder's from AA winds up dead and it looks as if someone he named in his eight step is the murderer. Scudder takes the case for a cool grand and begins working the people on the list. Only the killer isn't take things lying down. Will Matt make it to one year sobriety?
You know, every time I read one of Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder books, I feel as if I've entered a metaphorical genital measuring contest with the esteemed Mr Block. I unzip my pants to reveal that I've read the entire Scudder series and a couple hundred other mystery books besides and have a pretty good head for sleuthing and Block takes his out and shames me with 50 years of misdirecting guys like me. Like a lot of the Scudder books, Block hides the killer in plain sight and dares you to figure out the mystery before Matt. Yeah, old Lawrence got me again.
A Drop of the Hard Stuff is a flashback tale akin to When the Sacred Gin Mill Closes. Matt and Mick Ballou are talking late into the night and Matt brings up a case from the early days. Block did a good job with his references, from the double-bladed disposable razor to the mysterious disease afflicting gay men. It was fantastic seeing old supporting cast members like Jan, Jim, and Danny Boy Bell. The case itself was vintage Scudder. Block crafted a nice cast of losers and douche bags for Matt to interact with. Like I said before, I had no idea who the killer was until Matt figured it out. I'd say that's the mark of an exceptional mystery.
Matt's personal life and continued struggle with sobriety were center stage in A Drop of the Hard Stuff, much like they would be for many books to come. Matt Scudder continues to be one of my favorite characters in all of crime fiction.
Any gripes? Yeah, I wasn't that thrilled with the ending. I didn't like how things were resolved between Matt and the killer. Other than that, I don't have a single complaint.
For Scudder fans of old, this is a must read. It lives up to its predecessors and you won't be disappointed.
You know, every time I read one of Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder books, I feel as if I've entered a metaphorical genital measuring contest with the esteemed Mr Block. I unzip my pants to reveal that I've read the entire Scudder series and a couple hundred other mystery books besides and have a pretty good head for sleuthing and Block takes his out and shames me with 50 years of misdirecting guys like me. Like a lot of the Scudder books, Block hides the killer in plain sight and dares you to figure out the mystery before Matt. Yeah, old Lawrence got me again.
A Drop of the Hard Stuff is a flashback tale akin to When the Sacred Gin Mill Closes. Matt and Mick Ballou are talking late into the night and Matt brings up a case from the early days. Block did a good job with his references, from the double-bladed disposable razor to the mysterious disease afflicting gay men. It was fantastic seeing old supporting cast members like Jan, Jim, and Danny Boy Bell. The case itself was vintage Scudder. Block crafted a nice cast of losers and douche bags for Matt to interact with. Like I said before, I had no idea who the killer was until Matt figured it out. I'd say that's the mark of an exceptional mystery.
Matt's personal life and continued struggle with sobriety were center stage in A Drop of the Hard Stuff, much like they would be for many books to come. Matt Scudder continues to be one of my favorite characters in all of crime fiction.
Any gripes? Yeah, I wasn't that thrilled with the ending. I didn't like how things were resolved between Matt and the killer. Other than that, I don't have a single complaint.
For Scudder fans of old, this is a must read. It lives up to its predecessors and you won't be disappointed.
May 29, 2011
After a long six years, Lawrence Block finally delivers A Drop of the Hard Stuff, the seventeenth book featuring New York P.I., Matthew Scudder. Beginning with The Sins of the Fathers in 1976, Block has parceled the Scudder books out over a period of thirty-five years, much to the frustration of fans who can't get enough of them. But each book has been worth the wait, and this one is no exception.
By now, Matthew Scudder would be in his middle seventies, and so Block cleverly sets this book back in the early 1980s, when Scudder is still in his middle forties and at a critical point in his life. As virtually every fan of crime fiction knows, in the early books in the series, Scudder, a divorced ex-cop, had a serious problem with alcohol. In the nick of time, he found AA and saved himself, and in A Drop of the Hard Stuff, Block returns to the first year of Matt's sobriety, when he's still struggling with temptation and adjusting to a new way of life that involves attending an awful lot of AA meetings.
At one such meeting, Scudder re-connects with Jack Ellery. The two knew each other briefly as boys, but haven't seen each other in years. Ellery has followed an even tougher road than Scudder. While young Matt grew up to be a cop, young Jack grew up to become a criminal and has spent time in jail as a result.
Ellery is now clean and sober as well and is working his way through AA's famous Twelve Steps. Matt is just beginning this journey and is in no particular hurry. Jack has reached the latter stages of the process and is at the point where he has made a list of the people whom he has harmed and is attempting to apologize and make amends. When Ellery is found murdered, with a bullet in his mouth, his friends in AA leap to the logical conclusion that someone that Jack harmed was not content simply to accept an apology. Either that, or someone feared the consequences of Jack's apologies and wanted to silence him.
Ellery's AA sponsor hires Matt to look into the murder which sets Matt on a course that will lead to even more violence and place Matt himself at great personal risk.
As always, the real treat in these books is watching Scudder at work, especially since this book takes place before personal computers were commonplace, long before Al Gore invented the Internet, and when the only person who had something approaching a cell phone was still Dick Tracy. It's also fun to meet again some of the characters that Block had introduced early in the series and who had then disappeared from the books for one reason or another. And, as always, the setting in New York City is a major part of the book, and Block is clearly nostalgic for a time and a place that has long since disappeared.
Any long-time fan is also going to read this book with a fair sense of nostalgia. You can't help but wonder if this might finally be the last book in a truly great series. One desperately hopes that this will not be the case, but if it is, then this is certainly a good book for Block--and Scudder--to go out on. But in truth, the same could be said for any of the recent entries in this series, and one can't help but point out that A Drop of the Hard Stuff proves that Block certainly has the chops to keep writing it. The book is as engaging and as entertaining as virtually any of the other Scudder books and one can only hope that we will not have to wait another six years to see Matthew Scudder again.
By now, Matthew Scudder would be in his middle seventies, and so Block cleverly sets this book back in the early 1980s, when Scudder is still in his middle forties and at a critical point in his life. As virtually every fan of crime fiction knows, in the early books in the series, Scudder, a divorced ex-cop, had a serious problem with alcohol. In the nick of time, he found AA and saved himself, and in A Drop of the Hard Stuff, Block returns to the first year of Matt's sobriety, when he's still struggling with temptation and adjusting to a new way of life that involves attending an awful lot of AA meetings.
At one such meeting, Scudder re-connects with Jack Ellery. The two knew each other briefly as boys, but haven't seen each other in years. Ellery has followed an even tougher road than Scudder. While young Matt grew up to be a cop, young Jack grew up to become a criminal and has spent time in jail as a result.
Ellery is now clean and sober as well and is working his way through AA's famous Twelve Steps. Matt is just beginning this journey and is in no particular hurry. Jack has reached the latter stages of the process and is at the point where he has made a list of the people whom he has harmed and is attempting to apologize and make amends. When Ellery is found murdered, with a bullet in his mouth, his friends in AA leap to the logical conclusion that someone that Jack harmed was not content simply to accept an apology. Either that, or someone feared the consequences of Jack's apologies and wanted to silence him.
