What do you think?
Rate this book
Matthew Scudder #17.5
A Time to Scatter Stones
MATT SCUDDER RETURNS. More than 40 years after his debut and nearly a decade since his last appearance, one of the most renowned characters in all of crime fiction is back on the case in this major new novella by Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Lawrence Block. Well past retirement age and feeling his years—but still staying sober one day at a time—Matthew Scudder learns that alcoholics aren't the only ones who count the days since their last slip. Matt's longtime partner, Elaine, tells him of a group of former sex workers who do something similar, helping each other stay out of the life. But when one young woman describes an abusive client who's refusing to let her quit, Elaine encourages her to get help of a different sort. The sort only Scudder can deliver. A Time to Scatter Stones offers not just a gripping crime story but also a richly drawn portrait of Block's most famous character as he grapples with his own mortality while proving to the younger generation that he's still got what it takes. For Scudder's millions of fans around the world (including the many who met the character through Liam Neeson's portrayal in the film version of A Walk Among the Tombstones), A Time to Scatter Stones is an unexpected gift—a valedictory appearance that will remind readers why Scudder is simply the best there is.
153 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2019
145 people are currently reading
371 people want to read
About the author
Lawrence Block
759 books3,018 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews
February 28, 2019
I yield to no one in my admiration for Lawrence Block, and I firmly believe that his Matthew Scudder series is the best P.I. series that anyone has ever done, including the earlier masters Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. Through the novels and the short stories that constitute this series, Block created an indelible portrait of New York City and of a haunted and flawed but ultimately unforgettable protagonist.
Scudder last appeared eight years ago in a collection of short stories, The Night and the Music, and the elegiac final story, "One Last Night at Grogan's," seemed the perfect place to leave Scudder who was now happily married, well into his sixties and, sadly, no longer able to walk the mean streets of NYC in the way that he once had as a younger man.
Many of us hoped, however, that Block might still have at least one more Matthew Scudder novel in his future, preferably something along the lines of A Drop of the Hard Stuff, which was the last book to appear in the series, but in which Scudder looked back to recount the story of a case he had investigated years earlier as a much younger man. Thus, like many other die-hard fans of the series, I was elated to learn that Block would be releasing a new Matthew Scudder novella in early 2019.
I really wish he hadn't.
A Time to Scatter Stones is a relatively short novella principally featuring Scudder and his wife of many years, Elaine. Some of the other characters who populated the Scudder novels are mentioned in passing, but they are all long gone or MIA for the case that Scudder now accepts.
It begins when Elaine, who Matt first met when she was a young call girl, suddenly joins a support group for prostitutes--something like Matt's A.A. groups, but not exactly. Elaine has been out of the game for a good many years now and has to be approaching seventy herself. One might wonder why she would suddenly decide to join such a support group but, as it turns out, it serves to get the plot started.
One day after a meeting, Elaine brings home a young woman named Ellen, who has been working as a prostitute but who has decided to leave the profession. The problem is that one of her clients, who she knows only as "Paul," won't take no for an answer and insists on still seeing her. Elaine hopes that Matt might be able to find the guy and set him straight.
Matt accepts the challenge and works the problem the best way he can, given his age and his lack of contacts on the police force now. Meanwhile, there's an underlying subplot that I won't describe for fear of spoiling the story, but which really did not work for me, especially at the end of the book. As a result, I have really mixed emotions about this novella.
On the one hand, it's not a bad story and, in fact, it would have been a fine story for Block to have included somewhere in the middle of The Night and the Music. And if it would have been placed ahead of "One Last Night at Grogan's," I would have been perfectly fine with it. Reading it now, though somewhat spoils what I assumed would be my lasting final memory of Matthew Scudder, and unfortunately, once you've rung the bell, you can't unring it.
I'm giving this novella four stars because I think that's a fair assessment, and because that's certainly what I would have given it had I read it under other circumstances. But having bought a copy of the signed, special limited edition of the book, I'm going to tuck it away with my other treasures and leave it there. When I next work my way through the Matthew Scudder series, I will be stopping with "One Last Night at Grogans."
Scudder last appeared eight years ago in a collection of short stories, The Night and the Music, and the elegiac final story, "One Last Night at Grogan's," seemed the perfect place to leave Scudder who was now happily married, well into his sixties and, sadly, no longer able to walk the mean streets of NYC in the way that he once had as a younger man.
Many of us hoped, however, that Block might still have at least one more Matthew Scudder novel in his future, preferably something along the lines of A Drop of the Hard Stuff, which was the last book to appear in the series, but in which Scudder looked back to recount the story of a case he had investigated years earlier as a much younger man. Thus, like many other die-hard fans of the series, I was elated to learn that Block would be releasing a new Matthew Scudder novella in early 2019.
I really wish he hadn't.
A Time to Scatter Stones is a relatively short novella principally featuring Scudder and his wife of many years, Elaine. Some of the other characters who populated the Scudder novels are mentioned in passing, but they are all long gone or MIA for the case that Scudder now accepts.
It begins when Elaine, who Matt first met when she was a young call girl, suddenly joins a support group for prostitutes--something like Matt's A.A. groups, but not exactly. Elaine has been out of the game for a good many years now and has to be approaching seventy herself. One might wonder why she would suddenly decide to join such a support group but, as it turns out, it serves to get the plot started.
One day after a meeting, Elaine brings home a young woman named Ellen, who has been working as a prostitute but who has decided to leave the profession. The problem is that one of her clients, who she knows only as "Paul," won't take no for an answer and insists on still seeing her. Elaine hopes that Matt might be able to find the guy and set him straight.
Matt accepts the challenge and works the problem the best way he can, given his age and his lack of contacts on the police force now. Meanwhile, there's an underlying subplot that I won't describe for fear of spoiling the story, but which really did not work for me, especially at the end of the book. As a result, I have really mixed emotions about this novella.
On the one hand, it's not a bad story and, in fact, it would have been a fine story for Block to have included somewhere in the middle of The Night and the Music. And if it would have been placed ahead of "One Last Night at Grogan's," I would have been perfectly fine with it. Reading it now, though somewhat spoils what I assumed would be my lasting final memory of Matthew Scudder, and unfortunately, once you've rung the bell, you can't unring it.
