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Matthew Scudder #16
All the Flowers Are Dying
"A man in a Virginia prison awaits execution for three hideous murders he swears, in the face of irrefutable evidence, he did not commit. A psychologist who claims to believe the convict spends hours with the man in his death row cell, and ultimately watches in the gallery as the lethal injection is administered. His work completed, the psychologist heads back to New York City to attend to unfinished business."
Meanwhile, Matthew Scudder has just agreed to investigate the ostensibly suspicious online lover of an acquaintance. It seems simple enough. At first. But when people start dying and the victims are increasingly closer to home, it becomes clear that a vicious killer is at work. And the final targets may be Matt and Elaine Scudder.
Meanwhile, Matthew Scudder has just agreed to investigate the ostensibly suspicious online lover of an acquaintance. It seems simple enough. At first. But when people start dying and the victims are increasingly closer to home, it becomes clear that a vicious killer is at work. And the final targets may be Matt and Elaine Scudder.
354 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 15, 2005
197 people are currently reading
1058 people want to read
About the author
Lawrence Block
768 books2,993 followersLawrence Block has been writing crime, mystery, and suspense fiction for more than half a century. He has published in excess (oh, wretched excess!) of 100 books, and no end of short stories.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he’d be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them.
His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg. The first time Lawrence Block’s name appeared in print was when his short story “You Can’t Lose” was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death. In 2005 it became the first offering from Hard Case Crime, and bore for the first time LB’s original title, Grifter’s Game.
LB is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-private investigator Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller.
Because one name is never enough, LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
LB’s magazine appearances include American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Linn’s Stamp News, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times. His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar’s Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.
Several of LB’s books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder and is scheduled for release in September, 2014.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.)
LB and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.
He is a modest and humble fellow, although you would never guess as much from this biographical note.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he’d be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them.
His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg. The first time Lawrence Block’s name appeared in print was when his short story “You Can’t Lose” was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death. In 2005 it became the first offering from Hard Case Crime, and bore for the first time LB’s original title, Grifter’s Game.
LB is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-private investigator Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller.
Because one name is never enough, LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
LB’s magazine appearances include American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Linn’s Stamp News, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times. His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar’s Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.
Several of LB’s books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder and is scheduled for release in September, 2014.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.)
LB and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.
He is a modest and humble fellow, although you would never guess as much from this biographical note.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews
November 10, 2020
A Matt Scudder book that came perilously close to the "DNF" as soon as I discovered Block using a serial killer viewpoint.
Dear Block, why did you do this? It was such a great run--was a serial killer really the direction you wanted to take the Scudder series? Why, I remember the good ol' days when Scudder was a life drop-out, hanging out on bar stools and nursing his way through a whiskey and coffee, subsisting on his favors for 'friends.' Now officially retired and respectable, Scudder is still taking the occasional case, but comes equipped with a cell phone, a computer and actually--gasp--takes a taxi.
Actually, I'm not bothered by changing technology and Scudder aging. In fact, I feel Block missed the opportunity to be innovative with showing us more about Scudder's experience on the downside of a long life and the contrast between his emotional and economic states from beginning to end. There is a short meditation on the role of TJ in his life and the absence of his own children, but there isn't too much else. The story opens with Joe Durkin's retirement, which could have been an interesting exploration of a duo working both sides of the law, much as Block did with Scudder and Mick. Instead, about a third of this book is from the perspective of a serial killer, an altogether disgusting experience that I feel adds little to the tale except a bitter aftertaste.
Digression. I do not understand why reading about a serial killer's imaginings would be a reading experience people want to have. I believe in art with both capital and lowercase 'a,' and to experience a killer's thoughts as he leaves me wishing I could Brillo my brain from the imagery. I get absolutely nothing out of the experience, not a single thrill of horror, nor sadness from witnessing a destroyed life, or any type of emotional catharsis. Nor does it meet any definition of entertainment value. The killer is one sick twist and we spend more than enough time in his head to make it believable. If reading Stephanie Plum left a jelly-doughnut sick aftertaste, this was the sour aftertaste of vomit.
I resorted to skimming over the killer's parts, but there was nothing to be gained from finishing except series continuity. Set-up for the ending failed on even the mystery/detective fronts, marked by a series of paranormal "feelings" which came too fast and coincidental for any trace of book redemption. Characterization hits a low for Block, with everyone but a shop woman essentially bland and fading into the background. TJ is magically transformed to day-trader, and there's something about his portrayal that is becoming uncomfortable. Perhaps it's the "Tonto" sidekick role where both Block and Scudder are content to leave T.J.'s emotional experience a blank slate. Perhaps it's the way he is a boy wonder, a natural success with everything he tries, and is almost always able to provide Scudder with a crucial puzzle piece.
Easily the best parts of the book are the first two chapters. I found myself stopping at a quote on page 7, reminding me of Block's ability to get at emotional truths:
"The last thing I wanted was a partner, but there's something about that sort of offer that makes one want to accept it. You think it's a cure for loneliness. A lot of ill-advised partnerships start that way, and more than a few bad marriages."
I'll check out the end of the series, but only out of sense of duty, and the hope the Block rediscovers the Scudder in his early books.
Cross posted at http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/0...
Dear Block, why did you do this? It was such a great run--was a serial killer really the direction you wanted to take the Scudder series? Why, I remember the good ol' days when Scudder was a life drop-out, hanging out on bar stools and nursing his way through a whiskey and coffee, subsisting on his favors for 'friends.' Now officially retired and respectable, Scudder is still taking the occasional case, but comes equipped with a cell phone, a computer and actually--gasp--takes a taxi.
Actually, I'm not bothered by changing technology and Scudder aging. In fact, I feel Block missed the opportunity to be innovative with showing us more about Scudder's experience on the downside of a long life and the contrast between his emotional and economic states from beginning to end. There is a short meditation on the role of TJ in his life and the absence of his own children, but there isn't too much else. The story opens with Joe Durkin's retirement, which could have been an interesting exploration of a duo working both sides of the law, much as Block did with Scudder and Mick. Instead, about a third of this book is from the perspective of a serial killer, an altogether disgusting experience that I feel adds little to the tale except a bitter aftertaste.
Digression. I do not understand why reading about a serial killer's imaginings would be a reading experience people want to have. I believe in art with both capital and lowercase 'a,' and to experience a killer's thoughts as he leaves me wishing I could Brillo my brain from the imagery. I get absolutely nothing out of the experience, not a single thrill of horror, nor sadness from witnessing a destroyed life, or any type of emotional catharsis. Nor does it meet any definition of entertainment value. The killer is one sick twist and we spend more than enough time in his head to make it believable. If reading Stephanie Plum left a jelly-doughnut sick aftertaste, this was the sour aftertaste of vomit.
I resorted to skimming over the killer's parts, but there was nothing to be gained from finishing except series continuity. Set-up for the ending failed on even the mystery/detective fronts, marked by a series of paranormal "feelings" which came too fast and coincidental for any trace of book redemption. Characterization hits a low for Block, with everyone but a shop woman essentially bland and fading into the background. TJ is magically transformed to day-trader, and there's something about his portrayal that is becoming uncomfortable. Perhaps it's the "Tonto" sidekick role where both Block and Scudder are content to leave T.J.'s emotional experience a blank slate. Perhaps it's the way he is a boy wonder, a natural success with everything he tries, and is almost always able to provide Scudder with a crucial puzzle piece.