Ellery's AA sponsor hires Matt to look into the murder which sets Matt on a course that will lead to even more violence and place Matt himself at great personal risk.
As always, the real treat in these books is watching Scudder at work, especially since this book takes place before personal computers were commonplace, long before Al Gore invented the Internet, and when the only person who had something approaching a cell phone was still Dick Tracy. It's also fun to meet again some of the characters that Block had introduced early in the series and who had then disappeared from the books for one reason or another. And, as always, the setting in New York City is a major part of the book, and Block is clearly nostalgic for a time and a place that has long since disappeared.
Any long-time fan is also going to read this book with a fair sense of nostalgia. You can't help but wonder if this might finally be the last book in a truly great series. One desperately hopes that this will not be the case, but if it is, then this is certainly a good book for Block--and Scudder--to go out on. But in truth, the same could be said for any of the recent entries in this series, and one can't help but point out that A Drop of the Hard Stuff proves that Block certainly has the chops to keep writing it. The book is as engaging and as entertaining as virtually any of the other Scudder books and one can only hope that we will not have to wait another six years to see Matthew Scudder again.
June 12, 2014
Hi, my name is Robert Downs, and I’m a member of Lawrence Block Anonymous (LBA for short). I can see why he was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America in 1994. He has the damaged, hard-boiled detective figured out as well as anyone else I’ve ever read, and his prose flows better than eggnog at Christmastime. And it’s easy to keep on guzzling the way his famous PI Matthew Scudder used to swig the hard stuff. A DROP OF THE HARD STUFF indeed. Well, more than, but it’s easy to get carried away when it’s just so darn good.
If it wasn’t for Amazon’s Kindle Daily Deals, I might have waited a bit longer before I delved into Matthew Scudder’s universe, and that would have been a serious travesty, especially considering my love of hard-boiled novels knows no bounds. I’d travel just about anywhere with a hard-boiled gumshoe at my side.
I’d have to agree with the critics that this is one fine piece of detective fiction, even though it would have been easy for Mr. Block to let his guard down and go for the low blow. Matthew Scudder felt as real to me as if he was standing right beside me, telling me his story over a cup of joe with a determined look and a never-back-down attitude.
The ending could have been a bit better, but it worked out just fine for the story, and it wasn’t out of character for Mr. Scudder. And this proves to be a bit of a minor detail in an otherwise gut wrenching story written with near pitch perfect lyrical prose.
I must say this is one fine hard-boiled read, and if you’re into the hard stuff, it’s certainly worthy of a bit more attention.
Cross-posted at Robert's Reads
If it wasn’t for Amazon’s Kindle Daily Deals, I might have waited a bit longer before I delved into Matthew Scudder’s universe, and that would have been a serious travesty, especially considering my love of hard-boiled novels knows no bounds. I’d travel just about anywhere with a hard-boiled gumshoe at my side.
I’d have to agree with the critics that this is one fine piece of detective fiction, even though it would have been easy for Mr. Block to let his guard down and go for the low blow. Matthew Scudder felt as real to me as if he was standing right beside me, telling me his story over a cup of joe with a determined look and a never-back-down attitude.
The ending could have been a bit better, but it worked out just fine for the story, and it wasn’t out of character for Mr. Scudder. And this proves to be a bit of a minor detail in an otherwise gut wrenching story written with near pitch perfect lyrical prose.
I must say this is one fine hard-boiled read, and if you’re into the hard stuff, it’s certainly worthy of a bit more attention.
Cross-posted at Robert's Reads
August 11, 2015
Seeing as Matt Scudder ages along with his creator, Lawrence Block doesn’t feel there’s much interest in following the activities of a detective in his mid-70s. Rather than write a follow-up to All The Flowers Are Dying, Block backtracks about thirty years, all the way back to Scudder’s first year of sobriety where he finds himself on the trail of a killer.
An old friend of Scudder’s, fellow AA member Jack Ellery, is found murdered. Having no friends or family, Jack’s sponsor hires Matt to look into his death by providing a copy of Jack’s eighth step, a list of individuals Jack has wronged during his life. Jack’s sponsor believes that one of the people on this list may be responsible for Jack’s untimely demise.
Lawrence Block has gone on record stating that with A Drop of the Hard Stuff, he believes he’s written his final Matt Scudder novel, but admittedly, he’s believed that on a few occasions. However, if that’s the case, you can’t blame the guy for wanting to go out on top. A Drop of the Hard Stuff is a tightly paced thriller that kept me guessing right up to the very end. **
Many of Scudder’s supporting cast members make an appearance or two. Danny Boy Bell, Jan and Jim Fader are present but series favorites Elaine and TJ are noticeably absent given that this story takes place prior to their heavy involvement in Scudder’s life. While they were missed, Scudder’s battle with booze plays a huge part in the story taking up all of Scudder’s free time outside of picking up phones and knocking on doors.
I’m sad to see Scudder go but seventeen original novels leave little room for complaining. A Drop of the Hard Stuff is a fine glass of sipping whiskey that goes down smooth.
** I read this novel on my Kindle. As you know, there’s a percentage that shows up in the lower right hand of the screen that indicates how much of the story you’ve read. Well, I had 91% left when the story finished, so the ending caught me off guard. It made sense but it seemed rather abrupt.
The remaining 9% was an excerpt from Block’s then soon-to-be-released Keller novel, Hit Me.
An old friend of Scudder’s, fellow AA member Jack Ellery, is found murdered. Having no friends or family, Jack’s sponsor hires Matt to look into his death by providing a copy of Jack’s eighth step, a list of individuals Jack has wronged during his life. Jack’s sponsor believes that one of the people on this list may be responsible for Jack’s untimely demise.
Lawrence Block has gone on record stating that with A Drop of the Hard Stuff, he believes he’s written his final Matt Scudder novel, but admittedly, he’s believed that on a few occasions. However, if that’s the case, you can’t blame the guy for wanting to go out on top. A Drop of the Hard Stuff is a tightly paced thriller that kept me guessing right up to the very end. **
Many of Scudder’s supporting cast members make an appearance or two. Danny Boy Bell, Jan and Jim Fader are present but series favorites Elaine and TJ are noticeably absent given that this story takes place prior to their heavy involvement in Scudder’s life. While they were missed, Scudder’s battle with booze plays a huge part in the story taking up all of Scudder’s free time outside of picking up phones and knocking on doors.
I’m sad to see Scudder go but seventeen original novels leave little room for complaining. A Drop of the Hard Stuff is a fine glass of sipping whiskey that goes down smooth.
** I read this novel on my Kindle. As you know, there’s a percentage that shows up in the lower right hand of the screen that indicates how much of the story you’ve read. Well, I had 91% left when the story finished, so the ending caught me off guard. It made sense but it seemed rather abrupt.
