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Resume Speed
From the legendary author of A Walk Among the Tombstones comes this gripping tale of sudden endings and new beginnings. When a man called Bill spots a sign in a restaurant window, he grabs his carry-on and gets off his bus. Within an hour he’s got himself a job as a short-order cook, and a start on a whole new life in Cross Creek, Montana. Things just fall into place. He applies for a library card, and the next thing you know he’s having dinner with the librarian. One thing leads to another, and he can see a whole new life stretching out before him…Lawrence Block (b. 1938) is the recipient of a Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America and an internationally renowned bestselling author. His prolific career spans over one hundred books, including four bestselling series as well as dozens of short stories, articles, and books on writing. He has won four Edgar and Shamus Awards, two Falcon Awards from the Maltese Falcon Society of Japan, the Nero and Philip Marlowe Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Cartier Diamond Dagger from the Crime Writers Association of the United Kingdom. In France, he has been awarded the title Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice received the Societe 813 trophy.
97 pages, Hardcover
First published February 16, 2016
About the author
Lawrence Block
746 books3,069 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 100 reviews
March 24, 2017
Bill sees a help wanted sign in a diner as the bus is going through a small time. He gets off the bus and ends up with a job in the diner. You know that he has some demons following him and wonder if his past is going to catch up with him. Is he deluding himself? Or is this that fresh start?
At around one hundred pages I'm surprised at how fast I was dropped into the story and was totally invested. I haven't read anything by Lawrence Block before and now that I have I want some more please.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review
At around one hundred pages I'm surprised at how fast I was dropped into the story and was totally invested. I haven't read anything by Lawrence Block before and now that I have I want some more please.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review
December 3, 2016
I received a free copy of this from NetGalley for review.
At the start of this we meet a man called Bill who is an awful hurry to catch a bus out of town, but as soon as he’s over the state line he immediately gets a job as a cook at a diner and starts establishing a new life there.
You may think that sounds a bit fishy, but honestly who among us hasn’t hopped a bus out of town and changed their identity?
This new novella from esteemed mystery writer Lawrence Block is a bit of an odd duck. It’s mainly about Bill as he develops a routine in this new town and quickly becomes a valued employee at the diner and a reliable tenant at his rooming house while he starts a relationship with the local librarian. His only vice is the single shot of whiskey he has every night before bed. Yet, we know that Bill is hiding from something.
That description sounds more mysterious than it actually is because nothing that we learn about Bill is all that surprising considering how we’re introduced to him, and most readers will probably be able to have a pretty good idea of how it’s going to end.
What I found incredibly enjoyable is just the way that Block is able to write people doing even everyday things. Whether it’s private detective Matt Scudder wandering the streets of New York or hit man Keller traveling the country to murder people there’s always this steady stream of observations and actions that don’t seem like anything special while reading yet they make for compelling stories. It’s a quiet way of getting to really know a character, and Block is the master of building these small moments into something larger.
Another aspect that fascinated me was that it seems like it should be set in the past. Surely, in our modern age someone couldn’t just jump on a bus and reinvent himself in a town down the line could he? That’s what I was thinking and the first part of the book felt very old school to me like it had been written in the ‘60, but then there are mentions of computers and Google so it’s definitely the 21st century. It could have seemed anachronistic, but I found that it gave the whole thing an interesting timeless tone instead.
Overall, I was completely engrossed with Bill as he goes about his everyday life while hiding from his past, and I’m more impressed than ever with Block for the way he makes this quiet character-based story work.
At the start of this we meet a man called Bill who is an awful hurry to catch a bus out of town, but as soon as he’s over the state line he immediately gets a job as a cook at a diner and starts establishing a new life there.
You may think that sounds a bit fishy, but honestly who among us hasn’t hopped a bus out of town and changed their identity?
This new novella from esteemed mystery writer Lawrence Block is a bit of an odd duck. It’s mainly about Bill as he develops a routine in this new town and quickly becomes a valued employee at the diner and a reliable tenant at his rooming house while he starts a relationship with the local librarian. His only vice is the single shot of whiskey he has every night before bed. Yet, we know that Bill is hiding from something.
That description sounds more mysterious than it actually is because nothing that we learn about Bill is all that surprising considering how we’re introduced to him, and most readers will probably be able to have a pretty good idea of how it’s going to end.
What I found incredibly enjoyable is just the way that Block is able to write people doing even everyday things. Whether it’s private detective Matt Scudder wandering the streets of New York or hit man Keller traveling the country to murder people there’s always this steady stream of observations and actions that don’t seem like anything special while reading yet they make for compelling stories. It’s a quiet way of getting to really know a character, and Block is the master of building these small moments into something larger.
Another aspect that fascinated me was that it seems like it should be set in the past. Surely, in our modern age someone couldn’t just jump on a bus and reinvent himself in a town down the line could he? That’s what I was thinking and the first part of the book felt very old school to me like it had been written in the ‘60, but then there are mentions of computers and Google so it’s definitely the 21st century. It could have seemed anachronistic, but I found that it gave the whole thing an interesting timeless tone instead.
