Lawrence Block is known as a writer's writer, and for good reason. He effortlessly creates memorable characters, and his dialogue is witty, fast-paced and entertaining. Block's latest novel in the Matthew Scudder series is "Hope to Die," and it is as good as any that he has written.
At 62, Matt Scudder (a former cop and private investigator) is now a man of leisure. He has battled alcoholism for years, and even though he is now sober, he continues to attend AA meetings regularly. He is living in Manhattan with his wife, Elaine, and they have more than enough money to make ends meet. Elaine and Matt attend quite a few concerts these days, and Susan and Byrne Hollander happen to be at the same concert as Matt and Elaine one night. Susan and Byrne are a writer and a lawyer who live in a fabulous home in Manhattan. After they return from the concert, they are murdered in an apparent "home invasion." The only heir to their fortune is their daughter, Kristin, a woman in her twenties, who finds their bodies. Shortly after the murder, the two perps who apparently committed the crime are found dead in a Brooklyn apartment, in what seems to be a murder/suicide. The police officially close the case.
Matt and his droll, street-smart and computer-savvy sidekick, TJ, take on Kristin as an unofficial client, since Matt wants to dig into the case further. He believes that there is more to these murders then meets the eye. Unfortunately, as more corpses pile up, it becomes apparent that Matt is right--a psychotic killer with his own agenda is at work.
Matt uses his many contacts and his sharp mind to track down the killer, who is always one step ahead of him. This time, it seems, Scudder has met his match, since the killer is fearless, clever, and elusive. "Hope to Die" is by turns suspenseful, dryly humorous and chilling as Block skillfully unveils the truth about what really happened to the Hollanders. If you pick up this book, don't expect to put it down easily. It's a brisk page-turner and another triumph for the talented Lawrence Block.
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