I'm giving this novella four stars because I think that's a fair assessment, and because that's certainly what I would have given it had I read it under other circumstances. But having bought a copy of the signed, special limited edition of the book, I'm going to tuck it away with my other treasures and leave it there. When I next work my way through the Matthew Scudder series, I will be stopping with "One Last Night at Grogans."
January 11, 2019
When a friend of his wife's comes to them with a problem involving an abusive man, Matt Scudder is on the case. But how can an old man stop a man he's never seen and whose name he doesn't know?
I've been a Lawrence Block fan since I read Grifter's Game and the Matthew Scudder series is one of my favorite series of any genre so when Mr. Block hit me up, this book shot to the top of my stack. When your favorite living crime author hands you a book, you read the damn thing!
One of the best features of the Matthew Scudder series is that Matt ages in real time. In this book, he's been sober 35 years and living comfortably with Elaine, who has joined a support group for former prostitutes. One of her friends needs help quitting the game but one of her old clients won't take No for an answer...
I'm happy to say Lawrence Block (and Matthew Scudder, for that matter) hasn't missed a beat since his last outing. This novella saw me through an oil change and tire rotation and I was actually disappointed that I had to drive home to finish it. Scudder fans of old will approve of how Matt gets things done. It was like running into some old friends and immediately picking up where you left off.
A Time to Scatter Stones was a great chance to catch up with one of my favorite characters and favorite authors. Four out of five stars.
I've been a Lawrence Block fan since I read Grifter's Game and the Matthew Scudder series is one of my favorite series of any genre so when Mr. Block hit me up, this book shot to the top of my stack. When your favorite living crime author hands you a book, you read the damn thing!
One of the best features of the Matthew Scudder series is that Matt ages in real time. In this book, he's been sober 35 years and living comfortably with Elaine, who has joined a support group for former prostitutes. One of her friends needs help quitting the game but one of her old clients won't take No for an answer...
I'm happy to say Lawrence Block (and Matthew Scudder, for that matter) hasn't missed a beat since his last outing. This novella saw me through an oil change and tire rotation and I was actually disappointed that I had to drive home to finish it. Scudder fans of old will approve of how Matt gets things done. It was like running into some old friends and immediately picking up where you left off.
A Time to Scatter Stones was a great chance to catch up with one of my favorite characters and favorite authors. Four out of five stars.
May 8, 2022
LB wrote the first Matt Scudder book in the mid-seventies and the series ran through to the last full length novel which was released in 2011. A number of short stories were tucked in along the way, for good measure. Scudder is a brilliant creation, a tough drinking cop with a troubled past treading the mean streets of New York City. Actually, he stopped drinking some while back but he’s never been the type to shirk away from some good old street justice where it’s needed. Yes, he blurs the lines when he feels the need and typically suffers no remorse for his actions. But he’s a complex man and for a long while he’d drop into a local church to light a candle and pop a tithe in the collection box whenever he came into some cash. He’d accidentally caused the death of a young girl early in his career and his guilt over this act never left him.
I loved these stories and having gone cold turkey for too many years I was delighted to hear that Scudder was back, albeit briefly. This novella picks him up, along with his female companion Elaine, some years later - and this, assuming the real time ageing Block has deployed to date, this would make Matt now somewhere in his seventies. He’s still attending some AA meetings and Elaine drops in at a weekly group called The Tarts which comprises women who previously worked in the sex industry (Elaine was a prostitute when Matt first met her). And it seems that a girl from Elaine’s group has a problem: she’s being bothered by an ex-client who wont accept she’s no longer in the business. It hasn’t gotten to the stage of violence or even visible stalking yet, but it seems to be headed that way. This problem could be right up the ex-cop’s street.
The plot is one that could be told in less than half the number of words deployed by Block but that would be missing the point. The author’s ability to string words and sentences together is masterly when he’s on form, which is most of the time. Conversations here are constructed in a way that feel real and yet nuanced in a way that kept me smiling at the cleverness of his phrasing. In fact, the majority of this novella is made up of conversations between the three main protagonists. And this absolutely does not diminish the piece – in fact, it enriches this small tale and reinforces what a very special series the Scudder books comprised. To me it’s a delightful package, a clever little tale all wrapped up in less than one hundred pages. I know this will appeal to LB’s many fans but I really hope it stimulates some new readers to look up what I feel is very much an under-rated series.
I loved these stories and having gone cold turkey for too many years I was delighted to hear that Scudder was back, albeit briefly. This novella picks him up, along with his female companion Elaine, some years later - and this, assuming the real time ageing Block has deployed to date, this would make Matt now somewhere in his seventies. He’s still attending some AA meetings and Elaine drops in at a weekly group called The Tarts which comprises women who previously worked in the sex industry (Elaine was a prostitute when Matt first met her). And it seems that a girl from Elaine’s group has a problem: she’s being bothered by an ex-client who wont accept she’s no longer in the business. It hasn’t gotten to the stage of violence or even visible stalking yet, but it seems to be headed that way. This problem could be right up the ex-cop’s street.
The plot is one that could be told in less than half the number of words deployed by Block but that would be missing the point. The author’s ability to string words and sentences together is masterly when he’s on form, which is most of the time. Conversations here are constructed in a way that feel real and yet nuanced in a way that kept me smiling at the cleverness of his phrasing. In fact, the majority of this novella is made up of conversations between the three main protagonists. And this absolutely does not diminish the piece – in fact, it enriches this small tale and reinforces what a very special series the Scudder books comprised. To me it’s a delightful package, a clever little tale all wrapped up in less than one hundred pages. I know this will appeal to LB’s many fans but I really hope it stimulates some new readers to look up what I feel is very much an under-rated series.
February 28, 2019
This leather bound edition is numbered 81 of 500 produced and is signed by Lawrence Block.
We first met the character Matthew Scudder in 1976 with the publication of Lawrence Block’s “The Sins of the Fathers“. This was not Mr. Block’s first book, far from it. . Scudder’s career encompasses being:
A Cop
An ex-cop
P. I.
Alcoholic
In “Sins” Scudder has recently quit the NYPD and has abandoned his family after accidentally causing the shooting death of a young girl. “Sins” was quickly followed by “Time to Murder and Create” in 1977.