The remaining 9% was an excerpt from Block’s then soon-to-be-released Keller novel, Hit Me.
August 18, 2020
A Drop of the Hard Stuff is the final full length Scudder novel and it follows a flashback structure as Scudder narrates an adventure to Mick Ballou from the year he had just gotten sober. Fans would neither start begging Block to postpone Scudder's retirement nor ask for him to be taken behind the barn and put out of his misery. Essentially like most other series that goes as far as the 17th entry, it has settled into a sort of unobjectionable mediocrity.
Jack Ellery small time crook turned AA member is shot dead for trying to practice Step 8 of AA guidelines - making amends. Frankly making amends reminded me of De Niro apologizing to Joe Pesci in Raging Bull. The one apologizing is not so much as begging forgiveness as he is demanding he be granted absolution while making their victims relive memories they would rather not. As appetizing as when born again people who discover religion are convinced they are saving your soul while being a giant pain in the ass. Anyway the mystery has an inspired solution.
Scudder is on the case and brings his unique detection style to bear. I once described it as how I might behave in a detective simulation. He talks to a plethora of people connected tangentially to the case about everything from philosophy to bad jokes to lifestyle choices and the case. Some of it is interesting, some of it a drag. For example I really enjoyed Scudder's conversations with a pothead who would lose track of what he was saying every other sentence. While I hated Scudder's romantic drama with a returning character. This is a prequel to a mystery series not a soap opera. Do the readers really need that much unnecessary background information on a romance when they already know how it all played out.
Tellingly the series can be broadly divided into two types of books - action thrillers and mysteries. The best mysteries are the first five when Block used to write novellas. His meandering style of mystery had never been able to support a full length novel. The couple of exceptions like #7 - Out on the Cutting Edge or #13 - Even the Wicked are the ones where the books had more than one central case. This suffers from that old ailment. It is set in New York but the pacing is not reminiscent of The City That Never Sleeps, it reminded me of Florida rest homes for retired couples.
There is also a heavy focus on Scudder's alcoholism. I liked the psychological effect of booze on Scudder. Block obviously takes inspiration from his own struggles and some of the observations are particularly honest and insightful. But again some of it is overdrawn. Too many instances of Scudder going to a AA meeting, eating cookies and drinking coffee. Realistic? Yes. Adds to world building making it feel more lived in? Yes. Interesting to read over and over again? No.
Scudder will probably scrape in to my list of top ten crime series of all time. Block might also get in my list of top ten crime authors. But I won't even consider one of his books if I am naming my favorite crime books. That is both the series and this book in a nutshell - good in parts but seldom great. 3.5/5 gets reduced for GR as I never warmed up to verbosity. Rating - 3/5
Jack Ellery small time crook turned AA member is shot dead for trying to practice Step 8 of AA guidelines - making amends. Frankly making amends reminded me of De Niro apologizing to Joe Pesci in Raging Bull. The one apologizing is not so much as begging forgiveness as he is demanding he be granted absolution while making their victims relive memories they would rather not. As appetizing as when born again people who discover religion are convinced they are saving your soul while being a giant pain in the ass. Anyway the mystery has an inspired solution.
Scudder is on the case and brings his unique detection style to bear. I once described it as how I might behave in a detective simulation. He talks to a plethora of people connected tangentially to the case about everything from philosophy to bad jokes to lifestyle choices and the case. Some of it is interesting, some of it a drag. For example I really enjoyed Scudder's conversations with a pothead who would lose track of what he was saying every other sentence. While I hated Scudder's romantic drama with a returning character. This is a prequel to a mystery series not a soap opera. Do the readers really need that much unnecessary background information on a romance when they already know how it all played out.
Tellingly the series can be broadly divided into two types of books - action thrillers and mysteries. The best mysteries are the first five when Block used to write novellas. His meandering style of mystery had never been able to support a full length novel. The couple of exceptions like #7 - Out on the Cutting Edge or #13 - Even the Wicked are the ones where the books had more than one central case. This suffers from that old ailment. It is set in New York but the pacing is not reminiscent of The City That Never Sleeps, it reminded me of Florida rest homes for retired couples.
There is also a heavy focus on Scudder's alcoholism. I liked the psychological effect of booze on Scudder. Block obviously takes inspiration from his own struggles and some of the observations are particularly honest and insightful. But again some of it is overdrawn. Too many instances of Scudder going to a AA meeting, eating cookies and drinking coffee. Realistic? Yes. Adds to world building making it feel more lived in? Yes. Interesting to read over and over again? No.
Scudder will probably scrape in to my list of top ten crime series of all time. Block might also get in my list of top ten crime authors. But I won't even consider one of his books if I am naming my favorite crime books. That is both the series and this book in a nutshell - good in parts but seldom great. 3.5/5 gets reduced for GR as I never warmed up to verbosity. Rating - 3/5
October 11, 2022
10/10/22
A re-visit to this book, eleven years on. I’d been working my way back through the series in order (courtesy of Audible freebies) but as I’d used up all those currently available in this way I grabbed this one which I already owned. And the timeframe worked as it’s a flashback to a the period in which Scudder had just finished drinking (he’s closing in on a year of sobriety). It’s also got some similarities with book 2, Time to Murder and Create in that he comes in to the possession of a document listing a group of people most likely to have murdered a man & he kicks-off his investigation by working through the list. Of course it all turns out very differently and it also has an ending that some might find slightly unsatisfactory - it’s not as clear cut as most crime fiction novels. It is, of course, Brilliantly written, as always.
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5/7/11
This is the book fans of Lawrence Block have been waiting for since 2005: Scudder is back! It’s not my favourite Scudder book (the previous book, All the Flowers are Dying, takes that prize) but this series is so superior to almost any other crime fiction out there that even an average Scudder tale is well worth browsing your favourite online bookstore for (i.e. it’s not something you’re likely to find in Waterstones, unless I’m very much mistaken).
For the record, Matt Scudder is a former NYPD detective and now unlicenced crime fighter. This is a flashback episode whereby Matt is talking to an old drinking buddy and relates a story to him. The plot follows Matt through the latter part of his first year as a former drinker now attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings around the city, in the course of which he meets an old acquaintance from his childhood. His former schoolmate is working through the twelve-step process and, having reached step eight, is engaged in ‘making amends’ to people he perceived he has harmed along the way. I won’t give any more of the plot away; suffice to say it is written with the author’s normal wit and intelligence and bounces along at a good pace. It feels like quality time spent with an old friend – and you can’t argue with that.
A re-visit to this book, eleven years on. I’d been working my way back through the series in order (courtesy of Audible freebies) but as I’d used up all those currently available in this way I grabbed this one which I already owned. And the timeframe worked as it’s a flashback to a the period in which Scudder had just finished drinking (he’s closing in on a year of sobriety). It’s also got some similarities with book 2, Time to Murder and Create in that he comes in to the possession of a document listing a group of people most likely to have murdered a man & he kicks-off his investigation by working through the list. Of course it all turns out very differently and it also has an ending that some might find slightly unsatisfactory - it’s not as clear cut as most crime fiction novels. It is, of course, Brilliantly written, as always.
