I am so glad I eavesdropped on their lives rather than live them. Woah, I thought after reading all the greats like Hammett and Chandler there were just re-hashes of their work in varying degrees of quality left. 8 Million Ways to Die is a 1986 American action crime neo noir thriller film directed by Hal Ashby and starring Jeff Bridges, Rosanna Arquette, and Andy Garcia. This one I highly recommend if you like to cheer for a good guy to succeed in his quest. Unable to add item to List. But I learned that's not true. But the number one suspect hires Scudder to find the real killer. To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. Non alcoholics will find a great insight into that affliction. The plot also stays compelling, with a good mix of detective work (interview after interview) and action. As most readers of these books will agree, this is a mystery series where the actual mystery can often take a back seat to Block’s ever-developin, I honestly am SO close to giving this the fifth star...not entirely sure that I don’t want to at this point, but I still have a long way to go with the Scudder books so I don’t have a big enough sample group at this point. Nowhere is it written that I must be comfortable. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. There was a problem loading your book clubs. Something went wrong. Back in the early 90s I read four of the Matthew Scudder novels. We’d love your help. As I read this story it felt that Scudder was going to fail on all fronts in this story. Chandler said that the hero is everything to a detective story, that he must be the best man in his world and good enough for any world. So happy t, These books just keep getting better! Bad feelings won't kill me. Eight Million Ways to Die (Matthew Scudder, #5). I was puzzled by this, too, although there is a mention of Matt Scudder reading a newspaper article about a prostitute who was killed this way, early on in the book. Eight Million Ways to Die is the fifth in Lawrence Block’s Matthew Scudder detective series. I knew I made a mistake rating the first 4 novels at 5 stars each. Please try again. It is a dark, gloomy world Scudder lives in and he is climbing the walls of his tiny hotel room, trying not to focus on that next drink. $7.99$7.99. Used to be on television some years back.". Now finding Kim's killer will be Scudder's penance. Matthew Scudder is especially wonderful to read about, maybe because he has so many problems and hides his sadness. Please try your request again later. A typical one starts strong, with a re-introduction to the characters, careful observations of New York, and solid, human dialog. She surely didn't deserve her death. Scudder is a man, who wants to be free of his alcoholism, but there is the struggle to admit there is a problem. That aside, the book gives great insight into the incredibly difficult job law enforcement must have trying to piece together a crime. We see him slowly slipping down the slope to his ultimate end because he doesn't want to face his reality and because he can't put this case to a close. Chandler said that the hero is everything to a detective story, that he must be the best man in his world and good enough for any world. That's it. Maybe Kim didn't deserve the life fate had dealt her. You don’t need to have read any others in the series to follow this one. was supposed to protect her, but someone slashed her to ribbons on a crumbling New York City waterfront pier. But there are lethal secrets hiding in the slain hooker's past that are far dirtier than her trade. Scudder is a former New York City cop who quit the force after accidentally killing a child while pursuing two thieves. Scudder was a former NYPD Officer, who after a shooting went bad, real bad, reconsidered what he was doing in this world, gave up his career, his family, his life and discovered the bottle. Matt Scudder is a drunk and he knows it at some level. Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. In this book, a lot of people are sad. if you are lucky enough not to have discovered bloch do so you have hours of pleasure ahead, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 7, 2016, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 21, 2012. And there are many ways of dying in this cruel and dangerous town—some quick and brutal ... and some agonizingly slow. Making that type of condensation and adaptation work is incredibly difficult especially when you realize the number of characters and the complexity of Block's novel which has Scudder struggling with both a vexing murder and alcoholism. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 22, 2013, a treat to find a matt scudded book i had not already read. Scudder is a train wreck—once a cop, he is now a drunk, living in a hotel and taking unlicensed private detective cases to … However praiseworthy that might be, it does lead to rather dull reading. On the other hand, the reader will find themselves awestruck by the talents of the author to come up with such an impressively complex and brilliant plot. And it eats at me and I don't know what to do about that, and there's a bar on every corner and a liquor store on every block, and drinking won't bring her back to life but neither will staying sober, and why the hell do I have to go through this? Time to Murder and Create (Matthew Scudder), A Walk Among the Tombstones, Movie Tie-in Edition (Matthew Scudder), Out on the Cutting Edge (Matthew Scudder), The Night and the Music (Matthew Scudder), When the Sacred Ginmill Closes (Matthew Scudder Series, 6), The Sins of the Fathers (Matthew Scudder). He received the Diamond Dagger from the British Crime Writers' Association—only the third American to be given this award. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. Matt Scudder, the ex-cop turned PI with a drinking problem, puts himself through the wringer in this one! genre and this might be the best work I've read. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 7, 2016. Scudder was a former NYPD Officer, who after a shooting went bad, real bad, reconsidered what he was doing in this world, gave up his career, his family. Alcohol will kill me, but my feelings won't.”, Shamus Award for Best PI Hardcover (1983), Edgar Award Nominee for Best Novel (1983). A book about the mystery of a dead hooker becomes a book about Matt Scudder taking one day at a time, trying to save himself from alcohol. Time to Murder and Create (Matthew Scudder), A Walk Among the Tombstones, Movie Tie-in Edition (Matthew Scudder), Out on the Cutting Edge (Matthew Scudder), The Night and the Music (Matthew Scudder), When the Sacred Ginmill Closes (Matthew Scudder Series, 6), The Sins of the Fathers (Matthew Scudder). The problem is that I love every last one of them and so they're. living life? Find all the books, read about the author, and more. The prose was dry and matter-of-fact; the words of a police report detailing his movements and contacts. Wow. Recommended. Definitely my favorite Scudder so far. Lawrence Block, It turns out, in addition to being incredibly prolific, is a hell of a writer. Mathew Scudder, the "hero" is an alcoholic. Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2017. To date I've read 11 of his books including a couple as short stories. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. I liked it a lot, but I liked A STAB IN THE DARK a tiny bit better. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free. The alcoholic ex-cop turned p.i. Can Scudder find the killer before he ends up dead himself? Now finding Kim's killer will be Scudder's penance. Eight Million Ways to Die is the fifth in Lawrence Block’s Matthew Scudder detective series. Having close ties to people with this affliction, Block must either have been an alcoholic at some time in his life, or have had an incredibly empathetic relationship with someone who was. A young prostitute named Kim knew it also—and she wanted out. I am an avid fan of Mathew Scudder. Having close ties to people with this affliction, Block must either have been an alcoholic at some time in his life, or have had an incredibly empathetic relationship with someone who was. And there are many ways of dying in this cruel and dangerous town—some quick and brutal ... and some agonizingly slow. I liked it a lot, but I liked A STAB IN THE DARK a tiny bit better. I can’t praise this book enough. The screenplay was written by Oliver Stone, an uncredited Robert Towne and David Lee Henry (R. Lance Hill using a pseudonym). As most readers of these books will agree, this is a mystery series where the actual mystery can often take a back seat to Block’s ever-developing three-dimensional portrait of the alcoholic ex-cop Matt Scudder, along with his usual detailed pre-gentrification New York setting and wonderful dialogue. I honestly am SO close to giving this the fifth star...not entirely sure that I don’t want to at this point, but I still have a long way to go with the Scudder books so I don’t have a big enough sample group at this point. Forget the porkpie hat, the tiny office, the breathless blonde secretary, and the guns blazing, action featured on every page kind of detective. The characters in the murder mystery part of the book are one dimensional and the solution seemingly arrives out of the blue. Matt Scudder would laugh at that, a short, bitter laugh with very little humour. To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. Why read about a life like your own?