Overall, I was completely engrossed with Bill as he goes about his everyday life while hiding from his past, and I’m more impressed than ever with Block for the way he makes this quiet character-based story work.
December 13, 2016
When Bill, a man with a drinking problem and a dark past, arrives in Cross Creek, Montana, things just seem perfect. Can he settle down and forget his past long enough to start a new life or will it all catch up with him?
I got this from Net Galley.
This was one entertaining slice of noir pie. Ala mode, of course.
A drifter named Bill wanders into a Montana town and tries to start a life for himself. Will his past run him down like a beer truck with no brakes? Probably.
Lawrence Block's writing goes down as slick as a shot of Old Crow. He makes every day activities like working in a diner, going out on a date, or running from an alcohol-drenched, blood-soaked past interesting to read about.
The central message of the book seems to be "You can change your name but you can't change yourself." Or possibly "You can't run from the past." Or maybe "Librarians are hot."
It's almost cringe-worthy to see Bill sabotage himself just as things are looking good. The ending of the book makes you wonder how many times Bill has done this particular song and dance.
At this point, I should just start handing Lawrence Block my money and just stop asking questions. Four out of five stars.
I got this from Net Galley.
This was one entertaining slice of noir pie. Ala mode, of course.
A drifter named Bill wanders into a Montana town and tries to start a life for himself. Will his past run him down like a beer truck with no brakes? Probably.
Lawrence Block's writing goes down as slick as a shot of Old Crow. He makes every day activities like working in a diner, going out on a date, or running from an alcohol-drenched, blood-soaked past interesting to read about.
The central message of the book seems to be "You can change your name but you can't change yourself." Or possibly "You can't run from the past." Or maybe "Librarians are hot."
It's almost cringe-worthy to see Bill sabotage himself just as things are looking good. The ending of the book makes you wonder how many times Bill has done this particular song and dance.
At this point, I should just start handing Lawrence Block my money and just stop asking questions. Four out of five stars.
February 29, 2016
I’m a huge fan of Lawrence Block’s prose. He’s churned out well over a hundred books – a mix of novels, novellas, short stories and non-fiction - over the years, and the quality has been remarkably consistent; his Scudder series is considered by many to be his finest work and these books were penned from 1976 right up to 2011. This latest novella – I’m not sure when he wrote it but it’s only just been released – is a delicious soupçon of noir.
A man catches a bus out of town, in a hurry, and only relaxes when he’s crossed the state line. What’s the game – what’s he been up to? Some time later the bus stops at another small town and he alights. He quickly settles into life there. He’s haunted by something but we don’t know what it is. As he settles into his new environment he starts to feel comfortable in his new life, in fact it’s the best he’s ever felt. But will it last?
It’s not clear when this is set – it has an old world feel to it but modern technology encroaches, so it’s sometime beyond the late 1990’s. The whole thing is understated but with a dark, brooding undertone that had me tentatively turning pages as I waited for the punch to the guts. It’s very well done indeed.
I’ll not divulge any more detail regarding the plot but I urge all fans LB and of noir fiction in general to seek this one out. A class act he certainly is.
4 stars because it’s simply not long enough to warrant 5.
A man catches a bus out of town, in a hurry, and only relaxes when he’s crossed the state line. What’s the game – what’s he been up to? Some time later the bus stops at another small town and he alights. He quickly settles into life there. He’s haunted by something but we don’t know what it is. As he settles into his new environment he starts to feel comfortable in his new life, in fact it’s the best he’s ever felt. But will it last?
It’s not clear when this is set – it has an old world feel to it but modern technology encroaches, so it’s sometime beyond the late 1990’s. The whole thing is understated but with a dark, brooding undertone that had me tentatively turning pages as I waited for the punch to the guts. It’s very well done indeed.
I’ll not divulge any more detail regarding the plot but I urge all fans LB and of noir fiction in general to seek this one out. A class act he certainly is.
4 stars because it’s simply not long enough to warrant 5.
January 10, 2017
The book "Resume Speed" by Lawrence Block crosses the finish line at a little less than one hundred pages. Upon reading the novella, even though it takes place in modern time, the story harkens back has the accoutrements of a time gone by.
The main character named Bill commutes by bus, he also works in diners as a short order cook. Most of the story takes place in Bills head and we experience Bill's observations and reflections.
Most of the tale encomposes the new life that Bill is trying to build as he stepps off of a bus, in a new town, as the bus resumes speed on to Spokane..
Mr. Block tells us that if you don't learn from your mistakes you are doomed to repeat them. And this is in fact what occurs in Bills life as he finds happiness and security in his new town, were it not to the evils of alcohol.