——————————————————————
5/7/11
This is the book fans of Lawrence Block have been waiting for since 2005: Scudder is back! It’s not my favourite Scudder book (the previous book, All the Flowers are Dying, takes that prize) but this series is so superior to almost any other crime fiction out there that even an average Scudder tale is well worth browsing your favourite online bookstore for (i.e. it’s not something you’re likely to find in Waterstones, unless I’m very much mistaken).
For the record, Matt Scudder is a former NYPD detective and now unlicenced crime fighter. This is a flashback episode whereby Matt is talking to an old drinking buddy and relates a story to him. The plot follows Matt through the latter part of his first year as a former drinker now attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings around the city, in the course of which he meets an old acquaintance from his childhood. His former schoolmate is working through the twelve-step process and, having reached step eight, is engaged in ‘making amends’ to people he perceived he has harmed along the way. I won’t give any more of the plot away; suffice to say it is written with the author’s normal wit and intelligence and bounces along at a good pace. It feels like quality time spent with an old friend – and you can’t argue with that.
May 12, 2020
It is a story that primarily moves through conversations, not through action. Not everyone will like this style and some will hate it. Personally, I thought it was brilliant. Scudder is an ex-cop who does a little of this and that. He reminisces about a childhood pal who went into a life of crime, jack. Lost track of him after grade school. Saw him once in a lineup, but the
witness didn't make him. Ran into him years later at an AA meeting. Yeah, Scudder is coming up on his one year anniversary of being sober. The next Scudder hears his old pal was shot twice, once in the head and once in the mouth. Kind of a shut your mouth message.
Jack's sponsor asks Scudder to look into it and Scudder follows up leads to try and get some answers. It's brilliant work although its subdued.
witness didn't make him. Ran into him years later at an AA meeting. Yeah, Scudder is coming up on his one year anniversary of being sober. The next Scudder hears his old pal was shot twice, once in the head and once in the mouth. Kind of a shut your mouth message.
Jack's sponsor asks Scudder to look into it and Scudder follows up leads to try and get some answers. It's brilliant work although its subdued.
November 21, 2017
Well. That was wonderful, a beautiful swan song for Block and his Scudder.
I'm very glad Block found his true heart again, and poured it into his hero and this book. It's a gem, a treasure, a visit to the not-always golden past, a superb detective-noir, a journey of a newly-sober alcoholic (perhaps Block himself, through Matt). The pacing is wonderful, and the dialogue mostly top-notch. Best of all, there's no forced repetition to pad out the saleable length of the book. It's not a masterpiece, but it is a superb ending for Matt's life and struggles and adventures.
There's quite a bit of AA here, and 12-Steps, but it's nicely woven into the noir, nicely flowing into the cracks Block left behind in the previous 16 books, filling Matt's life out and bringing us up to date. A tale told to Mick, two old men reminiscing, wondering how their lives might have been different, as we all do from time to time.
The Masterpiece is, of course:
8 Million Ways to Die (my review) #5
and the superb four are:
Sins of the Fathers #1 my review,
In the Midst of Death #3 my review,
A Stab in the Dark #4 my review,
Out on the Cutting Edge #7 my review.
I would add this book to the list as well.
I do not recommend books #8 - #15 at all. Block has famously never talked of his possible AA membership, but I would strongly suggest that every book he wrote after Matt goes sober is a "virtual AA meeting" for Block, himself. Those books mostly start out fine, then we fall asleep in the repetitive, too-dull middle, and then we wake up for a rousing coffee (shootup) at the end. I suspect Block/Scudder traded alcohol addiction in for an "AA Meeting/Process addiction" - surely better for all. I'm truly happy this worked for him, and for everyone else that AA helps recover their lives.
And I'm so glad we have this final Scudder, this wonderful closure, these familiar faces and times, this farewell. Thank you, Mr. Block.
My own family suffered alcoholism for 17 years, very hard years, very painful, but in recovery now. So I do understand and respect Block's story, as reflected in his hero here.
Notes and Quotes:
Bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang
Shakespeare Sonnet 73
Tomorrow’s always there, just over the horizon. Until the tomorrows run out.
Lovely Jan ...
“Jan brought me my clothes,” I said, “and I gave her back my set of keys, but it turned out we weren’t quite done with each other. That took a while longer. We really cared for each other, so we kept trying to make it work, until it was just too obvious that it wouldn’t.”
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1.0% ... I'm a fool, perhaps, for desperately wanting a return to some of the brilliance of Block's early books. After reading so many truly crappy books after the exceptional Out on the Cutting Edge, I hope to find it here.
9.0% ... it's a nice surprise to see Jan Keane again.
15.0% ...
“Milton?”
“Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained. Do you know what Samuel Johnson said of Paradise Lost? .... He said no one ever wished it longer,"
21.0% ... so many Scudder books and still we get 15 potted character/place/police histories included in every book.
30.0% ... the story by Sattenstein is really quite wonderful.
31.0% ... why do I get the feeling that Block is feeling guilty about Matt's breakup with Jan, so many years ago? He seems to be manipulating Matt into resenting Jan here.
34.0% ... Block is tying up loose ends in Matt's past, and doing the painful breakup with Jan gently, nicely, but it still feels contrived.
42.0% ... a nice swan song, so far. Block touches all the old bases, all the old songs and faces, and the dialogue is very good, not padded. A good feeling to this book.
I'm very glad Block found his true heart again, and poured it into his hero and this book. It's a gem, a treasure, a visit to the not-always golden past, a superb detective-noir, a journey of a newly-sober alcoholic (perhaps Block himself, through Matt). The pacing is wonderful, and the dialogue mostly top-notch. Best of all, there's no forced repetition to pad out the saleable length of the book. It's not a masterpiece, but it is a superb ending for Matt's life and struggles and adventures.
There's quite a bit of AA here, and 12-Steps, but it's nicely woven into the noir, nicely flowing into the cracks Block left behind in the previous 16 books, filling Matt's life out and bringing us up to date. A tale told to Mick, two old men reminiscing, wondering how their lives might have been different, as we all do from time to time.
The Masterpiece is, of course:
8 Million Ways to Die (my review) #5
and the superb four are:
Sins of the Fathers #1 my review,
In the Midst of Death #3 my review,
A Stab in the Dark #4 my review,
Out on the Cutting Edge #7 my review.
I would add this book to the list as well.
I do not recommend books #8 - #15 at all. Block has famously never talked of his possible AA membership, but I would strongly suggest that every book he wrote after Matt goes sober is a "virtual AA meeting" for Block, himself. Those books mostly start out fine, then we fall asleep in the repetitive, too-dull middle, and then we wake up for a rousing coffee (shootup) at the end. I suspect Block/Scudder traded alcohol addiction in for an "AA Meeting/Process addiction" - surely better for all. I'm truly happy this worked for him, and for everyone else that AA helps recover their lives.
