Synopses & Reviews
The city caught its collective breath when upscale couple Byrne and Susan Hollander were slaughtered in a brutal home invasion. Now, a few days later, the killers themselves have turned up dead behind the locked door of a Brooklyn hellhole one apparently slain by his partner in crime who then took his own life.
There's something drawing Matthew Scudder to this case that the cops have quickly and eagerly closed: a nagging suspicion that a third man is involved, a cold, diabolical puppet master who manipulates his two accomplices, then cuts their strings when he's done with them. No one but Scudder even suspects he exists. And his worst fear is that the guy is just getting started...
Review
"[E]njoyably wistful....The culprit's increasing thirst for blood is especially compelling....One can only hope the Matt Scudder series will live on. (Grade: B+)" Entertainment Weekly
Review
"Block relishes backing us into the darkest, most frightening corners of the mind that makes it all but impossible for you to bail out until the terrible, twisted end." People Magazine (Page-turner of the Week)
Review
"A puzzler....So dry. So droll. So good for the native soul." Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review
Review
"Block...manages to bring a rare depth and power to the genre....With Matt as our guide, we emerge from these visits to the dark side a little more fearful but always richer for the experience." Wes Lukowsky, Booklist
Review
"[Block's] prose is as smooth as aged whiskey, as always, and the story flows across its pages....This is a solid mystery, a fine Block, but less than exceptional." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Remarkable....Block [is] one of the most graceful stylists around." The Washington Post Book World
Review
"Lawrence Block writes terrific books. His Matthew Scudder series is his best work." The Boston Sunday Globe
Review
"It's all here; a perfect evocation of the sights, sounds, and smells of New York City." Library Journal
Review
"Full of twisty turns that Block does so very well....[R]eaders will want quick delivery of the next Block-buster." USA Today
Review
"Second-drawer Scudder is still Scudder, but despite the high body count, this battle of wits lacks the somber view of mortality that makes [Block's] best work so powerful right down to the final chapter, which strongly hints at a rematch." Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Lawrence Block is one of the most widely recognized names in the mystery genre. He has been named a Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America and is a four-time winner of the prestigious Edgar and Shamus Awards, as well as a recipient of prizes in France, Germany, and Japan. He received the Diamond Dagger from the British Crime Writers' Association—only the third American to be given this award. He is a prolific author, having written more than fifty books and numerous short stories, and is a devoted New Yorker and an enthusiastic global traveler.