"Resume Speed" is certainly not not Mr. Block's best work, however it is just nice that he is still producing work with that "pulpy" feel to it, and is certainly worth the hour or so of your time to read this novella.
This is copy 79 of 200 signed and numbered copies, signed by Lawrence Block, This is the bound in leather edition.
The main character named Bill commutes by bus, he also works in diners as a short order cook. Most of the story takes place in Bills head and we experience Bill's observations and reflections.
Most of the tale encomposes the new life that Bill is trying to build as he stepps off of a bus, in a new town, as the bus resumes speed on to Spokane..
Mr. Block tells us that if you don't learn from your mistakes you are doomed to repeat them. And this is in fact what occurs in Bills life as he finds happiness and security in his new town, were it not to the evils of alcohol.
"Resume Speed" is certainly not not Mr. Block's best work, however it is just nice that he is still producing work with that "pulpy" feel to it, and is certainly worth the hour or so of your time to read this novella.
This is copy 79 of 200 signed and numbered copies, signed by Lawrence Block, This is the bound in leather edition.
May 17, 2018
How life usually works, you ask?
The answer to some of the people: makes a mess, runs from it, repeats.
That's basically what had happened to our MC as he hops onto a bus and runs off to another small town to, well, starts over. However, sure as hell we all know things just don't work out for him that easily, things just tend to not be easy for most people, right?
The air of suspense lingers slightly in the air, and the description of the American small town is simple but good, although I am a bit letdown by the fact . 3.4 stars.
The answer to some of the people: makes a mess, runs from it, repeats.
That's basically what had happened to our MC as he hops onto a bus and runs off to another small town to, well, starts over. However, sure as hell we all know things just don't work out for him that easily, things just tend to not be easy for most people, right?
The air of suspense lingers slightly in the air, and the description of the American small town is simple but good, although I am a bit letdown by the fact . 3.4 stars.
December 20, 2016
Any new piece of fiction by the prolific Lawrence Block is always an expected treat and this novella is no exception. It’s a look at a cross-section in the life of one Bill Thompson, an apparent drifter who finds himself starting over in small town Montana. After quickly finding a job as a short-order cook and a place to stay for a week at a time he begins to settle in to an almost idyllic life and setting. The simple life gets even better as it becomes evident he has a knack for innovative ideas for the restaurant, earning him raises and praise. He also begins a romantic relationship with a local librarian and it seems as if life couldn’t get any better. Indeed, the only clue that all is not right with his life is the single shot of whiskey each night before bed.
Lawrence Block is adept at storytelling in general but I think where he truly shines is in the everyday interactions of his characters. They seem so real and in this case, it is easy to root for Bill Thompson and hope he can keep his simple and charming situation going. But there are subtle hints along the way that suggest there is more to his backstory than we know and in fact it may be really, really bad. The gut punch is coming but we hope it won’t arrive. So it’s a bit of a mystery story…the mystery being a combination of who is this guy really, and from what may he be trying to escape? Or is that just a red herring and is something else completely different going on?
I really enjoyed reading this story and although I might wish it was longer so I could spend more time with Bill and the other characters, I recognize that the length is pretty much exactly what it needed to be. Most readers will complete this in an hour or perhaps little more.
Much thanks to Subterranean Press and NetGalley for the free copy in return for an honest review.
Lawrence Block is adept at storytelling in general but I think where he truly shines is in the everyday interactions of his characters. They seem so real and in this case, it is easy to root for Bill Thompson and hope he can keep his simple and charming situation going. But there are subtle hints along the way that suggest there is more to his backstory than we know and in fact it may be really, really bad. The gut punch is coming but we hope it won’t arrive. So it’s a bit of a mystery story…the mystery being a combination of who is this guy really, and from what may he be trying to escape? Or is that just a red herring and is something else completely different going on?
I really enjoyed reading this story and although I might wish it was longer so I could spend more time with Bill and the other characters, I recognize that the length is pretty much exactly what it needed to be. Most readers will complete this in an hour or perhaps little more.
Much thanks to Subterranean Press and NetGalley for the free copy in return for an honest review.
May 15, 2016
Another book from the rich stories written by Lawrence Block. Resume Speed is a novella and reading it you feel every word has been carefully chosen and will be something good to read.
There was no disappointment over than it was just a short story, but long enough to pack a punch.
It is the story of a man taking a journey on a bus; he alights when he reaches a small town many stops before his actual destination. Is he a drifter? or as in Westerns that outsider, the stranger in town. Does he have business here? Is he escaping from someone?
This is a perfect scenario for a story. He immediately finds a job and digs to stay in. It appears others warm to him and he is an honest worker and the perfect lodger.
He is cautious; wary of others that he sets traps to see if his things are being searched; indeed he sleeps in a money belt.
In times he becomes more accepted and his boss comes to rely on his work and skills as a cook. There is a small town mentality of many of its residents that of never wanting to leave while our main character appears unsettled and loathed to put down roots.