Easily the best parts of the book are the first two chapters. I found myself stopping at a quote on page 7, reminding me of Block's ability to get at emotional truths:
"The last thing I wanted was a partner, but there's something about that sort of offer that makes one want to accept it. You think it's a cure for loneliness. A lot of ill-advised partnerships start that way, and more than a few bad marriages."
I'll check out the end of the series, but only out of sense of duty, and the hope the Block rediscovers the Scudder in his early books.
Cross posted at http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/0...
April 12, 2019
Coming from a master of the crime novel, this book is a major disappointment. It is also a classic example of the havoc that may be caused by an out of control serial killer. I am speaking here not of life itself, but of the world of the novel: All the Flowers are Dying shows what deplorable things may happen when a serial killer character controls his novelist, not the other way ‘round.
I’ll admit the character is an attractive one; I even enjoyed his appearance in the previous novel Hope to Die. His flaw—the temptation to leave clues that are “too cute”—is a useful one, and his brief interior monologues, in which we watch murder change for him from a ultilitarian crime to an aesthetic pleasure, is chilling and effective.
But now he’s back in another Matt Scudder novel, and this time his monologues continue in chapter after chapter, crowding out Scudder’s voice and taking over what the reader—this one at least—likes to think of as Scudder’s adventure. And there’s something about the way Block’s writing lingers over the most violent, sexually sadistic details of the murders that makes me feel that Block himself is controlled by the killer too.
Sure, there is good stuff here. I like the little mystery Scudder solves that does not involve the serial killer, and I like the natural, convincing way that Block continues to let his hero age. But overall I found this book to be a disappointment. There are thrills and suspense here, undoubtedly, but they are both egregious and meretricious.
November 12, 2017
This, the sixteenth Matthew Scudder novel, opens as a psychologist comes to a Virginia prison to visit a man condemned to death for the brutal murders of three young boys. Although the evidence against him was overwhelming, the prisoner continues to protest his innocence. The psychologist claims to believe in the man's innocence, and he's the only one who does. The two men develop something of a relationship over the course of several visits and, at the end, the condemned man asks his new friend to witness his execution.
Meanwhile, up in New York City, P.I. Matthew Scudder is now in his middle sixties and in semi-retirement. He's given up the license he briefly held and no longer actively solicits business. But he will take the occasional client if one seeks him out. After all, no one in his or her right mind could imagine Matthew Scudder living in Florida, playing golf and lining up for the 4:30 p.m. early bird buffet.
A woman pays Matt $500.00 for what seems like a fairly simple task. She's dating a new man. She likes him, but he's a bit on the mysterious side. For example, they always go to her place and she's never been to his. She's worried that the guy might be a serial killer or--even worse--married, and she wants Matt to check him out.
Matt takes the case and he and his sidekick, T.J., immediately run into a brick wall. The guy has a fairly common name, and they can't get a whiff of him. They attempt to tail him one night after he leaves the client's apartment, but the guy gives them the slip.
Meanwhile, the psychiatrist from Virginia has evaporated into thin air and bad things begin to happen to unsuspecting people in New York. Matt will ultimately realize that something very bizarre and extremely dangerous is afoot. Even worse, a serial killer from a previous case may have Matt and his wife, Elaine, dead in his sights.
This book continues some unfinished business from the previous Scudder novel, Hope to Die, and it's great to see Matthew Scudder back in action. Many familiar characters put in an appearance, and the book has an elegiac feel about it. Matt realizes that he's getting close to the end of the line, and after following him for nearly forty years, readers are bound to feel as unsettled about that as Matt does.
This is a very good read and, when first published, had the feel that it might be the last of the Scudder series. Happily, that turned out not to be the case, but still, even re-reading the book one is torn between the temptation to devour it whole and the desire to stretch it out for as long as possible rather than let it go.
My only objection to the book is that here again, as he did in Hope to Die, Block alternates between Scudder's POV and that of the villain. After fourteen books in which the only voice was Scudder's, it's still more than a little jarring to have another one intrude, but still, I enjoyed this book immensely.
Meanwhile, up in New York City, P.I. Matthew Scudder is now in his middle sixties and in semi-retirement. He's given up the license he briefly held and no longer actively solicits business. But he will take the occasional client if one seeks him out. After all, no one in his or her right mind could imagine Matthew Scudder living in Florida, playing golf and lining up for the 4:30 p.m. early bird buffet.
A woman pays Matt $500.00 for what seems like a fairly simple task. She's dating a new man. She likes him, but he's a bit on the mysterious side. For example, they always go to her place and she's never been to his. She's worried that the guy might be a serial killer or--even worse--married, and she wants Matt to check him out.
Matt takes the case and he and his sidekick, T.J., immediately run into a brick wall. The guy has a fairly common name, and they can't get a whiff of him. They attempt to tail him one night after he leaves the client's apartment, but the guy gives them the slip.
Meanwhile, the psychiatrist from Virginia has evaporated into thin air and bad things begin to happen to unsuspecting people in New York. Matt will ultimately realize that something very bizarre and extremely dangerous is afoot. Even worse, a serial killer from a previous case may have Matt and his wife, Elaine, dead in his sights.
This book continues some unfinished business from the previous Scudder novel, Hope to Die, and it's great to see Matthew Scudder back in action. Many familiar characters put in an appearance, and the book has an elegiac feel about it. Matt realizes that he's getting close to the end of the line, and after following him for nearly forty years, readers are bound to feel as unsettled about that as Matt does.
This is a very good read and, when first published, had the feel that it might be the last of the Scudder series. Happily, that turned out not to be the case, but still, even re-reading the book one is torn between the temptation to devour it whole and the desire to stretch it out for as long as possible rather than let it go.
My only objection to the book is that here again, as he did in Hope to Die, Block alternates between Scudder's POV and that of the villain. After fourteen books in which the only voice was Scudder's, it's still more than a little jarring to have another one intrude, but still, I enjoyed this book immensely.
June 25, 2012
After framing an innocent man for three brutal murders, a killer from Matthew Scudder's past has resurfaced and means to get revenge on Matt and everyone he holds dear. Can Matthew find the killer before the killer finds him?
"Wow!" is the best way I can sum this one up. I've read that Block wrote this one to be the series ender and it easily could be. As usual, Block delivered the goods and had me guessing, even though I knew who the killer was when I opened the book. There was a red herring that I just couldn't ignore even though I was positive he wasn't the killer.
Matt's supporting cast is all there. The long-suffering Joe Durkin retires, Danny Boy Bell reveals he has prostate cancer, and Mick Ballou makes another cameo. Matt's finally carrying a cellphone which I find hilarious for some reason.
The chapters written from the killer's point of view are some cold, chilling stuff, just like in the previous volume. While I had a pretty good idea Scudder wasn't going to die, who knew who the killer would be taking to the grave with him? The whole Preston Applewhite angle showed what a sick bastard the killer was.
Block hit another home run with this one. Not to be missed by Matthew Scudder fans.
