THE MATT SCUDDER MYSTERIES Vol 1 by Lawrence Block
The Matt Scudder Mysteries Vol 1 consists of three early Matt Scudder mysteries
brought together for the first time.
SINS OF THE FATHERS was the first ever Scudder mystery. It's interesting to note that unlike many other extended series, Scudder holds true to the initial details set down by the author. He is not yet an admitted alcoholic, but the signs are beginning to show. He is willing to bend the law to suit his own set of moral values, which he has forever continued to do. There is a personal violence in this initial episode which is more self-controlled later on, but it is a progression that is realistic. Grisly details are vividly described, the dialogue is hard boiled, and there is a feel for the locale that has become a trademark of the Scudder books.
With IN THE MIDST OF DEATH, Scudder is hired by a crooked cop named Jerry Broadfield, who decides to grab a bit of the limelight by exposing corruption in the police department. Problem: a hooker Broadfield was seeing turns up dead in his apartment. The police won't do much to investigate, of course, because Broadfield betrayed the badge. That leaves Scudder to go after the killer.
Like many of the earlier Scudder tales, TIME TO MURDER AND CREATE, is a relatively short and not a greatly complex story. The plotline is clever; an extortionist gets a premonition of his own murder and hires Scudder in advance to investigate if anything happens to him. The story is well told, and this still being Scudder's drinking period, it is full of plenty of despair and loneliness.
These early Scudder novels easily show how much Block has developed the series over the years. They're short, simple tales that Scudder fans will love. New Scudder readers should perhaps choose later offerings though...
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