When his boss offers to sell him the diner and his relationships with others seem to be getting beyond friendship you wonder if he'll stay. Why would he press the self-destruct bottom maybe, just maybe he'll run as he is escaping from himself.
A compelling read full of believable characters and writing that has you eating the pie and smelling the coffee. It makes you realise we often need to label people and place them in safe catagories, while we remain ill at ease with strangers and people who don't quite fit with our ordered lifes. But as it is by Block it will have light and dark and nothing can be taken as read!
There was no disappointment over than it was just a short story, but long enough to pack a punch.
It is the story of a man taking a journey on a bus; he alights when he reaches a small town many stops before his actual destination. Is he a drifter? or as in Westerns that outsider, the stranger in town. Does he have business here? Is he escaping from someone?
This is a perfect scenario for a story. He immediately finds a job and digs to stay in. It appears others warm to him and he is an honest worker and the perfect lodger.
He is cautious; wary of others that he sets traps to see if his things are being searched; indeed he sleeps in a money belt.
In times he becomes more accepted and his boss comes to rely on his work and skills as a cook. There is a small town mentality of many of its residents that of never wanting to leave while our main character appears unsettled and loathed to put down roots.
When his boss offers to sell him the diner and his relationships with others seem to be getting beyond friendship you wonder if he'll stay. Why would he press the self-destruct bottom maybe, just maybe he'll run as he is escaping from himself.
A compelling read full of believable characters and writing that has you eating the pie and smelling the coffee. It makes you realise we often need to label people and place them in safe catagories, while we remain ill at ease with strangers and people who don't quite fit with our ordered lifes. But as it is by Block it will have light and dark and nothing can be taken as read!
October 6, 2016
Bill sees a sign in a restaurant window. He grabs his bag and gets off the bus. Within a very short time he has a job. He's starting a whole new life in Cross Creek. Montana.
His life continues to look up .. he gets a chance to buy the restaurant, he dates the local librarian, he's looking at apartments, he gets a drivers license and a car to go with it.
He finds a small cafe with for rent computers. He looks up a name .. a name from his past. Are they still looking for him? Who is he? Who is looking for him? Why?
This was an interesting short story. Fast, easy read. Some mystery, some suspense. The ambiguous ending left me scratching my head.
My thanks to the author / Subterranean Press / Netgalley who provided a digital copy (ARC).
His life continues to look up .. he gets a chance to buy the restaurant, he dates the local librarian, he's looking at apartments, he gets a drivers license and a car to go with it.
He finds a small cafe with for rent computers. He looks up a name .. a name from his past. Are they still looking for him? Who is he? Who is looking for him? Why?
This was an interesting short story. Fast, easy read. Some mystery, some suspense. The ambiguous ending left me scratching my head.
My thanks to the author / Subterranean Press / Netgalley who provided a digital copy (ARC).
December 22, 2017
For a short book this one packs one helluva punch!
There is no way I can minimally describe this novella without spoiling it for others, but if you already like this author's work and have not read this one - take it for the rewarding ride that it is.
Available through Kindle Unlimited
There is no way I can minimally describe this novella without spoiling it for others, but if you already like this author's work and have not read this one - take it for the rewarding ride that it is.
Available through Kindle Unlimited
March 5, 2016
This is a short 60 page novella from Lawrence Block but is well up to his usual high standard and it is extremely readable and enjoyable.
'Bill' is a drifter and gets off the Spokane bus at Cross Creek when he sees a notice in the window of a diner for a short order cook and he immediately get the job. He finds lodgings and not long after that he strikes up a relationship with the local librarian. However just when things are looking up for Bill the story takes a darker turn when Bill's memories come back to haunt him.
It's a pity this was just a novella as I was starting to warm to Bill and his story and would have loved to have learned more but that's the delight in a good novella in that it keeps you wanting more.
'Bill' is a drifter and gets off the Spokane bus at Cross Creek when he sees a notice in the window of a diner for a short order cook and he immediately get the job. He finds lodgings and not long after that he strikes up a relationship with the local librarian. However just when things are looking up for Bill the story takes a darker turn when Bill's memories come back to haunt him.
It's a pity this was just a novella as I was starting to warm to Bill and his story and would have loved to have learned more but that's the delight in a good novella in that it keeps you wanting more.
May 22, 2017
Depressing novella about a man running from his past. Block's prose is as smooth as it gets.
July 21, 2022
Lawrence Block’s Resume Speed is a standalone character study. Bill Thompson gets off a bus in Cross Creek and his life seems to come together-it’s a sad thing that what comes together can fly apart. This is a meditation on self-destruction and it’s probably one of the saddest things I’ve read in 2022.
March 22, 2017
The Grand Master strikes again with a fine, classic noir novella.