Lawrence Block was born on June 24, 1938 in Buffalo, New York. He has won three Edgar awards and four Shamus awards for his mystery novels. You may be aware of the fifth book about Matthew Scudder, as it was also a film Oliver Stone decided to option, with the intention of writing a screenplay and directing. That film was “Eight Million Ways To Die”. The book and movie has three themes—the solution of the murder of a call girl, the mortal peril of life in a big city, and the protagonist’s efforts to come to terms with his own alcoholism.
There are now seventeen or eighteen books about Mathew Scudder in the series. In this, the newest (2019) titled “A Time to Scatter Stones” We find Scudder as an older man now retired. He is married to his ex-prostitute girlfriend Elaine. Scudder still attends AA meetings, and has been sober twenty-five years. Elaine has started a support group for women who wish to get out of ‘the life’ of prostitution and hooking called the’Tarts”
As the book opens Elaine has brought home a person she has befriended at the latest meeting of the “Tarts”, a cute little blond. Scutter immediately suggests that Elaine and the ‘new’ girl have a threesome.
After some discussion it is discovered the ‘new’ girl has baggage, She has a stalker who wants to have ‘freebie’ sex with her and perhaps worse. Scudder, in his geriatric wisdom, offers to track down the stalker and try to eliminate the threats.
This is a welcome return of Matthew Scudder after too long an absence. The series consist of:
“The Sins of the Fathers” (1976)
“Time To Murder And Create” (1977; written second but published third)
“In The Midst Of Death” (1976; written third but published second)
“A Stab in the Dark” (1981)
“Eight Million Ways to Die” (1982)
“When the Sacred Ginmill Closes” (1986)
“Out on the Cutting Edge” (1989)
“A Ticket to the Boneyard” (1990)
“A Dance at the Slaughterhouse” (1991)
“A Walk Among the Tombstones” (1992)
“The Devil Knows You're Dead” (1993)
“A Long Line of Dead Men” (1994)
“Even the Wicked” (1997)
“Everybody Dies” (1998)
“Hope To Die” (2001)
“All the Flowers are Dying” (2005)
“The Night and the Music” (2011) Stories
“A Drop of the Hard Stuff” (2011)
“A Time to Scatter Stones” (2019)
We first met the character Matthew Scudder in 1976 with the publication of Lawrence Block’s “The Sins of the Fathers“. This was not Mr. Block’s first book, far from it. . Scudder’s career encompasses being:
A Cop
An ex-cop
P. I.
Alcoholic
In “Sins” Scudder has recently quit the NYPD and has abandoned his family after accidentally causing the shooting death of a young girl. “Sins” was quickly followed by “Time to Murder and Create” in 1977.
Lawrence Block was born on June 24, 1938 in Buffalo, New York. He has won three Edgar awards and four Shamus awards for his mystery novels. You may be aware of the fifth book about Matthew Scudder, as it was also a film Oliver Stone decided to option, with the intention of writing a screenplay and directing. That film was “Eight Million Ways To Die”. The book and movie has three themes—the solution of the murder of a call girl, the mortal peril of life in a big city, and the protagonist’s efforts to come to terms with his own alcoholism.
There are now seventeen or eighteen books about Mathew Scudder in the series. In this, the newest (2019) titled “A Time to Scatter Stones” We find Scudder as an older man now retired. He is married to his ex-prostitute girlfriend Elaine. Scudder still attends AA meetings, and has been sober twenty-five years. Elaine has started a support group for women who wish to get out of ‘the life’ of prostitution and hooking called the’Tarts”
As the book opens Elaine has brought home a person she has befriended at the latest meeting of the “Tarts”, a cute little blond. Scutter immediately suggests that Elaine and the ‘new’ girl have a threesome.
After some discussion it is discovered the ‘new’ girl has baggage, She has a stalker who wants to have ‘freebie’ sex with her and perhaps worse. Scudder, in his geriatric wisdom, offers to track down the stalker and try to eliminate the threats.
This is a welcome return of Matthew Scudder after too long an absence. The series consist of:
“The Sins of the Fathers” (1976)
“Time To Murder And Create” (1977; written second but published third)
“In The Midst Of Death” (1976; written third but published second)
“A Stab in the Dark” (1981)
“Eight Million Ways to Die” (1982)
“When the Sacred Ginmill Closes” (1986)
“Out on the Cutting Edge” (1989)
“A Ticket to the Boneyard” (1990)
“A Dance at the Slaughterhouse” (1991)
“A Walk Among the Tombstones” (1992)
“The Devil Knows You're Dead” (1993)
“A Long Line of Dead Men” (1994)
“Even the Wicked” (1997)
“Everybody Dies” (1998)
“Hope To Die” (2001)
“All the Flowers are Dying” (2005)
“The Night and the Music” (2011) Stories
“A Drop of the Hard Stuff” (2011)
“A Time to Scatter Stones” (2019)
August 13, 2021
"A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing"--Ecclesiastes 3:15
In 2011 Lawrence Block released what everyone thought was a terrific finish to his almost forty year old series featuring ex-cop-turned-PI Matthew Scudder, and soon after released The Night and the Music, a collection of short stories featuring Scudder, which includes for me the other bookend to the series, "One Last Night at Grogan's." But then, Block just keeps on living, turning eighty in 2019, and sure enough, he has a little holiday gift for us, a novella for the faithful who have read him since The Sins of the Father (1976!!). Oh, and it's read by Block himself! Another gift, certainly!
This is really for fans only, to allow us one more time into the living room of the aging and wisecracking Matt and Elaine, Block's Nick and Nora. Scudder has now been dry 35 years, and still goes to AA meetings; Elaine, a former call girl, but not for almost that many years, helps run a support group for former sex workers. Ellen, one of the group, is being harassed by an abusive former john, and Matt steps in to show he can do it (be the tough good guy) one more time, even at his age (giving hope to all his aging readers, ahem).
That part of the finish is predictable and not exactly layered with complications, yet this is Block, one of the best mystery writers in one of the best series ever, still writing well. It's not among the best of his books, but I loved hearing that voice again. There's a part of the very finish that is meant to amuse us, a kind of joke involving Ellen that I thought was dumb, but never mind, I'll let it go, I was glad to get together with you one last (last??! see you in another eight years? I'm up for it!) time. Scudder, and your ventriloquist, Block, you boys still got game.