"Wow!" is the best way I can sum this one up. I've read that Block wrote this one to be the series ender and it easily could be. As usual, Block delivered the goods and had me guessing, even though I knew who the killer was when I opened the book. There was a red herring that I just couldn't ignore even though I was positive he wasn't the killer.
Matt's supporting cast is all there. The long-suffering Joe Durkin retires, Danny Boy Bell reveals he has prostate cancer, and Mick Ballou makes another cameo. Matt's finally carrying a cellphone which I find hilarious for some reason.
The chapters written from the killer's point of view are some cold, chilling stuff, just like in the previous volume. While I had a pretty good idea Scudder wasn't going to die, who knew who the killer would be taking to the grave with him? The whole Preston Applewhite angle showed what a sick bastard the killer was.
Block hit another home run with this one. Not to be missed by Matthew Scudder fans.
December 13, 2012
This isn’t the last Matt Scudder book that Lawrence Block wrote, but since Matt would now be in his 70s and the one after it, A Drop of the Had Stuff, is a flashback novel, this is technically the last case that he works. It seems unlikely that there will be a new one that isn‘t set in the past but Block has seemingly reached the end of Matt’s story before and come back to it so nothing would surprise me. While I‘m not sure about that, I do know that this marks the last book that I’ve reread for reviewing on Goodreads. So it definitely feels like the end of an era all over again.
The melancholy nature of Scudder is one thing I’ve always loved about this series, but I really noticed while rereading how it evolved as Matt grew older. When he was younger and a drunk, Matt had kind of a horrified fascination with violent death that made him ponder the often short and brutal nature of life. Now in his mid-60s, Matt frequently notes the way that the people and places he knew have started fading out of his life. While reflecting about an acquaintance that recently passed away, Matt thinks:
“He died sometime that summer, not too long after the bar closed, but I didn’t hear about it until the fall. So that was one funeral I missed, but these days there’s always another funeral to go to. They’re like buses. If you miss one, there’ll be another coming your way in a few minutes.”
So Matt still isn’t the most cheerful guy in the world, but he’s living a generally happy and quiet life with his wife. Although pretty much retired, when he gets two similar but unrelated requests from women he knows to check out men with mysterious habit that they’ve started dating, Matt decides to help them out. Unfortunately, doing a couple of routine favors leads Matt to one of the smartest and most brutal killers he’s ever faced.
I could nitpick this book and say that it seems almost to be more about the villain than Scudder with long sections spent on first person interludes in the killer’s head while Matt seems mostly reactive versus doing much to seek out the guy. In a weird way that works here because with an older Matt and a little ominous foreshadowing, it feels like the younger, quicker man has the advantage. There’s one other point that I didn’t notice the first time I read it.
This still end up being one of the most powerful books in the series with a genuinely creepy villain, and while we got another Scudder story from his younger days in the next one, this one kind of feels like Matt’s last stand in a lot of ways.
The melancholy nature of Scudder is one thing I’ve always loved about this series, but I really noticed while rereading how it evolved as Matt grew older. When he was younger and a drunk, Matt had kind of a horrified fascination with violent death that made him ponder the often short and brutal nature of life. Now in his mid-60s, Matt frequently notes the way that the people and places he knew have started fading out of his life. While reflecting about an acquaintance that recently passed away, Matt thinks:
“He died sometime that summer, not too long after the bar closed, but I didn’t hear about it until the fall. So that was one funeral I missed, but these days there’s always another funeral to go to. They’re like buses. If you miss one, there’ll be another coming your way in a few minutes.”
So Matt still isn’t the most cheerful guy in the world, but he’s living a generally happy and quiet life with his wife. Although pretty much retired, when he gets two similar but unrelated requests from women he knows to check out men with mysterious habit that they’ve started dating, Matt decides to help them out. Unfortunately, doing a couple of routine favors leads Matt to one of the smartest and most brutal killers he’s ever faced.
I could nitpick this book and say that it seems almost to be more about the villain than Scudder with long sections spent on first person interludes in the killer’s head while Matt seems mostly reactive versus doing much to seek out the guy. In a weird way that works here because with an older Matt and a little ominous foreshadowing, it feels like the younger, quicker man has the advantage. There’s one other point that I didn’t notice the first time I read it.
This still end up being one of the most powerful books in the series with a genuinely creepy villain, and while we got another Scudder story from his younger days in the next one, this one kind of feels like Matt’s last stand in a lot of ways.
December 22, 2014
Block lulls you into a sense of ease. His words read like a meeting of two long-time friends over a cup of coffee. They don't necessarily have a great deal to say to one another, they just enjoy each other's company. And then next thing you know someone's been shot/stabbed/raped and a murder is being solved.
That happens through out All the Flowers are Dying. There's an ebb and flow of action from start to finish that sometimes switches between the two like flicking on and off the lights. It's a good pace. Just before you have the chance to get too bored with a slow scene, Block's there at the switch to wake you up.
Some of his writing is quite vivid and gorily graphic. At other times he shows Hitchcockian restraint with a crafty subtly that reminded me of Patrick O'Brian's work. It's been a long career for Block, who began with dimestore crime novellas. What we have with this sixteenth edition in his Scudder series is a maturation of the often ham-fisted crime noir potboiler of yesteryear into a more earthy, human story. Characters are fleshed out, motives delved into more deeply.
Yes, I've intentionally avoided summarizing the book on any level. Spoilers would abound with any attempt. Just know that there are bad guys, good guys...no...there are bad people, good people, but topping the population are your average-joe gray people. There is crime. There is resolution. There is also a good deal of reality and graspable humanity, as well as repulsive inhumanity. It's a veritable melting pot of all that is now.
That happens through out All the Flowers are Dying. There's an ebb and flow of action from start to finish that sometimes switches between the two like flicking on and off the lights. It's a good pace. Just before you have the chance to get too bored with a slow scene, Block's there at the switch to wake you up.
Some of his writing is quite vivid and gorily graphic. At other times he shows Hitchcockian restraint with a crafty subtly that reminded me of Patrick O'Brian's work. It's been a long career for Block, who began with dimestore crime novellas. What we have with this sixteenth edition in his Scudder series is a maturation of the often ham-fisted crime noir potboiler of yesteryear into a more earthy, human story. Characters are fleshed out, motives delved into more deeply.
Yes, I've intentionally avoided summarizing the book on any level. Spoilers would abound with any attempt. Just know that there are bad guys, good guys...no...there are bad people, good people, but topping the population are your average-joe gray people. There is crime. There is resolution. There is also a good deal of reality and graspable humanity, as well as repulsive inhumanity. It's a veritable melting pot of all that is now.
July 22, 2021
After the wonderful, one-of-the-top-four-in-the-series 14th book--Everybody Dies, book 15--Hope To Die, and 16--All the Flowers are Dying (wait! Is there a pattern in these book titles?! And then: Lots of people die in them. . . I think I’m on to something here. . . ), are two of the worst books in the Matt Scudder series that I love. I know, if you look at the Goodreads ratings, there is no real dip for these books, so most people don’t agree with me, but I feel pretty strongly about it.