March 22, 2023
"Resume Speed" is a noir novella that's a subtle and moving work from the master of the genre, Lawrence Block. Premise: A man leaves somewhere in a panic and begins a new life in a small town. What is he running from? Can he change who he is? Given the genre, you can probably guess but the mystery is not the point of the book. It's a dark character study that will stay with you long after you read it, making you imagine all of the forgotten towns and lonely roads full of solitary people just trying to make their way.
October 5, 2016
A wanderer, a drifter of sorts, Bill Thompson gets off the bus in a Montana town he never heard of, soon finds a short order cook job at a diner in town, makes some friends and settles into a good life.
But can he? Somewhere in his past he seems to have missing times, dark times, that unsettles him enough to board the next bus to yet another small town.
Could this time be different? He has a job, a chance to own something, a chance to have a meaningful relationship. Lawrence Block hones a character we may all know is some deep part of ourselves, hints at psychological shadows, and creates a haunting portrait of the dark side of the American dream.
But can he? Somewhere in his past he seems to have missing times, dark times, that unsettles him enough to board the next bus to yet another small town.
Could this time be different? He has a job, a chance to own something, a chance to have a meaningful relationship. Lawrence Block hones a character we may all know is some deep part of ourselves, hints at psychological shadows, and creates a haunting portrait of the dark side of the American dream.
December 11, 2016
A man gets on the Trailways bus in Galbraith, North Dakota. When he gets off in the small Montana town of Cross Creek, he calls himself Bill Thompson. The “Help Wanted” sign in the front window of a Greek-styled diner called out to him; soon enough he’s got the job as the diner’s fry cook, a room at the local boarding house, two ounces of bourbon every night, and a budding romance with the local librarian. Everything he’s ever wanted in life. Everything he’s ever needed. But what he doesn’t have is peace of mind—the mystery of what happened that night in Galbraith nags at him, soiling his conscience. He’s kept up at night by the thought that his past—whatever it was—might catch up with him. This new life stretching out before him may always be in danger…
Lawrence Block has returned to form here, and written a quiet but hard-hitting novella. You might not be able to tell at first glance at the summary—a drifter arrives in town and his life starts to go right for a change—but the darker, deeper elements of the story Resume Speed uses elements that Block’s used since his earliest days—the man with a mysterious past, alcoholism, the Trailways bus, dark fears hiding beneath the veneer of small-town America—but the presentation of this novella is what makes it so good. You might not be able to tell at first glance at the summary—a drifter arrives in town and his life starts to go right for a change—but the darker, deeper elements lead to a moody and atmospheric story. Those brooding noir undertones and moody atmosphere combines well with the intimate focus and minimalist prose. The way Block tells the story through hints and subtext is masterful, always letting the truth peek through but never letting it into the light. There’s not a lot of action here, and instead the novella works as a contemplative character study, a psychological noir propelled by the reader’s hopes for Bill’s future and fears of his past.
Resume Speed is short even for a novella at 21,000 words, but it does not lack the punch of Block’s longer works. The story doesn’t overstay its welcome or overplay its hand—it remains a sharp, bleak portrait of a man running from his secrets even as his runs towards his future, contrasting his hope for a better new life with the darkness of his past. It is without a doubt one of the best and most effective stories I’ve ever read by Block. (Though I haven’t read all the Scudder novels, so take that with a grain of salt.) The story is well-told and effective, and I was hooked by its sparse prose and foreboding atmosphere. Resume Speed is a cracking slow-burn story, one I’d recommend not just to Block’s fans but to anyone who enjoys a bleak noir tale.
Lawrence Block has returned to form here, and written a quiet but hard-hitting novella. You might not be able to tell at first glance at the summary—a drifter arrives in town and his life starts to go right for a change—but the darker, deeper elements of the story Resume Speed uses elements that Block’s used since his earliest days—the man with a mysterious past, alcoholism, the Trailways bus, dark fears hiding beneath the veneer of small-town America—but the presentation of this novella is what makes it so good. You might not be able to tell at first glance at the summary—a drifter arrives in town and his life starts to go right for a change—but the darker, deeper elements lead to a moody and atmospheric story. Those brooding noir undertones and moody atmosphere combines well with the intimate focus and minimalist prose. The way Block tells the story through hints and subtext is masterful, always letting the truth peek through but never letting it into the light. There’s not a lot of action here, and instead the novella works as a contemplative character study, a psychological noir propelled by the reader’s hopes for Bill’s future and fears of his past.
Resume Speed is short even for a novella at 21,000 words, but it does not lack the punch of Block’s longer works. The story doesn’t overstay its welcome or overplay its hand—it remains a sharp, bleak portrait of a man running from his secrets even as his runs towards his future, contrasting his hope for a better new life with the darkness of his past. It is without a doubt one of the best and most effective stories I’ve ever read by Block. (Though I haven’t read all the Scudder novels, so take that with a grain of salt.) The story is well-told and effective, and I was hooked by its sparse prose and foreboding atmosphere. Resume Speed is a cracking slow-burn story, one I’d recommend not just to Block’s fans but to anyone who enjoys a bleak noir tale.