In 2011 Lawrence Block released what everyone thought was a terrific finish to his almost forty year old series featuring ex-cop-turned-PI Matthew Scudder, and soon after released The Night and the Music, a collection of short stories featuring Scudder, which includes for me the other bookend to the series, "One Last Night at Grogan's." But then, Block just keeps on living, turning eighty in 2019, and sure enough, he has a little holiday gift for us, a novella for the faithful who have read him since The Sins of the Father (1976!!). Oh, and it's read by Block himself! Another gift, certainly!
This is really for fans only, to allow us one more time into the living room of the aging and wisecracking Matt and Elaine, Block's Nick and Nora. Scudder has now been dry 35 years, and still goes to AA meetings; Elaine, a former call girl, but not for almost that many years, helps run a support group for former sex workers. Ellen, one of the group, is being harassed by an abusive former john, and Matt steps in to show he can do it (be the tough good guy) one more time, even at his age (giving hope to all his aging readers, ahem).
That part of the finish is predictable and not exactly layered with complications, yet this is Block, one of the best mystery writers in one of the best series ever, still writing well. It's not among the best of his books, but I loved hearing that voice again. There's a part of the very finish that is meant to amuse us, a kind of joke involving Ellen that I thought was dumb, but never mind, I'll let it go, I was glad to get together with you one last (last??! see you in another eight years? I'm up for it!) time. Scudder, and your ventriloquist, Block, you boys still got game.
February 13, 2019
I received a free advance copy of this from NetGalley for review.
I’ve read several interviews with Lawrence Block where he’s talked about how there were multiple times in his career when he thought he would never do another story about private detective Matt Scudder, but then something would happen that would make Block bring him back. So I guess fans shouldn’t be surprised that Block had one more story to tell years after we thought Scudder was done.
Matt is retired and living happily with his wife Elaine. Even though Elaine left prostitution many years ago she joins a support group of women who have quit the life, and she’s become a kind of sponsor to a young lady who has a problem with a client that flatly refuses to accept that she’s no longer in business and begins aggressively stalking her. The problem is that he used a fake name so she has no clue who he is. Matt agrees to help, but even if he can find the guy the law isn’t very good about protecting women from obsessive men so stopping him is another problem.
Like many crime/mystery readers I’m a huge fan of Lawrence Block and consider him one of the legends of the genre, and Matt Scudder is the bar by which I judge all other detective fiction with very few being close to the same level. So I was beyond excited to get the news about this new novelette being published. However, I was just a touch disappointed in this.
It’s still Block writing Scudder and much of what I love about the series is here. There’s some solid detective work to be done, and then Matt has to come up with a creative solution to a problem when he knows that there’s no way that the system will help this young lady. The core story and how it’s solved is Block doing what he does best without missing a beat.
Part of the appeal is Matt roaming around New York and getting into fun conversations with various folks that often have nothing at all to do with the case he’s working on. That’s here once again although with a bum knee now Matt doesn’t walk quite as much as he used to, many of his old haunts are gone now, and most of the people he knew in those stories are retired or dead.
That’s been a factor creeping into the last Scudder stories much like how life itself creeps up on all of us, and Matt’s aging in real time as New York has changed around him over the years is one of the points I enjoy about the series. However, a chunk of this book is reminding us of the people Matt used to know, and it’s kind of a bummer at this point. I was especially sad when conversation between Matt and Elaine reveals that they’ve fallen out of touch with TJ, the street kid who became a kind of surrogate son for them at one point in the series. And yeah, that’s life, but I always liked to think it was going to be TJ helping them out in their old age so it kind of hurts that he’s just drifted away from them apparently.
I also wasn’t thrilled with the ending to this after the central problem has been resolved. Back in 2011 Block released a new Scudder novel A Drop of the Hard Stuff as well as short story collection The Night & the Music that felt like the perfect goodbye. The story written just for that collection One Last Night at Grogan’s was especially fitting as Matt's swan song. Frankly, I found the conclusion here odd and off-putting, and it kinda spoiled that classy ending for me.
Still, it’s a new Matt Scudder story when I never thought I’d get another, and I am grateful to Lawrence Block for having him work one more case for us. I think in future rereads I’ll shift this around to still read One Last Night at Grogan’s as the last word from Matt.
I’ve read several interviews with Lawrence Block where he’s talked about how there were multiple times in his career when he thought he would never do another story about private detective Matt Scudder, but then something would happen that would make Block bring him back. So I guess fans shouldn’t be surprised that Block had one more story to tell years after we thought Scudder was done.
Matt is retired and living happily with his wife Elaine. Even though Elaine left prostitution many years ago she joins a support group of women who have quit the life, and she’s become a kind of sponsor to a young lady who has a problem with a client that flatly refuses to accept that she’s no longer in business and begins aggressively stalking her. The problem is that he used a fake name so she has no clue who he is. Matt agrees to help, but even if he can find the guy the law isn’t very good about protecting women from obsessive men so stopping him is another problem.
Like many crime/mystery readers I’m a huge fan of Lawrence Block and consider him one of the legends of the genre, and Matt Scudder is the bar by which I judge all other detective fiction with very few being close to the same level. So I was beyond excited to get the news about this new novelette being published. However, I was just a touch disappointed in this.
It’s still Block writing Scudder and much of what I love about the series is here. There’s some solid detective work to be done, and then Matt has to come up with a creative solution to a problem when he knows that there’s no way that the system will help this young lady. The core story and how it’s solved is Block doing what he does best without missing a beat.
Part of the appeal is Matt roaming around New York and getting into fun conversations with various folks that often have nothing at all to do with the case he’s working on. That’s here once again although with a bum knee now Matt doesn’t walk quite as much as he used to, many of his old haunts are gone now, and most of the people he knew in those stories are retired or dead.