And I'm so glad we have this final Scudder, this wonderful closure, these familiar faces and times, this farewell. Thank you, Mr. Block.
My own family suffered alcoholism for 17 years, very hard years, very painful, but in recovery now. So I do understand and respect Block's story, as reflected in his hero here.
Notes and Quotes:
Bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang
Shakespeare Sonnet 73
Tomorrow’s always there, just over the horizon. Until the tomorrows run out.
Lovely Jan ...
“Jan brought me my clothes,” I said, “and I gave her back my set of keys, but it turned out we weren’t quite done with each other. That took a while longer. We really cared for each other, so we kept trying to make it work, until it was just too obvious that it wouldn’t.”
-
1.0% ... I'm a fool, perhaps, for desperately wanting a return to some of the brilliance of Block's early books. After reading so many truly crappy books after the exceptional Out on the Cutting Edge, I hope to find it here.
9.0% ... it's a nice surprise to see Jan Keane again.
15.0% ...
“Milton?”
“Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained. Do you know what Samuel Johnson said of Paradise Lost? .... He said no one ever wished it longer,"
21.0% ... so many Scudder books and still we get 15 potted character/place/police histories included in every book.
30.0% ... the story by Sattenstein is really quite wonderful.
31.0% ... why do I get the feeling that Block is feeling guilty about Matt's breakup with Jan, so many years ago? He seems to be manipulating Matt into resenting Jan here.
34.0% ... Block is tying up loose ends in Matt's past, and doing the painful breakup with Jan gently, nicely, but it still feels contrived.
42.0% ... a nice swan song, so far. Block touches all the old bases, all the old songs and faces, and the dialogue is very good, not padded. A good feeling to this book.
June 15, 2011
First Sentence: “I’ve often wondered,” Mick Ballou said, “how it would have all gone if I’d taken a different turn.”
A present-day Matt Scudder reminisces with his friend, Mick Ballou about a case in his early days of sobriety, particularly an incident when he was approaching his one-year mark in AA (Alcoholics Anonymous). Jack Ellery, now at sixteen months sober, was trying to follow each of the twelve steps; including making reparation to others for the harm he had done them. When Jack is murdered, his AA sponsor asks Matt to find out what happened. Doing so nearly costs Matt his sobriety and his life.
The book opens with a thought we have all considered of “what if?”.
I have missed Scudder. Block has a wonderful use of language, a great voice and does dialogue so well. It is very natural with excellent flow with just the right touch of humor. In talking to a cop about the investigation into Jack’s murder…”…it is on my plate, and my mother raised me to finish every….But on the dinner plate of crime, my friend, Jack Ellery is the Brussels sprouts.” There is a delightful exchange involving the confusion over Buddha, the bouncer at a rough bar, and the Buddha sitting under the bodhi tree. His writing includes wonderful quotes, literary references and small truths that sound cliché because they are true, but they make you think.
Block’s sense of place and time add to the depth of the story. You needn’t have spent time hanging out in after-hours bars as Block takes you there and draws a chair up to the table for you. His knowledge and love of New York City are apparent in every page, but he is as aware of its dark side and flaws as its attractions. The main part of the story is set in a time before cell phone and technology, when investigation was still done with quarter phone calls, the public library, taking the subway and shoe leather to ask questions. It was a time with HIV/AIDS was just taking hold, but there was not a name for it yet, other than Kaposi’s sarcoma. Yet there is a nod to today in the transition back to present time.
Even if one has not read previous Scudder books, the backstory is included in a way to prevent new readers from feeling lost, but doesn’t slow down the story at all. Also, one could be concerned that the information on AA could be preachy or depressing, but it’s not. Instead, it is a facet of understanding the characters.
This is vintage Larry Block and it’s great. All the elements I particularly love about his writing, and particularly the character of Matt Scudder, are all here. If one hasn’t read the series before, I always recommend starting at the beginning, but it’s also nice that this book stands very well on its own.
A DROP OF THE HARD STUFF (PI-Matthew Scudder-NYC-Cont) – Ex
Block, Lawrence – 17th in series
Mulholland Books, ©2011, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9780316127332
A present-day Matt Scudder reminisces with his friend, Mick Ballou about a case in his early days of sobriety, particularly an incident when he was approaching his one-year mark in AA (Alcoholics Anonymous). Jack Ellery, now at sixteen months sober, was trying to follow each of the twelve steps; including making reparation to others for the harm he had done them. When Jack is murdered, his AA sponsor asks Matt to find out what happened. Doing so nearly costs Matt his sobriety and his life.
The book opens with a thought we have all considered of “what if?”.
I have missed Scudder. Block has a wonderful use of language, a great voice and does dialogue so well. It is very natural with excellent flow with just the right touch of humor. In talking to a cop about the investigation into Jack’s murder…”…it is on my plate, and my mother raised me to finish every….But on the dinner plate of crime, my friend, Jack Ellery is the Brussels sprouts.” There is a delightful exchange involving the confusion over Buddha, the bouncer at a rough bar, and the Buddha sitting under the bodhi tree. His writing includes wonderful quotes, literary references and small truths that sound cliché because they are true, but they make you think.
Block’s sense of place and time add to the depth of the story. You needn’t have spent time hanging out in after-hours bars as Block takes you there and draws a chair up to the table for you. His knowledge and love of New York City are apparent in every page, but he is as aware of its dark side and flaws as its attractions. The main part of the story is set in a time before cell phone and technology, when investigation was still done with quarter phone calls, the public library, taking the subway and shoe leather to ask questions. It was a time with HIV/AIDS was just taking hold, but there was not a name for it yet, other than Kaposi’s sarcoma. Yet there is a nod to today in the transition back to present time.
Even if one has not read previous Scudder books, the backstory is included in a way to prevent new readers from feeling lost, but doesn’t slow down the story at all. Also, one could be concerned that the information on AA could be preachy or depressing, but it’s not. Instead, it is a facet of understanding the characters.
This is vintage Larry Block and it’s great. All the elements I particularly love about his writing, and particularly the character of Matt Scudder, are all here. If one hasn’t read the series before, I always recommend starting at the beginning, but it’s also nice that this book stands very well on its own.
A DROP OF THE HARD STUFF (PI-Matthew Scudder-NYC-Cont) – Ex
Block, Lawrence – 17th in series
Mulholland Books, ©2011, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9780316127332
October 22, 2014
Narrated by Tom Stechschulte (added to book description), this was great, my first introduction to Matthew Scudder, even though it is book #17 in the series. I slipped into the world easily. There was some mention of other cases, but it wasn't a big deal & I don't think I'll remember enough details for them to be spoilers. Actually, I got the feeling this series isn't chronological.