What’s the difference? In Book 14 we are solidly immersed in the strength of the series: The mind and heart of Matt Scudder, Lawrence Block’s most famous character, who relies on almost all of his close friends in resolving a crime that is especially linked to the series’ second favorite character, Matt’s friend (and criminal), murderin’ Mick Ballou. There’s some anguished reflection on their parts in the process, and some real bonding, in addition to some powerful action. Some of the best writing in the whole series.
In the last book, (hopeless) Hope Dies and now this, (stinky) Flowers we depart from almost all of the above except Matt, Elaine and (a bit of) TJ struggling with the same serial killer in both books. Block, perhaps wanting to try something rather different, alternates between Matt’s point of view and that of a serial killer who kills all sorts of people. Block has tried this approach before in the series, and I didn’t like it then, either. I am ultimately just not all that interested in the mind of a serial killer and all the grisly, sensationalistic details and disturbing perversity. And then, for the second time in the series, Elaine makes a serious mistake I just doubt she would make in the same way a second time, with some (sorry) upsetting and just maybe not necessary consequences. I liked this one (Flowers) even less than the last one (Hope), but they are basically a two-volume story. Compared to the best of the series, there’s a notable dip in the quality of the writing, imo.
PS: The five books I do not recommend from this series are, in addition to the two mentioned above, Dance in the Slaughterhouse, Ticket to the Boneyard, and A Walk Among the Tombstones. All dwell on the sensationalistic, the particularly inhuman villain, as opposed to Scudder, as opposed to a focus on character, which is the strength of the series, imo. Again, all have almost equally high ratings and reviews from my respected Goodreads colleagues who almost never acknowledge what I'm talking about, so I know I am in a minority here. I mean, they even made a movie based on one of them, Walk Among the Tombstones (which I have yet to see, with Liam Neeson), so does this prove my point about the book, or prove me wrong?
What’s the difference? In Book 14 we are solidly immersed in the strength of the series: The mind and heart of Matt Scudder, Lawrence Block’s most famous character, who relies on almost all of his close friends in resolving a crime that is especially linked to the series’ second favorite character, Matt’s friend (and criminal), murderin’ Mick Ballou. There’s some anguished reflection on their parts in the process, and some real bonding, in addition to some powerful action. Some of the best writing in the whole series.
In the last book, (hopeless) Hope Dies and now this, (stinky) Flowers we depart from almost all of the above except Matt, Elaine and (a bit of) TJ struggling with the same serial killer in both books. Block, perhaps wanting to try something rather different, alternates between Matt’s point of view and that of a serial killer who kills all sorts of people. Block has tried this approach before in the series, and I didn’t like it then, either. I am ultimately just not all that interested in the mind of a serial killer and all the grisly, sensationalistic details and disturbing perversity. And then, for the second time in the series, Elaine makes a serious mistake I just doubt she would make in the same way a second time, with some (sorry) upsetting and just maybe not necessary consequences. I liked this one (Flowers) even less than the last one (Hope), but they are basically a two-volume story. Compared to the best of the series, there’s a notable dip in the quality of the writing, imo.
PS: The five books I do not recommend from this series are, in addition to the two mentioned above, Dance in the Slaughterhouse, Ticket to the Boneyard, and A Walk Among the Tombstones. All dwell on the sensationalistic, the particularly inhuman villain, as opposed to Scudder, as opposed to a focus on character, which is the strength of the series, imo. Again, all have almost equally high ratings and reviews from my respected Goodreads colleagues who almost never acknowledge what I'm talking about, so I know I am in a minority here. I mean, they even made a movie based on one of them, Walk Among the Tombstones (which I have yet to see, with Liam Neeson), so does this prove my point about the book, or prove me wrong?
July 15, 2015
The day I started my journey through the Scudder series in 2011, I’ve been dreading this moment. I somehow managed to stretch the sixteen novels over the past four years in an attempt to get maximum enjoyment out of the series. It was a great choice, if I don’t say so myself. While there are still two books to follow (A Drop of The Hard Stuff / The Night & The Music), this is the final novel in the Scudder chronology.
Luckily, Block chose to go out on a high note. In All The Flowers Are Dying, Matt is hired to do some digging on a man who may not be exactly who he says he is (side note: aren’t we all?). At the same time, a man in Virginia is awaiting execution after being given the death penalty for the gruesome murder of several young boys. While killing time in the clink, the prisoner is interviewed by a psychologist who may not have the best of intentions.
The narrative is broken up between Scudder and this shadowy psychologist for the length of the novel. Eventually, the two alternating stories merge putting both men on a collision course. Many of Scudder’s associates make appearances with Elaine, TJ, Danny Boy Bell and others lingering about alongside the grizzled gumshoe. As always, I find myself craving more Mick Ballou and fans of the Irish mobster will find his contributions to the book lacking.
I’m sad to see Scudder go but Block gives us a fitting ending to the series. I had asked Block in an interview last year if he had truly put the final nail in the Scudder saga and while he noted he had no immediate plans for future books, he has thought he was finished a few times in the past before ultimately returning to tell more stories. Here’s hoping he may have another prequel in the tank.
Also posted @ Every Read Thing.
Luckily, Block chose to go out on a high note. In All The Flowers Are Dying, Matt is hired to do some digging on a man who may not be exactly who he says he is (side note: aren’t we all?). At the same time, a man in Virginia is awaiting execution after being given the death penalty for the gruesome murder of several young boys. While killing time in the clink, the prisoner is interviewed by a psychologist who may not have the best of intentions.
The narrative is broken up between Scudder and this shadowy psychologist for the length of the novel. Eventually, the two alternating stories merge putting both men on a collision course. Many of Scudder’s associates make appearances with Elaine, TJ, Danny Boy Bell and others lingering about alongside the grizzled gumshoe. As always, I find myself craving more Mick Ballou and fans of the Irish mobster will find his contributions to the book lacking.
I’m sad to see Scudder go but Block gives us a fitting ending to the series. I had asked Block in an interview last year if he had truly put the final nail in the Scudder saga and while he noted he had no immediate plans for future books, he has thought he was finished a few times in the past before ultimately returning to tell more stories. Here’s hoping he may have another prequel in the tank.
Also posted @ Every Read Thing.
April 2, 2019
This review contains spoilers that relate to the ending of the previous book in the Matt Scudder series, “Hope to Die” (book 15 in the series). If you haven’t read “Hope to Die” and think you might want to do so, best to look away now.
I read somewhere that the fifth book in the series was originally intended to be the last, and that this 2005 novel, book 16, was again written with that intention, though Lawrence Block has since written two more. In some ways I’m glad this wasn’t the final book as I felt it had more negative features than most. Scudder is once again facing the serial killer known only by the initials AB, and as in book 15, part of the story is told from the killer’s perspective, which I didn’t much like. I commented in my review of “Hope to Die” that I felt the descriptions of the murders included a degree of detail that I didn’t think was necessary, and if anything I think that was even more the case with this book.
Towards the end there were several instances where the plot turned on a feature that didn’t work for me, and I also felt a fair chunk of the scenario was recycled from one of the earlier books. I won’t say which one because that would also give the game away.
So with all those negative comments, why have I rated it as high as three stars? Well, for all the moans set out above, I can’t deny that I still found this a gripping read, at least in respect of the chapters told from Scudder’s own perspective. Ultimately, it’s a thriller that delivers tension and excitement. It does what it’s meant to do.