That’s been a factor creeping into the last Scudder stories much like how life itself creeps up on all of us, and Matt’s aging in real time as New York has changed around him over the years is one of the points I enjoy about the series. However, a chunk of this book is reminding us of the people Matt used to know, and it’s kind of a bummer at this point. I was especially sad when conversation between Matt and Elaine reveals that they’ve fallen out of touch with TJ, the street kid who became a kind of surrogate son for them at one point in the series. And yeah, that’s life, but I always liked to think it was going to be TJ helping them out in their old age so it kind of hurts that he’s just drifted away from them apparently.
I also wasn’t thrilled with the ending to this after the central problem has been resolved. Back in 2011 Block released a new Scudder novel A Drop of the Hard Stuff as well as short story collection The Night & the Music that felt like the perfect goodbye. The story written just for that collection One Last Night at Grogan’s was especially fitting as Matt's swan song. Frankly, I found the conclusion here odd and off-putting, and it kinda spoiled that classy ending for me.
Still, it’s a new Matt Scudder story when I never thought I’d get another, and I am grateful to Lawrence Block for having him work one more case for us. I think in future rereads I’ll shift this around to still read One Last Night at Grogan’s as the last word from Matt.
January 28, 2019
After reading "A Drop of the Hard Stuff" some years back, I went out and bought a bottle of Maker's Mark - - although perhaps not in keeping with Scudder's AA world but still a fitting tribute -- and got ahold of his previous sixteen books in the series. Yes, I want to read them all again. Block has now released not another novel in the series, but an all-too-short novella that, for many of us, is a trip down memory lane revisiting familiar characters and familiar themes. For those who haven't had the whole Matthew Scudder experience, this might not be enough of a story, not enough red meat. Too bad for you.
It's a story about a call girl who tries to leave “the Life,” but one client doesn't get with the program and turns into stalker number one. But, it's really about Scudder, his thoughts, his musings. Again, a great opportunity to revisit Scudder’s world.
It's a story about a call girl who tries to leave “the Life,” but one client doesn't get with the program and turns into stalker number one. But, it's really about Scudder, his thoughts, his musings. Again, a great opportunity to revisit Scudder’s world.
January 16, 2019
Through his wife Elaine, Matt Scudder is introduced to a young woman being stalked and threatened by a former client of hers. Without a name or photo to go on, can Matt track him down and scare him off?
Having believed to be done with Scudder, Block surprised us all when he announced a new novella featuring his titular sleuth. This would not be a flashback entry like A Drop of the Hard Stuff, but a present day story that catches us up with Matt as he hovers near eighty.
Full disclosure: Lawrence Block sent me an advanced copy for review. While I happen to get dozens of complimentary books each year to read, it will never cease to amaze me that I receive books directly from one of my favorite authors.
With the release of The Sins of the Fathers back in 1976, it’s been forty-three years since Matt’s first story. So is he showing signs of age? Sure, Matt’s a little slower and he’s been dealing with a recurring knee issue for some time now, but that doesn’t mean his mind isn’t as sharp as ever. That said, readers likely aren’t coming to the Scudder series for action (not that Scudder hasn’t dealt out some physical justice in the past). It’s the characters and their relationships that keep Block’s audience returning time and time again. The banter between Scudder and Elaine, Scudder’s internal dialogue and a few cameos make this one feel like coming home.
A Time to Scatter Stones is a worthy entry into the Scudder saga and longtime fans will be satisfied with this excellent, albeit quick, read.
Having believed to be done with Scudder, Block surprised us all when he announced a new novella featuring his titular sleuth. This would not be a flashback entry like A Drop of the Hard Stuff, but a present day story that catches us up with Matt as he hovers near eighty.
Full disclosure: Lawrence Block sent me an advanced copy for review. While I happen to get dozens of complimentary books each year to read, it will never cease to amaze me that I receive books directly from one of my favorite authors.
With the release of The Sins of the Fathers back in 1976, it’s been forty-three years since Matt’s first story. So is he showing signs of age? Sure, Matt’s a little slower and he’s been dealing with a recurring knee issue for some time now, but that doesn’t mean his mind isn’t as sharp as ever. That said, readers likely aren’t coming to the Scudder series for action (not that Scudder hasn’t dealt out some physical justice in the past). It’s the characters and their relationships that keep Block’s audience returning time and time again. The banter between Scudder and Elaine, Scudder’s internal dialogue and a few cameos make this one feel like coming home.
A Time to Scatter Stones is a worthy entry into the Scudder saga and longtime fans will be satisfied with this excellent, albeit quick, read.
March 1, 2019
When this novella found his way to my attention it had already been sold out so that was me fat out of luck. An online bookstore offered me a copy and then withdrew the offer as they were not able to obtain it anyhow. Then the bookdepository.com offered the item and I paid them and was always expecting a refund but got the book in my mailbox today and are really over the moon with obtaining a copy. really looking forward to reading it.
This is not a novel but a novella which is much shorter and can be read in one decent sitting with a pot of coffee to keep you company, having a alcoholic beverage would feel like betrayal to Block/Scudder.
The book is about Scudder and Eileen being an older couple that enjoy their days together and do their thing together an separately. What is still amazing is the banter and dialogue these two still enjoy with each other. The dialogue is still bloody brilliant and entertaining. They make the Scudder tales close to perfection even if they make the books often pedestrian in pace, This novella still shows them being happy and enjoying life.
Scudder 35 years of the booze still visits his AA meeting and so does Eileen have her meeting calling her group Tarts, no abbreviation for anything, and there she meets somebody who is need in the skills that Scudder used to have. In essence this Ellen wants out of the game but their is one customer who does not permit her to do so when it comes to him personally. He does not take no for an answer and she actually fled her apartment because of this man. She knows very little about this customer but fears him.
It is an aging Scudder that takes up this case of stalking and we are along for the ride. The story about catching up with the stalker is done age appropriate and should be considered successful. It is a fun little ride and really good to see how Matthew and his lady have found themselves in comfortable spot and happy with life.
Sure the story is a wee bit more sexually motivated but that happens around former ladies of the night and it is good to know that Scudder and his Eileen are not uncomfortable because they are older. They are a loving couple and still enjoy each other in a sense if this is the last time we meet them in a story it is a happy ending.
A nice epilogue to a successful series of highly original and grand stories starring Matthew Scudder.
I am happy to have obtained a decent copy. However for a first-time reader I can only say go back and start with the first book and read your way up to this one.