I like hard boiled detective novels & this had a lot of the same qualities, but there wasn't much or any real up front violence. Scudder is laid back & trying to make a year of sobriety. He looks into things, but doesn't seem to mix it up much. Very low key. Tom Stechschulte did a wonderful job with everyone's voices, really made the characters pop for me. He & the way AA was handled took a solid 3 star story & made it worth another star.
I'm an alcoholic who works the 12 steps, so any inconsistencies in this area would have really bugged me. None did. It was right on, all the way & that was a nice surprise. So many get it wrong. (OK, I was a little surprised that an open discussion meeting was reason for comment - it seems he mostly went to speaker's meetings. AA is slightly different in every region, though. My uncle lived in Manhattan & only went to speaker's meetings. I find there are far more open discussion meetings in MD & KY, but maybe that's because I look for them.)
Anyway, it was a real pleasure & I'm sorry that this was the only one available from my library for download.
I like hard boiled detective novels & this had a lot of the same qualities, but there wasn't much or any real up front violence. Scudder is laid back & trying to make a year of sobriety. He looks into things, but doesn't seem to mix it up much. Very low key. Tom Stechschulte did a wonderful job with everyone's voices, really made the characters pop for me. He & the way AA was handled took a solid 3 star story & made it worth another star.
I'm an alcoholic who works the 12 steps, so any inconsistencies in this area would have really bugged me. None did. It was right on, all the way & that was a nice surprise. So many get it wrong. (OK, I was a little surprised that an open discussion meeting was reason for comment - it seems he mostly went to speaker's meetings. AA is slightly different in every region, though. My uncle lived in Manhattan & only went to speaker's meetings. I find there are far more open discussion meetings in MD & KY, but maybe that's because I look for them.)
Anyway, it was a real pleasure & I'm sorry that this was the only one available from my library for download.
September 3, 2023
This was the last of the Matthew Scudder mystery novels by Lawrence Block and it is a story told to a friend about the time Matthew was close to one year being sober.
The story explains a lot about the workings of AA and tells you more than you want to know about the disease alcoholism. Lawrence Block does write about these subjects as if they are also part of himself.
One of the steps in the proces is asking forgiveness and it seems that somebody whom Scudder used to know got a response he certainly did not want or he would have started drinking again instead, he received a bullet in de mouth and head.
Scudder gets a job clearing this up and he does so, and some people do die in the proces.
The Scudder novel is not so much about solving crime but more about life choices and a road traveled. In that sense this book makes a fitting ending unless Block decides to write another last book.
Excellent writer even if the Burglar series never tickled my fancy, the Keller and Scudder books are excellent.
But my advise would be to read them in sequence for the best way to enjoy them.
The story explains a lot about the workings of AA and tells you more than you want to know about the disease alcoholism. Lawrence Block does write about these subjects as if they are also part of himself.
One of the steps in the proces is asking forgiveness and it seems that somebody whom Scudder used to know got a response he certainly did not want or he would have started drinking again instead, he received a bullet in de mouth and head.
Scudder gets a job clearing this up and he does so, and some people do die in the proces.
The Scudder novel is not so much about solving crime but more about life choices and a road traveled. In that sense this book makes a fitting ending unless Block decides to write another last book.
Excellent writer even if the Burglar series never tickled my fancy, the Keller and Scudder books are excellent.
But my advise would be to read them in sequence for the best way to enjoy them.
August 17, 2011
I've been a long time admirer of the Matt Scudder hardboiled crime fiction series. The early titles appeal more to me for their edgy, gritty quality, but this new entry does a satisfying job of dipping back into Matt's past. He's approaching his one-year anniversary of sobriety at AA, and working as a quasi-private detective. Several jobs keep him busy while he tries to figure out where his life goes next. By turns elegaic, ruminative, and fatalistic, A Drop of the Hard Stuff offers that same wonderful voice I find so mesmerizing. The hard stuff can also be called the good stuff. You can't go wrong by picking up a Matt Scudder novel to read.
July 27, 2017
A trip down memory lane with Matt Scudder, ex-cop and AA member...recalling his first anniversary of sobriety and events that surrounded that milestone. His methodical drip-by-drip approach to discover who was responsible for a number of murders was the usual - a satisfying, intimate discussion with an old friend.
I can't think of another author who manages to create this level of intimacy between reader and character.
I can't think of another author who manages to create this level of intimacy between reader and character.
February 5, 2013
Very best way to sum up this novel is depressing in spite of the fact the main character manages to stay sober for a year. Congrats on that, but the rest of the novel takes a bender.
May 12, 2012
I am big fan of the Matt Scudder series and Lawrence Block is a great writer with a light touch. In the earlier novels, prior to Scudder going on the wagon, Block conjured up a nocturnal and timeless New York with the emphasis on bars and bohemian characters. About a third of the way through the series Scudder stops drinking and spends lots of time seeking out AA meetings. However, the characters developed and the plots were strong.
This novel is told in one long flashback, an after hours confessional with Mick Ballou. It pitches us back twenty odd years to the period just after Scudder gives up the booze and focuses on a chase through a list of victims/suspects. Unfortunately, the plot never really takes off and we spend too much time in AA meetings. Whilst this is relevant to the plot it doesn't manage to ignite things and the tension never really materialises.
The flashback format allows Block to put Scudder into action mode (given by now he must be in his 60/70s) but it would be a shame if the series ends on this slightly bum note.
This novel is told in one long flashback, an after hours confessional with Mick Ballou. It pitches us back twenty odd years to the period just after Scudder gives up the booze and focuses on a chase through a list of victims/suspects. Unfortunately, the plot never really takes off and we spend too much time in AA meetings. Whilst this is relevant to the plot it doesn't manage to ignite things and the tension never really materialises.
The flashback format allows Block to put Scudder into action mode (given by now he must be in his 60/70s) but it would be a shame if the series ends on this slightly bum note.
March 29, 2020
5 Stars. My first Block and please bring me another. He's got a comfortable writing style which draws you into the scene and the lives of the characters. His ability to describe people is uncanny. Wait till you meet Block's guy stuck in the 1960s and 70s. I felt for Matthew Scudder and his effort to stay on AA's numerous steps of sobriety. Matthew's friend of childhood days, Jack Ellery, has re-surfaced; they bump into each other at one of the many AA meetings in Manhattan. Boy there are a lot of those! Ellery has reached AA Step #9, making amends to the many people alcoholics have surely offended while inebriated. When he is murdered, his sponsor retains Scudder to see if he can determine if someone on Ellery's Step #9 amends list is responsible. They had worked on the list together. It's tough slogging for Scudder and the temptation, to take up the devil drink again, mounts as he approaches his first anniversary without alcohol. He even meets a few female temptations too. All in all, most enjoyable. (August 2018)
January 17, 2025
My entry to Lawrence Block’s Matthew Scudder series was the last one he wrote, and there was no problem starting at the end. The book is about Matthew Scudder and his childhood acquaintance, Jack Ellery. Jack was a lifelong criminal. Both are AA members, but then Jack is murdered. Scudder informally investigates the murder. For Jack Ellery, redemption was never an option. His mistakes were too big. Investigating Ellery's murder forces Scudder to confront his own past and contemplate his future. This is a book about the life-altering choices people make regarding morality and addiction.