February 25, 2016
There are many facets of fiction-writing that Lawrence Block is an acknowledged master of, in either short story or novel form or both. One of those is the "slow boil," especially in his shorter fiction. I realize that sounds like a contradiction in terms: how can a short piece have slower builds than a novel? The thing with a novel is, the slow build of tension is a necessity. The author has to set several plots to heating, and has to fill several hundred pages before any of them can come to a full boil. In novellas and short stories, that type of gradual increase in tension is much harder to pull off, and Block usually manages it well. So it's no surprise he does that here. In a scant 50 or so pages (Amazon says 60, but that includes cover and end matter), he introduces us to Bill Thompson, a wandering man. Bill is a nice guy, a hard worker, a charmer. But he's on the run from something. Block lets us go for almost half the story before we even start to get hints as to what that might be ... and it's not frustrating at all. We're so engrossed in how Bill is settling into this small Montana town that he picked simply because he saw a "help wanted" sign in a restaurant window as his bus glided through town, that we're not really paying attention to the small clues the author is dropping that something's not quite right.
This novella is also a quiet story. No gunfights, no graphic sex (the main character does have sex, but Block modestly glosses over it), no thefts, not even a bar-fight. And that makes the slow boil even more effective. Because of how intimate and quiet and nice most of the story is, because of how "in Bill's head" we get, the ending hits even harder. I saw what was coming, hoped to hell I was wrong, and walked away feelling it was both inexorable and inevitable.
This novella is also a quiet story. No gunfights, no graphic sex (the main character does have sex, but Block modestly glosses over it), no thefts, not even a bar-fight. And that makes the slow boil even more effective. Because of how intimate and quiet and nice most of the story is, because of how "in Bill's head" we get, the ending hits even harder. I saw what was coming, hoped to hell I was wrong, and walked away feelling it was both inexorable and inevitable.
March 29, 2016
Resume Speed by Lawrence Block is a quirky stand-alone novella. The stranger with little more than the clothes on his back gets off the bus in the small town of Cross Creek, Montana after seeing a help wanted sign in a local diner. He goes by the name Bill Thompson. He keeps to himself and slowly begins a quiet existence in the small town.
He does that by taking the job as a fry cook. He takes a room in a local boarding house, gets a library card, and gradually begins to assume an identity among some of the locals. They know him to be a quiet and unassuming man who may or may not have suffered a great loss. While it is not clear to them it is clear to the reader that Bill Thompson is running from something though he seems like a good guy. There are the occasional hints that make the reader wonder what happened before he came to town.
Currently only available as a kindle single e-book this sixty page read is a good one. Not all questions are answered in this highly entertaining read and that is more than okay. A whisper of mystery begins the tale and a gale of mystery ends it. In between there is plenty of complexity and details/allusions to ponder before one can Resume Speed.
Material was provided by author Lawrence Block in response to a comment I had made on Bill Crider’s review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2016
He does that by taking the job as a fry cook. He takes a room in a local boarding house, gets a library card, and gradually begins to assume an identity among some of the locals. They know him to be a quiet and unassuming man who may or may not have suffered a great loss. While it is not clear to them it is clear to the reader that Bill Thompson is running from something though he seems like a good guy. There are the occasional hints that make the reader wonder what happened before he came to town.
Currently only available as a kindle single e-book this sixty page read is a good one. Not all questions are answered in this highly entertaining read and that is more than okay. A whisper of mystery begins the tale and a gale of mystery ends it. In between there is plenty of complexity and details/allusions to ponder before one can Resume Speed.
Material was provided by author Lawrence Block in response to a comment I had made on Bill Crider’s review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2016
July 22, 2017
Omg loved this! Picked it up at the library off the 'new shelf,' and what a great, quick, wonderful read from an often overlooked great writer.
Bill Thompson - is that his real name? - drops himself off in a small Montana town with nothing but a suitcase. He gets a job, rents a room, finds a girl, and seems to have it all. But who is he? Drifter? Loner? Killer? Running from a killer? Assassin? You just don't know!
So the suspense is in figuring out who this man is, what he wants, what's he here for. Is he waiting in this tiny town for someone to arrive? And if so, why? To talk to the guy, get revenge, pass on money or information? Or does he plan to kill him? WHAT?
The suspense in this novella, which can be read in under an hour, just killed me. The prose, so elegant in its spareness, like reading Hemingway. The characters, each unique, an individual, but created with a few short lines or a single paragraph. The setting - you breathe Montana ...
So I loved it, need to read more by Mr. Block. (I met him once, which was wonderful. Shook my hand and was happy to meet me! Yay!)
Back to the novella - if you love stories like this, just pick it up, buy it, read it. You won't be sorry.