This is not a novel but a novella which is much shorter and can be read in one decent sitting with a pot of coffee to keep you company, having a alcoholic beverage would feel like betrayal to Block/Scudder.
The book is about Scudder and Eileen being an older couple that enjoy their days together and do their thing together an separately. What is still amazing is the banter and dialogue these two still enjoy with each other. The dialogue is still bloody brilliant and entertaining. They make the Scudder tales close to perfection even if they make the books often pedestrian in pace, This novella still shows them being happy and enjoying life.
Scudder 35 years of the booze still visits his AA meeting and so does Eileen have her meeting calling her group Tarts, no abbreviation for anything, and there she meets somebody who is need in the skills that Scudder used to have. In essence this Ellen wants out of the game but their is one customer who does not permit her to do so when it comes to him personally. He does not take no for an answer and she actually fled her apartment because of this man. She knows very little about this customer but fears him.
It is an aging Scudder that takes up this case of stalking and we are along for the ride. The story about catching up with the stalker is done age appropriate and should be considered successful. It is a fun little ride and really good to see how Matthew and his lady have found themselves in comfortable spot and happy with life.
Sure the story is a wee bit more sexually motivated but that happens around former ladies of the night and it is good to know that Scudder and his Eileen are not uncomfortable because they are older. They are a loving couple and still enjoy each other in a sense if this is the last time we meet them in a story it is a happy ending.
A nice epilogue to a successful series of highly original and grand stories starring Matthew Scudder.
I am happy to have obtained a decent copy. However for a first-time reader I can only say go back and start with the first book and read your way up to this one.
November 16, 2018
Fans of Lawrence Block and his Matthew Scudder series will enjoy this nostalgic novella. The character of Matthew Scudder, along with the city of New York City, has grown and changed over time since the first Scudder novel published in 1976. If you have never read the series, I suggest you start at the beginning and then you will get full enjoyment of this last case. Personally, my dad introduced me to this author and we read him together since the 80's. My dad passed away this year so this novella was a bittersweet read for me.
Thanks to Netgalley, Subterranean Press, and the indomitable author Lawrence Block for this advanced review copy. I will be buying my own copy in January when it is published.
Thanks to Netgalley, Subterranean Press, and the indomitable author Lawrence Block for this advanced review copy. I will be buying my own copy in January when it is published.
October 10, 2020
Another long short story off my audio to-do list! Block never fails to involve me, although I think I saw one of the resolutions ahead of time. Not the other, no, not the other.
February 9, 2019
First Sentence: The four of us—Kristin and Mick, Elaine and I—stood on the stoop of their brownstone for the ritual round of hugs.
Matt Scudder is now retired, 25-years sober, and still attending AA meetings. His wife, Elaine, informs him of a group called TARTS that she helped start for sex workers who want to stay out of the life. However, when one young woman informs Elaine of an abusive client who won't let her quit, Elaine suggests Scudder might help.
It is hard to describe how wonderful it is to read Lawrence Block—"You get old and things hurt and then they don't and then they do again." Even if you've not previously read Block, he brings readers up to speed on the characters within a very short time. There's no more backstory than one needs, yet just enough to know the characters.
Prostitution isn't something about which most people even, let alone about the women involved, and not at all about a support group for those who want to leave the life. It is remarkable the way Block creates a sense of danger through a conversation. It causes one to realize just how vulnerable and at risk any woman can be.
Block's dialogue is so natural. It wanders, as real conversations do, from topic to topic within a single conversation—"God, I hate when that happens. Something you said triggered a thought, and then the conversation whet on, and the thought got lost. Where were we saying?" There are wonderful kernels of truth sprinkled along the story's path. "There three stages of a man's life," I said, "Youth, middle age, and 'You look wonderful?"
"A Time to Scatter Stones" is perfectly written. It does have violence and sex, but always offstage. While this is a nostalgic read for those who have loved this series, it could also be an excellent impetus for new readers to go back and explore this fine author.
A TIME TO SCATTER STONES (Novelette-Matt Scudder-NYC-Contemp) – Ex
Block, Lawrence – A Matt Scudder Novelette
Subterranean; Deluxe Hardcover edition - Jan, 2019
Matt Scudder is now retired, 25-years sober, and still attending AA meetings. His wife, Elaine, informs him of a group called TARTS that she helped start for sex workers who want to stay out of the life. However, when one young woman informs Elaine of an abusive client who won't let her quit, Elaine suggests Scudder might help.
It is hard to describe how wonderful it is to read Lawrence Block—"You get old and things hurt and then they don't and then they do again." Even if you've not previously read Block, he brings readers up to speed on the characters within a very short time. There's no more backstory than one needs, yet just enough to know the characters.
Prostitution isn't something about which most people even, let alone about the women involved, and not at all about a support group for those who want to leave the life. It is remarkable the way Block creates a sense of danger through a conversation. It causes one to realize just how vulnerable and at risk any woman can be.
Block's dialogue is so natural. It wanders, as real conversations do, from topic to topic within a single conversation—"God, I hate when that happens. Something you said triggered a thought, and then the conversation whet on, and the thought got lost. Where were we saying?" There are wonderful kernels of truth sprinkled along the story's path. "There three stages of a man's life," I said, "Youth, middle age, and 'You look wonderful?"
"A Time to Scatter Stones" is perfectly written. It does have violence and sex, but always offstage. While this is a nostalgic read for those who have loved this series, it could also be an excellent impetus for new readers to go back and explore this fine author.
A TIME TO SCATTER STONES (Novelette-Matt Scudder-NYC-Contemp) – Ex
Block, Lawrence – A Matt Scudder Novelette
Subterranean; Deluxe Hardcover edition - Jan, 2019
February 14, 2019
I love Lawrence Block. And I love his Matthew Scudder. It was wonderful to find a new story about my favorite character by a favorite author. And although I read the book in less than an hour, I enjoyed revisiting my old friend. Also, he still lives in my old neighborhood (which I miss) and it was good to be reminded of old places and old times.
The plot's not especially exciting but I found this book a comfort to read. I was a little disappointed with the ending but I could see how other people might enjoy it more.
This is a comfort book. Although I wouldn't call it amazing or as powerful as other Scudder novels, it was lovely just to spend time with an old friend.