Lawrence Block creates an incredible sense of place, including the character’s personal connection to each location. I enjoyed all of the minor characters in this book. They provided a lot of entertainment as Matthew Scudder grapples with his past.
Lawrence Block creates an incredible sense of place, including the character’s personal connection to each location. I enjoyed all of the minor characters in this book. They provided a lot of entertainment as Matthew Scudder grapples with his past.
July 10, 2011
I so enjoy the Matthew Scudder character and this book helps fill in some of the gaps in previous novels. Shows how he got help for his drinking, joining AA, no longer a cop and meeting up with someone he had known from his old neighborhood. Unlike him this friend didn't become a cop but a thief and murderer, but like him did become an alcoholic. They meet at a AA meeting, where they are both trying to change and stay sober but when the friend is killed Scudder investigates.
August 18, 2018
Matt and Mick are too old to hang out like they used to, and too old for the adventures of hard men, but on a rare occasion they can chat all night about the past. I'm happy to eavesdrop. I wish there were many more of these books in my future.
March 19, 2012
I've been a fan of Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder detective novels since I heard an interview with Block about 20 years ago on David Rothernberg's wonderful Saturday morning radio show on WBAI. In Scudder, Block offers a modern hard-boiled detective who is also struggling as a recovering alcoholic. A former police officer who left both the force and his family after accidentally killing a child during a shootout with criminals on the lam, Scudder relocated to Hell's Kitchen in the 1970s and eventually gave up drinking, though not without considerable difficulty. Block's novels provide detailed, engaging descriptions of New York City neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs, a host of colorful supporting characters, and plots that can sustain a reader's interest despite their often meandering pace. Most of the novels have well-developed narratives and offer interesting meditations on life, death, morality, and everything in between, and Block's writing style is admirable.
In recent years, though, the Scudder novels have been fewer in number and less successful. Block has let his character age in the novels, and Scudder had reached his 60s during the last decade, but in Hope to Die (2001) and All the Flowers are Dying (2005) Block developed a bizarre villain in the form of a soulless serial killer who seemed to represent the personification of evil. This sketchy character, who assumes a human form but in Block's formulation really seemed to be a non-human entity, may have been some kind of response on Block's part to 9/11 trauma (although Hope to Die was probably written before the World Trade Center was destroyed) - if this was an experiment on Block's part, I thought it fell flat. These books seemed a sad way to end a great series.
So I was surprised when A Drop of the Hard Stuff appeared last years. It turns out Block opted for the "flashback" device to situate his narrative in the early days of Scudder's sobriety. This was promising, as the last Scudder novel to use this approach, 1986's When the Sacred Ginmill Closes, was arguably the best of the entire series. Here Scudder investigates the murder of a childhood friend "High-Low" Jack Ellery, who was on the rebound from a sorry career as a small-time criminal and also a recovering alcoholic. Ellery's murder, it turns out, is directly connected to his journey on the 12-step program in Alcoholics Anonymous, specifically Steps 8 and 9, which required Ellery to:
- Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
- Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
As it turns out, Ellery's pursuit of forgiveness incurred deadly risks, and Scudder must follow the trail through his friend's past in order to catch a killer, with plenty of interesting stops along the way.
The plot is leisurely paced but Block has often used this method to enable readers to figure out the mystery along with his protagonist. While solving the mystery Scudder is also confronting the stresses of a fast-approaching first anniversary of complete abstinence from alcohol, a milestone that provides its own sources of edgy tension in the novel. Overall, this is a solid entry in the Scudder series. Whether Block, now 73 years old, will ever return to Scudder is a mystery in its own right, but if this proves to be the final novel it will be a fitting way to close it out. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need a drink.
In recent years, though, the Scudder novels have been fewer in number and less successful. Block has let his character age in the novels, and Scudder had reached his 60s during the last decade, but in Hope to Die (2001) and All the Flowers are Dying (2005) Block developed a bizarre villain in the form of a soulless serial killer who seemed to represent the personification of evil. This sketchy character, who assumes a human form but in Block's formulation really seemed to be a non-human entity, may have been some kind of response on Block's part to 9/11 trauma (although Hope to Die was probably written before the World Trade Center was destroyed) - if this was an experiment on Block's part, I thought it fell flat. These books seemed a sad way to end a great series.
So I was surprised when A Drop of the Hard Stuff appeared last years. It turns out Block opted for the "flashback" device to situate his narrative in the early days of Scudder's sobriety. This was promising, as the last Scudder novel to use this approach, 1986's When the Sacred Ginmill Closes, was arguably the best of the entire series. Here Scudder investigates the murder of a childhood friend "High-Low" Jack Ellery, who was on the rebound from a sorry career as a small-time criminal and also a recovering alcoholic. Ellery's murder, it turns out, is directly connected to his journey on the 12-step program in Alcoholics Anonymous, specifically Steps 8 and 9, which required Ellery to:
- Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
- Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
As it turns out, Ellery's pursuit of forgiveness incurred deadly risks, and Scudder must follow the trail through his friend's past in order to catch a killer, with plenty of interesting stops along the way.
The plot is leisurely paced but Block has often used this method to enable readers to figure out the mystery along with his protagonist. While solving the mystery Scudder is also confronting the stresses of a fast-approaching first anniversary of complete abstinence from alcohol, a milestone that provides its own sources of edgy tension in the novel. Overall, this is a solid entry in the Scudder series. Whether Block, now 73 years old, will ever return to Scudder is a mystery in its own right, but if this proves to be the final novel it will be a fitting way to close it out. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need a drink.
July 17, 2014
Realistically Heavy. Can you take it?, June 21, 2012
By Ellen Rappaport (Florida) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Drop of the Hard Stuff (Matthew Scudder) (Paperback)
I started reading or listening to L.B.'s Matt Scudder series years ago and loved it. L.B. was born to write. I've gone back and started this series again. This time listening to "A Drop of the Hard Stuff" on CD narrated/performed by Tom Stechschulte who does an excellent job.
This was Matt going through one of the hardest journey's in his life a he struggles to free himself from alcoholism. The heaviness of Matt's situation permeates the pages of this book. The fact that Matt is acknowledging that he needs AA and that he wants out of the misery of that life is an accomplishment in itself. So realistic, especially if you have anyone in your family who also agonizes with this dilemna.
But the mystery must go on and so must Matt in solving the murder of a fellow AA member, Jack Ellery. What does Matt need to uncover in Jack's life in order to get to the bottom of his murder? And how will he begin this process?
This was a heavy read for me but an excellent read all the same. Matt's real friends along the way gave him the encouragement he needed to carry on with the AA program.