I read somewhere that the fifth book in the series was originally intended to be the last, and that this 2005 novel, book 16, was again written with that intention, though Lawrence Block has since written two more. In some ways I’m glad this wasn’t the final book as I felt it had more negative features than most. Scudder is once again facing the serial killer known only by the initials AB, and as in book 15, part of the story is told from the killer’s perspective, which I didn’t much like. I commented in my review of “Hope to Die” that I felt the descriptions of the murders included a degree of detail that I didn’t think was necessary, and if anything I think that was even more the case with this book.
Towards the end there were several instances where the plot turned on a feature that didn’t work for me, and I also felt a fair chunk of the scenario was recycled from one of the earlier books. I won’t say which one because that would also give the game away.
So with all those negative comments, why have I rated it as high as three stars? Well, for all the moans set out above, I can’t deny that I still found this a gripping read, at least in respect of the chapters told from Scudder’s own perspective. Ultimately, it’s a thriller that delivers tension and excitement. It does what it’s meant to do.
September 2, 2024
At least we got some resolution on the dangling plotlines from the last book, but to get here? Again, I feel like killer povs have to be written very particularly to feel necessary to the plot, otherwise it comes off gratuitous. It makes me sad to say this, but Matthew Scudder feels more than ready for retirement.
Not a ringing endorsement having gotten this far, but I do highly recommend checking out the first half of this series if you're into noir crime fiction!
Not a ringing endorsement having gotten this far, but I do highly recommend checking out the first half of this series if you're into noir crime fiction!
February 11, 2020
All the Flowers are Dying picks up from where Scudder #15 - Hope to Die left. As this is a direct sequel, reading that one is suggested. Block doubles down on the previous book's divisive choice of changing POV between Scudder and a serial killer for different chapters. But whereas the previous book split the perspective between Scudder and killer in a ratio of 80:20, this significantly expands the number of chapters from the killer's viewpoint. It does not work. Scudder feels a bit marginalized in his own story while the chapters from the killer's viewpoint opt for shock value over any character development.
I was in the minority who actually enjoyed the killer's POV in the previous entry. But Block loses me here. With his identity already revealed, some of the tension is lost. To compensate for it Block rachets up the gratuitous violence. There is a subplot where the killer frames an innocent man for the rape and murder of three teenage boys. Block takes too much inspiration from his days of writing erotica and goes on to describe the rapes individually. Completely unnecessary as describing one would have been enough. Block's skills shine through sporadically. One line where the killer references his mother and stops himself from going further down that memory lane is chilling. As Block leaves things to our imagination rather than spell out what happened between mother and son. Block is undoubtedly a good writer but instead of similar smaller touches, here he often chooses the sledgehammer when the situation called for the scalpel.
There is another subplot where Scudder has to find out details about a man, his client met online. It is the type of thing PIs must actually solve in real life but they do not show up in books because they make for boring stories. It is the same here, this plot strand fizzles out compared to everything else that is happening with the serial killer. The last one third where Scudder and his nemesis start playing cat and mouse games is fast paced and thrilling but even then Block has written a much better version of that story in Scudder #8 - A Ticket to the Boneyard. Everything here is competent but most fans will agree Block is usually capable of much better.
The thing that works here is atmosphere. A sense of melancholy lurks in the background. There are some nice lines. Scudder gets a chance to do something new - You think it's a cure for loneliness. A lot of ill-advised partnerships start that way, and more than a few bad marriages. Scudder's view on how world keeps getting worse - Yesterday's pastimes we're today's pathologies.
So there are flashes of what has earned Block and Scudder so many fans but ultimately the direction All the Flowers are Dying takes did not work for me. For most readers, some parts will be outright uncomfortable to read. If you had stuck with the series for fifteen books, might as well read this one but don't think there is enough here to grab a new reader. Rating - 3/5.
I was in the minority who actually enjoyed the killer's POV in the previous entry. But Block loses me here. With his identity already revealed, some of the tension is lost. To compensate for it Block rachets up the gratuitous violence. There is a subplot where the killer frames an innocent man for the rape and murder of three teenage boys. Block takes too much inspiration from his days of writing erotica and goes on to describe the rapes individually. Completely unnecessary as describing one would have been enough. Block's skills shine through sporadically. One line where the killer references his mother and stops himself from going further down that memory lane is chilling. As Block leaves things to our imagination rather than spell out what happened between mother and son. Block is undoubtedly a good writer but instead of similar smaller touches, here he often chooses the sledgehammer when the situation called for the scalpel.
There is another subplot where Scudder has to find out details about a man, his client met online. It is the type of thing PIs must actually solve in real life but they do not show up in books because they make for boring stories. It is the same here, this plot strand fizzles out compared to everything else that is happening with the serial killer. The last one third where Scudder and his nemesis start playing cat and mouse games is fast paced and thrilling but even then Block has written a much better version of that story in Scudder #8 - A Ticket to the Boneyard. Everything here is competent but most fans will agree Block is usually capable of much better.
The thing that works here is atmosphere. A sense of melancholy lurks in the background. There are some nice lines. Scudder gets a chance to do something new - You think it's a cure for loneliness. A lot of ill-advised partnerships start that way, and more than a few bad marriages. Scudder's view on how world keeps getting worse - Yesterday's pastimes we're today's pathologies.
So there are flashes of what has earned Block and Scudder so many fans but ultimately the direction All the Flowers are Dying takes did not work for me. For most readers, some parts will be outright uncomfortable to read. If you had stuck with the series for fifteen books, might as well read this one but don't think there is enough here to grab a new reader. Rating - 3/5.
November 12, 2020
This is not one of Block's better books. This tale of a serial killer after Matt & Elaine is just to bloody violent. It almost glorifies violence and, as far as I am concerned, serves no useful purpose. It is a Block book and it is well written, but who enjoys that level of violence?
February 17, 2017
All the Flowers are dying by Lawrence Block.
I first read this book when it was published and now had the distinct pleasure of listening to it on CD performed by Alan Sklar.
This is a Matthew Scudder mystery. We enter this story as an observer to an execution. This beginning of major atrocities had me on the edge of my seat as few if any books have ever held a reaction such as this. The story teller (L.B.) takes us into the mind of a psychopath...a serial killer. A killer who painstakingly plots each murder and visualizes in minute detail the reaction of his victim(s).
Lawrence block once again surpasses my imagination in mystery. This book cannot be overlooked for all Matthew Scudder fans.
I first read this book when it was published and now had the distinct pleasure of listening to it on CD performed by Alan Sklar.
This is a Matthew Scudder mystery. We enter this story as an observer to an execution. This beginning of major atrocities had me on the edge of my seat as few if any books have ever held a reaction such as this. The story teller (L.B.) takes us into the mind of a psychopath...a serial killer. A killer who painstakingly plots each murder and visualizes in minute detail the reaction of his victim(s).
Lawrence block once again surpasses my imagination in mystery. This book cannot be overlooked for all Matthew Scudder fans.
July 1, 2013
Almost at the end of the Scudder series and don't agree with the comments from some that the series falls off a bit towards the end.
