The Night and the Music

 

Author: Lawrence Block

Publisher: Subterranean Press

Year: 2021

Happy Pub Day to The Night and the Music by Lawrence Block! 

Back in the day, I read all of Lawrence Block’s Bernie the Burglar novels and a few of his Matt Scudder novels. Block is a giant in the crime fiction genre. He’s a prolific writer who has won earn countless awards and raves. Block introduced Matthew Scudder, an alcoholic ex-cop turned unlicensed private investigator, in the mid1970s. Scudder has been around for awhile and has seen some things. The stories in this collection were published in various magazines and anthologies at over time. One of the stories was written especially for this edition. The stories are a mish-mash and cover various stages of Scudder’s life and career. In some he’s drinking a lot after his life imploded because of accidentally killing a child while trying to stop a robbery in progress. In other stories, Scudder is remarried and is in recovery. The stories are wide ranging. The anthology opens with Scudder investigating the apparent suicide of a waitress who worked at his favorite bar. In another, his curiosity gets the better of him when he finds out a murdered neighborhood bag lady bequeathed him a nice chunk of money in her will. A few stories are from when he was still with the police department. He has his own idea of justice that doesn’t always follow the law. You don’t have to be familiar with any of the Scudder novels to enjoy this collection. Block knows how to craft an intriguing story whether it’s a novel or short story. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Subterranean Press for the digital ARC.

QOTD: when was the last time you slept in late? 

I slept in until almost 9:00 is morning. I can’t remember the last time I slept in like that! Hubby got got up with the dogs this morning and they all stayed quiet and let me sleep. It was lovely, but now I feel like my day is thrown off. 

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