Matt Scudder is a great series and this ,"A Drop of the Hard Stuff", book is part of it.
Enjoy a good book from a great writer.
By Ellen Rappaport (Florida) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Drop of the Hard Stuff (Matthew Scudder) (Paperback)
I started reading or listening to L.B.'s Matt Scudder series years ago and loved it. L.B. was born to write. I've gone back and started this series again. This time listening to "A Drop of the Hard Stuff" on CD narrated/performed by Tom Stechschulte who does an excellent job.
This was Matt going through one of the hardest journey's in his life a he struggles to free himself from alcoholism. The heaviness of Matt's situation permeates the pages of this book. The fact that Matt is acknowledging that he needs AA and that he wants out of the misery of that life is an accomplishment in itself. So realistic, especially if you have anyone in your family who also agonizes with this dilemna.
But the mystery must go on and so must Matt in solving the murder of a fellow AA member, Jack Ellery. What does Matt need to uncover in Jack's life in order to get to the bottom of his murder? And how will he begin this process?
This was a heavy read for me but an excellent read all the same. Matt's real friends along the way gave him the encouragement he needed to carry on with the AA program.
Matt Scudder is a great series and this ,"A Drop of the Hard Stuff", book is part of it.
Enjoy a good book from a great writer.
April 26, 2011
Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder series has hit a few bumps lately. "Everybody Dies" seemed like a logical place to leave Matt and wish him well, but Block couldn't resist two more entries thereafter in the increasingly settled life of his formerly hard-living protagonist. It makes sense, then, that Block sets his newest entry as a look back at an earlier point in Scudder's life-- when he was beginning to deal with getting sober and much of his life was still in various states of turmoil (although the proverbial lights at the end of the tunnel were beginning to appear). "A Drop of the Hard Stuff" will probably appeal especially to people like myself, which is to say reformed drunks who might relate to the struggle to "put the plug in the jug" and appreciate Block's accurate portrayal thereof. As ever, there's an ingeniously devious crime yarn wrapped around Matt's new experiences with sobriety, but in this case alcoholic recovery plays a much larger part in the tale. Matt encounters a childhood acquaintance who has taken to a life of crime and, attempting to sober up in AA, has created an "amends list" of people he wronged and with whom he feels the need to reconcile his wrongdoings. The guy turns up murdered, and it seems pretty clear he was killed by one of those on his list. And the murderer apparently isn't done yet..... There's plenty of emotional drama (including Matt's star-crossed romantic relationship going sour) and an ending that might not totally satisfy every reader. In fact I offer my favorable review with a caveat. I loved this book, but it's most likely not for everybody, including conceivably some Scudder fans. I still recommend it.
October 2, 2014
After seeing A WALK AMONG TOMBSTONES at the theater, I was looking for a novel that would make me feel as sad and as bleak as the movie did, without the unfortunate elements that I had to forgive in the theater. This was the closest option and I grabbed it.
It doesn't have the same punch as the film, but it is very nicely done, as private investigator books go. As in most of these books, it's primarily dialog but it's very good dialog.
The plot is pretty straightforward: Matt Scudder, former corrupt NYPD detective and struggling alcoholic, tells a story from decades before when he was an unlicensed private investigator. He does favors for friends, and they give him gifts in return, all very under the table.
In this case, a guy that Matt knew as a kid grows up to be a career criminal. After a stint in prison, he and Matt both end up in AA, trying to stay sober and put their lives back together. Part of the AA recovery process involves contacting people you've hurt in the past and making amends and while in the midst of this step, the poor guy gets murdered. Matt gets "hired" to look into the list of people the victim wronged to see if any of them might be the killer.
It's a sad book, but it's not as bleak as the film, and that's what I was looking for. That's not fair, I know, but I'm still laying out 4 stars for a solid crime story where the most pressing question is whether the protagonist will make it to his one-year sobriety anniversary.
Anyway, if you like private eye mysteries set in NYC of the recent past, this is the book for you.
It doesn't have the same punch as the film, but it is very nicely done, as private investigator books go. As in most of these books, it's primarily dialog but it's very good dialog.
The plot is pretty straightforward: Matt Scudder, former corrupt NYPD detective and struggling alcoholic, tells a story from decades before when he was an unlicensed private investigator. He does favors for friends, and they give him gifts in return, all very under the table.
In this case, a guy that Matt knew as a kid grows up to be a career criminal. After a stint in prison, he and Matt both end up in AA, trying to stay sober and put their lives back together. Part of the AA recovery process involves contacting people you've hurt in the past and making amends and while in the midst of this step, the poor guy gets murdered. Matt gets "hired" to look into the list of people the victim wronged to see if any of them might be the killer.
It's a sad book, but it's not as bleak as the film, and that's what I was looking for. That's not fair, I know, but I'm still laying out 4 stars for a solid crime story where the most pressing question is whether the protagonist will make it to his one-year sobriety anniversary.
Anyway, if you like private eye mysteries set in NYC of the recent past, this is the book for you.
February 15, 2012
Among veteran mystery writers, Lawrence Block is one of the most underrated stylists because he has no recognizable style. He writes in a smooth, straightforward manner, and is very good at naturalistic dialogue. The pages turn effortlessly, but as Nathaniel Hawthorne once observed, "Easy reading is damn hard writing." In this Matthew Scudder installment, the recovering alcoholic/ex-cop must solve the death of Jack Ellery, a former boyhood friend who turned criminal before straightening out in AA. When Ellery tries to make amends for his past wrongdoings, as the Eighth Step of AA's 12-step program requires, someone in Ellery's past wants to shut him up. The method: Two shots to the head and mouth. In between the procedural tick-tock of Scudder tracking through Ellery's past to find the murderer, which is done extremely well, Block layers in an even more fascinating character study of Scudder's attempts to stay sober as his one-year anniversary approaches. The book shows the day-to-day struggles of the recovering alcoholic, his difficulty at forming meaningful relationships, the need to attend constant meetings and stay in touch with sponsors to help when the thirst threatens to conquer willpower. More than anything, this book shows how every day straight is a miracle, but also a temptation to stray and take a drop of the hard stuff. Block successfully merges both mystery/suspense, characterization and social case study in this excellent novel.
July 24, 2011
This book is such a comfortable read, it may as well be wearing a cardigan sweater, sitting in a cushy chair, smoking a pipe, with a cup of tea on the side table. Lawrence Block is a superb writer, and his prose is as potent and jewel-like as the translucent whiskeys that pour on the pages. I never know who dunnit until Block reveals it, even studying the clues dropped like gems on the ground. With the turn of each page the tension builds in this latest - will Scudder take a drink? Will I mind if he does? I'm comforted by the fact that in Scudder's world, favorite bars are closed, just as in our world. The strawberry rhubarb pie is no longer available at Theresa's, old friends have left for the next adventure. But there is always a community of people who want you to succeed, at any time of day, and you can find them in the little book in your back pocket.
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