The ones in the middle are the best but the whole series has been excellent and all the more enjoyable for having read them in order as by the end there are frequent references to previous books. This one ended up being one of my favourites and was very hard to put down. Just A Drop of the Hard Stuff and the short story collection The Night and the Music to go now.
The ones in the middle are the best but the whole series has been excellent and all the more enjoyable for having read them in order as by the end there are frequent references to previous books. This one ended up being one of my favourites and was very hard to put down. Just A Drop of the Hard Stuff and the short story collection The Night and the Music to go now.
June 9, 2017
"All The Flowers Are Dying" Is the 16th of the 17 Matthew Scudder novels. After it, Block took six long years before publishing another one. If you are just hopping on the Scudder train, you are late and you've missed much of the journey. Scudder Is a former NYPD officer who took it hard when a young child got killed in a shooting and lost the taste for the job. He also lost the taste for his first marriage and his suburban home and moved into a residential hotel and into the bars and dives. Eventually, he picked himself up and started taking it one day at a time with endless AA meetings. He would work off the books without paperwork, taking on impossible cases as favors for friends, chasing down the slimmest of leads. At its best, this series is dark and gritty and the characters are all too real.
This volume takes an aging Scudder on a journey into several disparate mysteries that ends with a serial killer unleashing terror. It takes a real long while for this story to get moving, perhaps because too much time is spent inside the killer's head. There are threads of the story that don't immediately feel connected.Ultimately, the latter sixty percent of the story saves the day and runs ahead at breackneck speed. I still enjoy the Scudder series, and the characters I have come to know.
This volume takes an aging Scudder on a journey into several disparate mysteries that ends with a serial killer unleashing terror. It takes a real long while for this story to get moving, perhaps because too much time is spent inside the killer's head. There are threads of the story that don't immediately feel connected.Ultimately, the latter sixty percent of the story saves the day and runs ahead at breackneck speed. I still enjoy the Scudder series, and the characters I have come to know.
April 6, 2012
If you are a fan of the Matthew Scudder series, this is a must read.
Block spends much more time viewing things from the eyes of a sadistic murderer in this book, which he does so well, it is unnerving. But the drop to 3 stars from 4 is due to just that. This book, unlike the others I have read in this series is so focused on the mind of the murderer it almost caused me to stop reading.
Block spends much more time viewing things from the eyes of a sadistic murderer in this book, which he does so well, it is unnerving. But the drop to 3 stars from 4 is due to just that. This book, unlike the others I have read in this series is so focused on the mind of the murderer it almost caused me to stop reading.
February 17, 2013
I love the Matt Scudder series, but this and the previous one were extremely annoying. Both featured one of those seemingly invulnerable serial killers, and much of the books were told through the eyes/voice of the serial killer. I've decided that I hate this. There was also some graphic torture scense (also a no-no for me) and just flat out distressing moments. I saw very little "detecting" and just a lot of anxiety. We'll see what the last book holds...
May 8, 2015
This book sees a return of the chilling killer who haunted the previous book in the series Hope to Die. Much of the story is told from the POV of this charismatic but horrifying character, and though this is unusual for a Scudder story (and seems to have upset a few die-hard fans), Block uses it to full advantage; wringing every last drop of tension out of the tale.
July 15, 2018
My favorite of the series. I love these characters so much. Matt, Elaine, T.J.,Joe (the sarcasm Joe used was just perfect. I laughed out loud), they’re all just so wonderfully done, so realistic.
Such an amazing series.
I feel like there’s problems with the killer though. Definitely a serial killer, a very organized serial killer. I have a problem with the array of victims he has. Usually serial killers have a specific type they stick too but this guy was all over the place, women, men, children. I kind of also wish it has been someone from an early book as opposed to a complete unknown. He was definitely very creepy though.
This book had me on the edge of my seat.
Such an amazing series.
I feel like there’s problems with the killer though. Definitely a serial killer, a very organized serial killer. I have a problem with the array of victims he has. Usually serial killers have a specific type they stick too but this guy was all over the place, women, men, children. I kind of also wish it has been someone from an early book as opposed to a complete unknown. He was definitely very creepy though.
This book had me on the edge of my seat.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2024
This was a very sadistic book.
The payoff wasn’t worth it either. For this to be the last Scudder book on this timeline was also a bit of a disappointment as well.
AB got what he deserved but I could have done without his POV which was VERY disturbing.
The payoff wasn’t worth it either. For this to be the last Scudder book on this timeline was also a bit of a disappointment as well.
AB got what he deserved but I could have done without his POV which was VERY disturbing.
July 3, 2018
It's really amazing how consistently good these books are. This one was so compelling I was talking aloud to the book....several times I wailed 'oh no!' I may be a bit too bought in with these characters, but after sixteen nail-biters it shouldn't surprise me.
July 30, 2017
PROTAGONIST: Matt Scudder
SETTING: New York City
SERIES: #16 of 18
RATING: 4.25
WHY: Sequel to "Hope to Die". A lot going on in this book. We see events from 2 perspectives. There's Matt Scudder and his typical PI work. And then there's a demented, devious serial killer is hard at work. His scheming brain is mind boggling. After killing someone close to Matt and Elaine, he homes in on them. Truly terrifying. A bit too much time in the mind of the killer (italicized chapters) for my taste but otherwise top notch.
SETTING: New York City
SERIES: #16 of 18
RATING: 4.25
WHY: Sequel to "Hope to Die". A lot going on in this book. We see events from 2 perspectives. There's Matt Scudder and his typical PI work. And then there's a demented, devious serial killer is hard at work. His scheming brain is mind boggling. After killing someone close to Matt and Elaine, he homes in on them. Truly terrifying. A bit too much time in the mind of the killer (italicized chapters) for my taste but otherwise top notch.
November 7, 2016
Rating: 3.5
I enjoyed this book. At times I found this book slumping, mostly because I felt myself not caring about the personal backgrounds/narratives of the main characters for some reason. I really don't know why I felt my brain not caring about them.
The serial killer I found fascinating. Such an evil man. There was no redemptive narrative for this character. It was oddly refreshing.
I enjoyed this book. At times I found this book slumping, mostly because I felt myself not caring about the personal backgrounds/narratives of the main characters for some reason. I really don't know why I felt my brain not caring about them.
The serial killer I found fascinating. Such an evil man. There was no redemptive narrative for this character. It was oddly refreshing.
January 19, 2021
In my comments about Hope to Die, the immediately preceding book in Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder series, I stated:
I agree with the many people here who feel that the parts of the book narrated by the murderer are intrusive. I would add that although the killer is clearly mentally ill and rather less clever than he thinks he is, he is still portrayed as bright and charismatic. Block tends to make horrible people fun to read about. Readers are clearly supposed to root for Block's murderous series characters Martin Ehrengraf and Keller. I suspect that the serial killer in this book is intended to be a rather engaging monster.
Although it is not made definite until well into the book, All the Flowers Are Dying features the same deranged serial killer as the earlier book. This book is divided into the usual first person narration by Scudder, the former police officer turned unofficial investigator, and third person narration in italics centering on the murderer. The killer is no longer motivated largely by financial reward; he takes pride in outsmarting other people and derives enjoyment from the act of murder. He also seems to have some sort of psychic early-warning system that alerts him to the presence of danger; I found this touch of fantasy quite unrealistic.