The plot's not especially exciting but I found this book a comfort to read. I was a little disappointed with the ending but I could see how other people might enjoy it more.
This is a comfort book. Although I wouldn't call it amazing or as powerful as other Scudder novels, it was lovely just to spend time with an old friend.
September 18, 2022
So it's supposedly the last Matthew Scudder's mystery!? That's it and then supposedly our dear old Matthew would fade into old age and then, final curtain!
(But who knows? Maybe Mr. Block will pick Matthew up again, just maybe.)
I just learned the first Matthew Scudder's mystery novel was first published in 1976 so our detective has been around for 40+ years! (and I first read this series from more than 10 years ago as well) And I do like how Matthew would mature and age through each book, the people around him also would age or then died, even New York City, the main background of this remarkable series, has also gone through her many stages of development, leaving a lot of memories behind for our main character, Mr. Scudder and those around him.
It's a short story, once I turned the first pages, I was hit by the familiarity of everything that made a Matthew Scudder mystery, the same tone, the same hard-boiled attitude, the same down-to-earth method of crime investigation, the same sense of humor, etc.
Still, I must confess the ending is a bit weak, it's a reasonable ending but it's still a bit weak, so one star got knocked down.
If you are already a fan, read it! But if you are new to the series, don't start your romance with Matthew Scudder and Co. with this book, do try the earlier books like The Sin of the Fathers.
(But who knows? Maybe Mr. Block will pick Matthew up again, just maybe.)
I just learned the first Matthew Scudder's mystery novel was first published in 1976 so our detective has been around for 40+ years! (and I first read this series from more than 10 years ago as well) And I do like how Matthew would mature and age through each book, the people around him also would age or then died, even New York City, the main background of this remarkable series, has also gone through her many stages of development, leaving a lot of memories behind for our main character, Mr. Scudder and those around him.
It's a short story, once I turned the first pages, I was hit by the familiarity of everything that made a Matthew Scudder mystery, the same tone, the same hard-boiled attitude, the same down-to-earth method of crime investigation, the same sense of humor, etc.
Still, I must confess the ending is a bit weak, it's a reasonable ending but it's still a bit weak, so one star got knocked down.
If you are already a fan, read it! But if you are new to the series, don't start your romance with Matthew Scudder and Co. with this book, do try the earlier books like The Sin of the Fathers.
January 19, 2019
I can already tell you: some people will complain that nothing happens in this new Scudder book. But I can also tell you these people have missed the point.
A Time to Scatter Stones has been written with a very precise purpose in mind: to discuss the social issue of sexual consent. And force is to admit, it's possibly the best explanation of what consent is and why some people seem not to understand it that I've ever read. In this book, it takes the form of an ex-sex worker being harassed by a client escalating his demands. Whenever a social issue is discussed in fiction, it's often painted with a broad brush, but leave it to Block to add shade and nuance.
I didn't give 5 stars because the book doesn't do much more than that, but it a great reason to pull Matthew Scudder out of retirement.
A Time to Scatter Stones has been written with a very precise purpose in mind: to discuss the social issue of sexual consent. And force is to admit, it's possibly the best explanation of what consent is and why some people seem not to understand it that I've ever read. In this book, it takes the form of an ex-sex worker being harassed by a client escalating his demands. Whenever a social issue is discussed in fiction, it's often painted with a broad brush, but leave it to Block to add shade and nuance.
I didn't give 5 stars because the book doesn't do much more than that, but it a great reason to pull Matthew Scudder out of retirement.
November 29, 2021
This novella, published as a book, is a rather poor addition to a fine series. Matthew Scudder, former police officer, former private investigator, and recovering alcoholic, is the central character in this series by Lawrence Block. Scudder is now apparently in his seventies. He hasn't had a drink in thirty-five years. He continues to go to meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous, usually at least once a week.
Scudder's wife Elaine, now in her sixties, has also joined a support group of a sort. It has no formal name but is known as Tarts; its members, including Elaine, are all former sex workers.
Tarts seems to be essentially a social group in which attendees talk about their experiences in their former occupation. Despite the fact that the book seems to me to equate Tarts and AA, there is little indication that former sex workers have an addiction to be overcome. Some, it is mentioned, continue to use sex as a way to get favors, such as higher academic grades, but I do not believe that this means that any of them crave a return to "the life."
Elaine meets and mentors an attractive young woman named Ellen in a meeting at Tarts, and they discuss a problem that the younger woman is having with which they believe Matt Scudder may be able to help. Ellen had told her regular clients that she was leaving prostitution. All but one of them accepted that. The one who did not wants Ellen to work exclusively as his own personal prostitute and will not accept her refusal. He has begun stalking her and making threats. The problem is made much worse because Ellen knows so little about her stalker's private life - not where he lives, what his occupation is, or even his real name.
After speaking to Ellen, Matt and Elaine have a conversation showing what I believe to be a false equivalency between the addictive nature of alcoholism and prostitution. Elaine is the first speaker:
"If she sees him again, and if she lets him do what he wants to do -"
"She's not going to see him again."
"We can't know that, honey. I don't know how close the parallels are to sobriety, but -"
"But she could have a relapse."
Scudder comes up with an ingenious plan by which he is able to meet the stalker and - violently - dissuade him from any further contact with Ellen.
And if that were all there were in this story, if it were a simple tale of detection, I don't think that I would have a problem with it. But much of the interest in the entire Scudder series is in details, many of which do not directly deal with the solution to a criminal problem, and that is true of "A Time to Scatter Stones" as well.
Quite naturally this aging couple frequently thinks of and talks about people and things from the past. Scudder is the narrator of the book so the reader knows when he even considers his past life. The most important secondary character throughout much of the series was TJ, "a black street kid," intelligent and engaging, who, Matt recalls, had been "somewhere between sidekick and assistant." I think that he had been more than that. I think that he was a surrogate son to Matt and Elaine. (Matt has two biological sons, not mentioned in this story, to whom he is not close.) TJ, Matt says, "became a part of my life - and eventually Elaine's - and remained so for years." And now? The story does not say. Of course this short book can not show what happened to everyone Matt ever knew, but if Matt tells the reader that much about TJ, how can he stop there?