Bill Thompson - is that his real name? - drops himself off in a small Montana town with nothing but a suitcase. He gets a job, rents a room, finds a girl, and seems to have it all. But who is he? Drifter? Loner? Killer? Running from a killer? Assassin? You just don't know!
So the suspense is in figuring out who this man is, what he wants, what's he here for. Is he waiting in this tiny town for someone to arrive? And if so, why? To talk to the guy, get revenge, pass on money or information? Or does he plan to kill him? WHAT?
The suspense in this novella, which can be read in under an hour, just killed me. The prose, so elegant in its spareness, like reading Hemingway. The characters, each unique, an individual, but created with a few short lines or a single paragraph. The setting - you breathe Montana ...
So I loved it, need to read more by Mr. Block. (I met him once, which was wonderful. Shook my hand and was happy to meet me! Yay!)
Back to the novella - if you love stories like this, just pick it up, buy it, read it. You won't be sorry.
October 15, 2016
I’ve been reading Lawrence Block’s books for over 30 years now, and this novella is a compact masterclass illustrating why. The basic concept is a well-worn one in crime fiction – drifter with a dark, mysterious past tries a fresh start on life in a new town, but his past catches up with him. But it's how you tell it, and Block tells it so well, with the crisp economical narrative style and dialogue typical of his work, and brilliant pacing. As Bill Thompson settles in Cross Creek, Montana, the tension builds not from what he does so much as the slow reveal of what he’s done and what he’s trying to avoid doing again. It’s gripping, page-turning stuff, and deeper than it appears at first glance. Resume Speed is a miniature character study of how humans sometimes seek redemption and a second chance, but just can’t seem to attain it – even when it’s placed right in front of them – because they’re running away from their own guilt over transgressions real and imagined. All that and a cracking good story in 21,000 words.
May 8, 2016
"gripping tale of sudden endings and new beginnings". Hardly. This is a long short story (and not really a short novella). It's interesting and well written, but slight.
I want to point out that the story isn't clearly located in time. The protaganist acquires a driver's license by first subscribing to Time Magazine, getting a local library card, and showing DMV both a copy of the magazine with the address label and his library card, as identification. No birth certificate or social security card/number. He's paid in cash for his job as a short-order fry cook. These make this feel like it's set in an earlier era.
I want to point out that the story isn't clearly located in time. The protaganist acquires a driver's license by first subscribing to Time Magazine, getting a local library card, and showing DMV both a copy of the magazine with the address label and his library card, as identification. No birth certificate or social security card/number. He's paid in cash for his job as a short-order fry cook. These make this feel like it's set in an earlier era.
October 31, 2016
A man arrives in a small town. He doesn't need much, and probably won't stay long. But then he got a job at the diner, a place of his own, and a library card. Why is he there? What can't he remember? Who is he, really?
It brought to mind some of Ray Bradbury's short stories, which I also enjoyed, and it's rare to see something so different from regular short fiction offerings. If you like a mysterious hero (think Reacher without the military background), it's definitely worth a look.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It brought to mind some of Ray Bradbury's short stories, which I also enjoyed, and it's rare to see something so different from regular short fiction offerings. If you like a mysterious hero (think Reacher without the military background), it's definitely worth a look.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 18, 2016
Resume Speed
Mr. Block's novella, Resume Speed, is a little different from his other writing. For one thing, it's NOT based in New York City! It has an almost Stephen King-like undertone. I found myself waiting for the monster to be revealed. Read the story. You'll see what I mean.
Mr. Block's novella, Resume Speed, is a little different from his other writing. For one thing, it's NOT based in New York City! It has an almost Stephen King-like undertone. I found myself waiting for the monster to be revealed. Read the story. You'll see what I mean.
July 7, 2016
Review coming soon.
November 17, 2021
A mystery novel of a man named Bill Thompson who just arrived in Montana and takes up work as a cook in a diner. Though he seems to be tolerated by his neighbors and starts a relationship with a local librarian, he seems not at ease with his situation. He has no memory of his past and keeps himself under the radar that includes not using his car, deleting his search history, and avoiding big conversations with other folks. As the story continues, we get hints of his possible former life. And before you know it, it seems like things repeat itself again.
I never read a Lawrence Block book before, but his writing was slick enough to continue easily with his air of mystery. And I was hooked throughout to learn of Thompson's past, though it never amounted to much, I can get a picture of what he possibly was. Even though it is a short book, Block easily made a hooking story to read despite the ambiguous ending.
I never read a Lawrence Block book before, but his writing was slick enough to continue easily with his air of mystery. And I was hooked throughout to learn of Thompson's past, though it never amounted to much, I can get a picture of what he possibly was. Even though it is a short book, Block easily made a hooking story to read despite the ambiguous ending.
June 24, 2017
A melancholic novella from Mr. Block. A crime story without a crime. Or is it?
October 3, 2018
Lawrence Block is a great crime and mystery writer. In this novella, he spins a great tale of love, loss, and crime. Great twists and turns, and a fast-fun-short read. Grab a copy!