And speaking of unrealistic - I am writing this in early 2021, with coronavirus causing most Americans to wear protective masks outside their homes. I do not feel that this renders folks unrecognizable. In the book, a much smaller change in one facial feature of the murderer causes Scudder not to recognize him. Scudder, a former police officer who worked for decades as a kind of investigator, is that easily fooled. I also find it doubtful that the police, knowing that the killer had changed that feature, would not do what Scudder and his wife Elaine do and alter the drawing they have of the killer accordingly.
And, of course, the reader must accept the basic premise that the serial killer is amazingly brilliant and cunning. He also is shown at the end of the book to have superhuman control of physiological functions of his body which I question are possible.
It should be noted that Scudder's friend, assistant, and surrogate son TJ is also unrealistically portrayed. He too is brilliant but ridiculously secretive. After years as close friends and coworkers, Scudder still knows almost nothing about TJ`s former life - including his last name.
The biggest problem that I have with the book is one that I have with many murder stories, the reveling in details of violent crimes. I have seen this kind of dwelling on such material described as "torture porn," and I think this is precisely accurate. Block does not devote as much attention to this as, say, Val McDermid does in her Dr. Tony Hill books, but I still found it excessive.
Block is too good a writer not to have fine elements in this book. It is nice to have return appearances by Danny Boy Bell and Mick Ballou. (Actually, pretty much every person Scudder has ever met appears in All the Flowers Are Dying, but most of them very briefly.) Block's portrayal of New York City continues to be absorbing. Dialogue is as intelligent, witty, and well-rendered as always. Scudder also looks into a secondary mystery, which was clever and surprising. And there is a great joke (about smoking) on the next to last page.
A flawed book but worth reading. And that makes it better than a great many others.
I agree with the many people here who feel that the parts of the book narrated by the murderer are intrusive. I would add that although the killer is clearly mentally ill and rather less clever than he thinks he is, he is still portrayed as bright and charismatic. Block tends to make horrible people fun to read about. Readers are clearly supposed to root for Block's murderous series characters Martin Ehrengraf and Keller. I suspect that the serial killer in this book is intended to be a rather engaging monster.
Although it is not made definite until well into the book, All the Flowers Are Dying features the same deranged serial killer as the earlier book. This book is divided into the usual first person narration by Scudder, the former police officer turned unofficial investigator, and third person narration in italics centering on the murderer. The killer is no longer motivated largely by financial reward; he takes pride in outsmarting other people and derives enjoyment from the act of murder. He also seems to have some sort of psychic early-warning system that alerts him to the presence of danger; I found this touch of fantasy quite unrealistic.
And speaking of unrealistic - I am writing this in early 2021, with coronavirus causing most Americans to wear protective masks outside their homes. I do not feel that this renders folks unrecognizable. In the book, a much smaller change in one facial feature of the murderer causes Scudder not to recognize him. Scudder, a former police officer who worked for decades as a kind of investigator, is that easily fooled. I also find it doubtful that the police, knowing that the killer had changed that feature, would not do what Scudder and his wife Elaine do and alter the drawing they have of the killer accordingly.
And, of course, the reader must accept the basic premise that the serial killer is amazingly brilliant and cunning. He also is shown at the end of the book to have superhuman control of physiological functions of his body which I question are possible.
It should be noted that Scudder's friend, assistant, and surrogate son TJ is also unrealistically portrayed. He too is brilliant but ridiculously secretive. After years as close friends and coworkers, Scudder still knows almost nothing about TJ`s former life - including his last name.
The biggest problem that I have with the book is one that I have with many murder stories, the reveling in details of violent crimes. I have seen this kind of dwelling on such material described as "torture porn," and I think this is precisely accurate. Block does not devote as much attention to this as, say, Val McDermid does in her Dr. Tony Hill books, but I still found it excessive.
Block is too good a writer not to have fine elements in this book. It is nice to have return appearances by Danny Boy Bell and Mick Ballou. (Actually, pretty much every person Scudder has ever met appears in All the Flowers Are Dying, but most of them very briefly.) Block's portrayal of New York City continues to be absorbing. Dialogue is as intelligent, witty, and well-rendered as always. Scudder also looks into a secondary mystery, which was clever and surprising. And there is a great joke (about smoking) on the next to last page.
A flawed book but worth reading. And that makes it better than a great many others.
June 12, 2021
"His loins stir at the thought of what he'll do to her when the time comes. [...] oh, Christ, how he wants to kill her! He doesn't want to wait. He wants to kill her right now."
Not my favorite Matt Scudder novel (this would most likely be When the Sacred Ginmill Closes ) but I think readers may find Lawrence Block's All the Flowers are Dying (2005) captivating and satisfying. The novel has one of the most intriguing setups that I have ever encountered, and what's more, the promising setup is not "wasted" in the further parts of the book, as it is wont to happen in most thrillers, but instead grows into a consistent (if implausible) plot.
Matt Scudder is hired by a woman to find out background information on her date, whom she does not yet completely trust. Meanwhile, during an AA meeting, Mr. Scudder learns about the case of Preston Applewhite, a convicted sex murderer who tortured and killed three little boys and is about to be executed. The body of one of the boys has not been found, and Applewhite does not reveal the burial place, vehemently denying that he had anything to do with the crime.
In a parallel thread of the plot (written in the third person, in italics, ugh), the reader meets a psychologist who visits Applewhite four days before the execution. He tells the convict that he believes in his innocence, which may be a ruse to discover the location of the body. Yet very soon the reader begins to suspect that the psychologist is not who he claims to be; maybe he knows in fact that an innocent man is to be executed. But enough of the synopsis.
There are many twists in the enthralling plot, some clever and others preposterous. Alas, a few scenes in the later part of the novel are quite implausible: for instance, imagine two city detectives deliberating the case in the Scudders' living room, joined by Matt, his wife Elaine, and TJ, the street-smart Matt's sidekick.
Yet my main complain about the novel is the gratuitous porn of gore ('gratuitous' being the key word here); I have read about 20 novels by Mr. Block (and reviewed 13 on Goodreads), and this is the first time I think he goes over the top with the inclusion of excessive details of sadistic murders.
Also, from the literary point of view, in several places in the novel it feels as if the author is padding the text and artificially slowing down the progress of the plot in order to fill the quota of the number of pages. That's a pity because - as in most other books by the author - the reader will find many well-written passages. The beginning fragments of the novel evoke the mood of wistful melancholy, yet, at the same time, sparkle with dark humor:
Two-and-three-quarter stars.
Not my favorite Matt Scudder novel (this would most likely be When the Sacred Ginmill Closes ) but I think readers may find Lawrence Block's All the Flowers are Dying (2005) captivating and satisfying. The novel has one of the most intriguing setups that I have ever encountered, and what's more, the promising setup is not "wasted" in the further parts of the book, as it is wont to happen in most thrillers, but instead grows into a consistent (if implausible) plot.
Matt Scudder is hired by a woman to find out background information on her date, whom she does not yet completely trust. Meanwhile, during an AA meeting, Mr. Scudder learns about the case of Preston Applewhite, a convicted sex murderer who tortured and killed three little boys and is about to be executed. The body of one of the boys has not been found, and Applewhite does not reveal the burial place, vehemently denying that he had anything to do with the crime.