October 4, 2016
A mystery man becomes his own enemy in a sleepy Montana town
tl;dr at Overall, as always.
Bill, or so he says, gets on a bus at Galbraith and, seeing a "Help needed" sign, disembarks at Cross Creek. This is a new start for him, a simple beginning in a small town, away from the bustling cities and their dangers.
At first it reads like a fantasy, not the orcs-and-elves kind but the you-are-capable-of-greatness kind. Bill gets off the bus, takes a job as a cook, finds love, finds stability. This might not be the American dream, but Block makes it incredibly appealing and, honestly, makes it seem easy. As Bill carefully constructs his life anew, connecting with the owner of the diner and the city's quiet librarian, your sympathy for him might strengthen. A bit of whiskey and a good book in the evening, a clean room, an honest job, the man is a picture of tranquility and reason. He carefully plans out his decisions, he knows what to do to get what he wants.
And that is a warning sign.
As little worries piled up, as the past crept closer, I found myself more worried for Bill than I anticipated. The quiet life that he built seemed moderately great, a picture of tame happiness. Could it be ruined? Could he be the undoing of it all?
Block refuses to give the answers straight away, teasing the reader with a resolution, while linking you emotionaly to Bill and the quaint town. And then, just as the tension peaks, he reveals his cards and the hero's past, bringing the characters and the reader to a choice: fight or flight? Sympathy for an unusual protagonist or a more complicated feeling? It's all up to your perspective and the story may prove divisive among the audience, as Bill, in his paranoia and alcoholism, does not always seem deserving of a happy ending.
Block is ready to challenge the reader at every turn, making sure that his protagonist is no saint and yet painting him as someone on the path to redemption after a life of mistakes.
A high-stakes thriller with beautifully descriptive simple prose and a deep atmosphere.
Overall, a short, sharp thrill ride that brings unlikely emotions and many questions. Masterful and engaging.
tl;dr at Overall, as always.
Bill, or so he says, gets on a bus at Galbraith and, seeing a "Help needed" sign, disembarks at Cross Creek. This is a new start for him, a simple beginning in a small town, away from the bustling cities and their dangers.
At first it reads like a fantasy, not the orcs-and-elves kind but the you-are-capable-of-greatness kind. Bill gets off the bus, takes a job as a cook, finds love, finds stability. This might not be the American dream, but Block makes it incredibly appealing and, honestly, makes it seem easy. As Bill carefully constructs his life anew, connecting with the owner of the diner and the city's quiet librarian, your sympathy for him might strengthen. A bit of whiskey and a good book in the evening, a clean room, an honest job, the man is a picture of tranquility and reason. He carefully plans out his decisions, he knows what to do to get what he wants.
And that is a warning sign.
As little worries piled up, as the past crept closer, I found myself more worried for Bill than I anticipated. The quiet life that he built seemed moderately great, a picture of tame happiness. Could it be ruined? Could he be the undoing of it all?
Block refuses to give the answers straight away, teasing the reader with a resolution, while linking you emotionaly to Bill and the quaint town. And then, just as the tension peaks, he reveals his cards and the hero's past, bringing the characters and the reader to a choice: fight or flight? Sympathy for an unusual protagonist or a more complicated feeling? It's all up to your perspective and the story may prove divisive among the audience, as Bill, in his paranoia and alcoholism, does not always seem deserving of a happy ending.
Block is ready to challenge the reader at every turn, making sure that his protagonist is no saint and yet painting him as someone on the path to redemption after a life of mistakes.
A high-stakes thriller with beautifully descriptive simple prose and a deep atmosphere.
Overall, a short, sharp thrill ride that brings unlikely emotions and many questions. Masterful and engaging.
March 5, 2016
Lawrence Block returns with a novella of “slow burn” psychological suspense. It begins with Bill Thompson boarding a bus in the night, blood and scratches on his arms, running away from an event he does not clearly remember from the night before. The story follows him for several months as he attempts to put together the pieces of his life in a new town. Most of the narrative concerns itself with how he makes new human connections, finds companionship, and begins to build a new future for himself.
It is a testament to Block’s craft, superb characterization, and thrifty dialog that he maintains building tension in a tale with no violence or action. Block teases out the dark and terrifying backstory slowly until the surprising conclusion.
I could easily give five stars, but my one complaint is that it felt derivative of Donald Westlake’s novel Memory. The whole time I was reading I kept thinking how similar the characters and situations seemed, and that detracted from my experience.
It is a testament to Block’s craft, superb characterization, and thrifty dialog that he maintains building tension in a tale with no violence or action. Block teases out the dark and terrifying backstory slowly until the surprising conclusion.
I could easily give five stars, but my one complaint is that it felt derivative of Donald Westlake’s novel Memory. The whole time I was reading I kept thinking how similar the characters and situations seemed, and that detracted from my experience.
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