In a parallel thread of the plot (written in the third person, in italics, ugh), the reader meets a psychologist who visits Applewhite four days before the execution. He tells the convict that he believes in his innocence, which may be a ruse to discover the location of the body. Yet very soon the reader begins to suspect that the psychologist is not who he claims to be; maybe he knows in fact that an innocent man is to be executed. But enough of the synopsis.
There are many twists in the enthralling plot, some clever and others preposterous. Alas, a few scenes in the later part of the novel are quite implausible: for instance, imagine two city detectives deliberating the case in the Scudders' living room, joined by Matt, his wife Elaine, and TJ, the street-smart Matt's sidekick.
Yet my main complain about the novel is the gratuitous porn of gore ('gratuitous' being the key word here); I have read about 20 novels by Mr. Block (and reviewed 13 on Goodreads), and this is the first time I think he goes over the top with the inclusion of excessive details of sadistic murders.
Also, from the literary point of view, in several places in the novel it feels as if the author is padding the text and artificially slowing down the progress of the plot in order to fill the quota of the number of pages. That's a pity because - as in most other books by the author - the reader will find many well-written passages. The beginning fragments of the novel evoke the mood of wistful melancholy, yet, at the same time, sparkle with dark humor:
"So that's one funeral I missed, but these days there's always another funeral to go. They're like buses. If you miss one, there'll be another coming your way in a few minutes."Marginally recommended, mainly for the engrossing plot.
Two-and-three-quarter stars.
August 5, 2021
Let me start by saying that even the worst Scudder novel is better than the majority of other crime novels you'll come across in libraries, bookstores, and here on Goodreads. So, the two star rating is based on a Lawrence Block scale, not your everyday fiction scale. Alright? We still friends? Good.
All the Flowers Are Dying is a decent murderer mystery that brings back a villain from a previous book. The bad guy is diabolical and smart. Maybe even smarter than Matt Scudder. So what's not to like?
Well, there is a lot of recycled material and gimmicks from Block's other books that make this one seem that it was written without much heart. Sucks to say, but it lacks the voice and soul of the previous entries. For my money anyways, this is the worst in the series. Still not a bad thing mind you. It's like being the lousiest Michelin star restaurant.
We don't get a lot of Matt which is disappointing. The reader gets a lot of perspective from the killer which is far closer to John Sanford novels that feature a flat, semi-boring investigator but superb sicko-villains. Block isn't Sanford. He's got the strongest main character in the genre and doesn't need the insight into an over-the-top psychopath. Unfortunately, this renders the structure and voice(s) of All the Flowers Are Dying a little on the hacky side.
In addition, Elaine's dialogue and snark were awful, bringing back the trope of Elaine's (and Matt's) home being vulnerable to invasion is a little worn, and not much is done with Matt's old age and the perspective that comes with it until the very end. I can see how this might have been considered a finale to the series which might have worked a little better. Instead this one has a greatest hits feeling to it. Or more like a remastered version of old time hits. Either way, it doesn't quite land.
Now, all of this is written as a fan of these books and I truly appreciated All the Flowers Are Dying. It works in the series and just happens to be the weakest link in the chain. I've got a few more Scudder adventures left which is a comfort. But it will also be a bummer when I run out of fresh reads featuring this beloved character. Damn...
All the Flowers Are Dying is a decent murderer mystery that brings back a villain from a previous book. The bad guy is diabolical and smart. Maybe even smarter than Matt Scudder. So what's not to like?
Well, there is a lot of recycled material and gimmicks from Block's other books that make this one seem that it was written without much heart. Sucks to say, but it lacks the voice and soul of the previous entries. For my money anyways, this is the worst in the series. Still not a bad thing mind you. It's like being the lousiest Michelin star restaurant.
We don't get a lot of Matt which is disappointing. The reader gets a lot of perspective from the killer which is far closer to John Sanford novels that feature a flat, semi-boring investigator but superb sicko-villains. Block isn't Sanford. He's got the strongest main character in the genre and doesn't need the insight into an over-the-top psychopath. Unfortunately, this renders the structure and voice(s) of All the Flowers Are Dying a little on the hacky side.
In addition, Elaine's dialogue and snark were awful, bringing back the trope of Elaine's (and Matt's) home being vulnerable to invasion is a little worn, and not much is done with Matt's old age and the perspective that comes with it until the very end. I can see how this might have been considered a finale to the series which might have worked a little better. Instead this one has a greatest hits feeling to it. Or more like a remastered version of old time hits. Either way, it doesn't quite land.
Now, all of this is written as a fan of these books and I truly appreciated All the Flowers Are Dying. It works in the series and just happens to be the weakest link in the chain. I've got a few more Scudder adventures left which is a comfort. But it will also be a bummer when I run out of fresh reads featuring this beloved character. Damn...
April 2, 2022
Like the previous book we get more POV from the serial killer A.B. and for that reason this book felt largely tedious to me. What joy you can find in the Scudder series (admittedly limited because the majority of the books are Dark AF) is in the noir style, POV of our hero and the NYC setting. But that's just me. Anyway, I felt like Scudder was pretty slow on the uptake with this one but once the light bulb goes off I mostly liked the ending - although I felt Block totally did Elaine dirty. Add it all up together and you get an "OK" from me.
July 29, 2025
3.5 A slowish start makes this visit with my old friend Scudder less interesting than it could've been. But dialogues, always sharp, with a trademark whiff of existential dread.
March 6, 2009
I confess. About three-fourths of the way through the book, I read the last chapter. I couldn't stand it--had to know. Lawrence Block has been messing with readers' minds for a long time, and he's very, very good at it.
In remarks others have made, it's intriguing to note that those unfamiliar with earlier books in the Matt Scudder series seem tentative in their assessment. They seem to feel they're missing some of the pieces, and perhaps that's true. I probably became acquainted with Matt Scudder shortly after he was "born" in 1976. The characters are so real that I've sometimes confused them with real people I've known. The growth of the main character gives me hope for humanity.
The Matthew Scudder series is not for the feint of heart--but then neither is life. For those inclined to look squarely at some of life's darker dangers and real challenges, I recommend the series--but I'd start a few books back from the most recent (but hopefully not last) installment, All the Flowers are Dying.
In remarks others have made, it's intriguing to note that those unfamiliar with earlier books in the Matt Scudder series seem tentative in their assessment. They seem to feel they're missing some of the pieces, and perhaps that's true. I probably became acquainted with Matt Scudder shortly after he was "born" in 1976. The characters are so real that I've sometimes confused them with real people I've known. The growth of the main character gives me hope for humanity.
The Matthew Scudder series is not for the feint of heart--but then neither is life. For those inclined to look squarely at some of life's darker dangers and real challenges, I recommend the series--but I'd start a few books back from the most recent (but hopefully not last) installment, All the Flowers are Dying.
October 8, 2017
A sequel of "Hope to Die". Block really gets into the head of the psycho on this one. You feel dirty after reading the chapters focusing on the serial murderer and his internal musings. Another great entry in the seies. Not for the squeamish!
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