Likewise, the first sentence of the book starts with: "The four of us - Kristin and Mick, Elaine and I"... For those who, like me, have read the earlier books in the series, this is fine, but why refer to Kristin and Mick if the brief mention on the first page has nothing to do with the rest of the book?
A problem that I have with the book is not one everyone will have: Elaine and Matt are too damned healthy. Matt and I are pretty much the same age, and I truly wish that my only infirmity was an occasional knee pain. And unlike the Scudders, I have never been shot, stabbed, or physically attacked in other ways, which I assume would have some residual effect on Elaine and Matt, but even so my body would certainly not let me do some of Matt's activities in the book.
I also have strong reservations about the vigilante "justice" that Matt not only finds acceptable but thinks is "satisfying." This applies not only to Matt's dealing with the stalker but also in his recollections of his time in the police. One thing that has long bothered me about Lawrence Block's writing is how he so charmingly and convincingly portrays things that one might otherwise consider horrible- think of his homicidal lawyer character Martin Ehrengraf and Keller, the personable hitman.
I am much less bothered by the sex in the book than others might be. Any book that largely concerns prostitution has to include discussions about sexual behavior. A sequence near the end of the book is pretty much gratuitous (and unlikely), but it is certainly discreet as well. (I could have lived without the incest joke in the last two paragraphs though.)
What is good here? New York is good; Block always makes Manhattan sound enticing. Matt solving the mystery is fine. There are long sequences that could possibly have been condensed, but nobody would want them to be
- they are so good the way they are. Matt's conversation with a building superintendent is excellent, as is Matt making purchases (or, in one case, failing to make a purchase) of equipment needed for his encounter with the stalker. What would a store selling equipment for police officers have on display? "A big poster in the window, Jerry Orbach as Lennie Briscoe" (a reference to the television series Law and Order).
And much of the humor seems really funny to me. The following is Elaine and Matt talking about TJ when they first knew him. Elaine is the first speaker:
"Remember his rhyming slang?"
"When we gone eat? Cause I be starvin', Marvin."
"So let's do it, Prewitt."
"But that was early on," I said. "It didn't take him all that long to let go of that."
"You're saying he outgrew it, Prewitt?"
One last point - what is the point of the title? Did I miss an explanation?
Certainly not a bad book but in no way an outstanding one. If this is the end of the series, as it seems likely to be, it would be a disappointment.
Scudder's wife Elaine, now in her sixties, has also joined a support group of a sort. It has no formal name but is known as Tarts; its members, including Elaine, are all former sex workers.
Tarts seems to be essentially a social group in which attendees talk about their experiences in their former occupation. Despite the fact that the book seems to me to equate Tarts and AA, there is little indication that former sex workers have an addiction to be overcome. Some, it is mentioned, continue to use sex as a way to get favors, such as higher academic grades, but I do not believe that this means that any of them crave a return to "the life."
Elaine meets and mentors an attractive young woman named Ellen in a meeting at Tarts, and they discuss a problem that the younger woman is having with which they believe Matt Scudder may be able to help. Ellen had told her regular clients that she was leaving prostitution. All but one of them accepted that. The one who did not wants Ellen to work exclusively as his own personal prostitute and will not accept her refusal. He has begun stalking her and making threats. The problem is made much worse because Ellen knows so little about her stalker's private life - not where he lives, what his occupation is, or even his real name.
After speaking to Ellen, Matt and Elaine have a conversation showing what I believe to be a false equivalency between the addictive nature of alcoholism and prostitution. Elaine is the first speaker:
"If she sees him again, and if she lets him do what he wants to do -"
"She's not going to see him again."
"We can't know that, honey. I don't know how close the parallels are to sobriety, but -"
"But she could have a relapse."
Scudder comes up with an ingenious plan by which he is able to meet the stalker and - violently - dissuade him from any further contact with Ellen.
And if that were all there were in this story, if it were a simple tale of detection, I don't think that I would have a problem with it. But much of the interest in the entire Scudder series is in details, many of which do not directly deal with the solution to a criminal problem, and that is true of "A Time to Scatter Stones" as well.
Quite naturally this aging couple frequently thinks of and talks about people and things from the past. Scudder is the narrator of the book so the reader knows when he even considers his past life. The most important secondary character throughout much of the series was TJ, "a black street kid," intelligent and engaging, who, Matt recalls, had been "somewhere between sidekick and assistant." I think that he had been more than that. I think that he was a surrogate son to Matt and Elaine. (Matt has two biological sons, not mentioned in this story, to whom he is not close.) TJ, Matt says, "became a part of my life - and eventually Elaine's - and remained so for years." And now? The story does not say. Of course this short book can not show what happened to everyone Matt ever knew, but if Matt tells the reader that much about TJ, how can he stop there?
Likewise, the first sentence of the book starts with: "The four of us - Kristin and Mick, Elaine and I"... For those who, like me, have read the earlier books in the series, this is fine, but why refer to Kristin and Mick if the brief mention on the first page has nothing to do with the rest of the book?
A problem that I have with the book is not one everyone will have: Elaine and Matt are too damned healthy. Matt and I are pretty much the same age, and I truly wish that my only infirmity was an occasional knee pain. And unlike the Scudders, I have never been shot, stabbed, or physically attacked in other ways, which I assume would have some residual effect on Elaine and Matt, but even so my body would certainly not let me do some of Matt's activities in the book.
I also have strong reservations about the vigilante "justice" that Matt not only finds acceptable but thinks is "satisfying." This applies not only to Matt's dealing with the stalker but also in his recollections of his time in the police. One thing that has long bothered me about Lawrence Block's writing is how he so charmingly and convincingly portrays things that one might otherwise consider horrible- think of his homicidal lawyer character Martin Ehrengraf and Keller, the personable hitman.
I am much less bothered by the sex in the book than others might be. Any book that largely concerns prostitution has to include discussions about sexual behavior. A sequence near the end of the book is pretty much gratuitous (and unlikely), but it is certainly discreet as well. (I could have lived without the incest joke in the last two paragraphs though.)
What is good here? New York is good; Block always makes Manhattan sound enticing. Matt solving the mystery is fine. There are long sequences that could possibly have been condensed, but nobody would want them to be
- they are so good the way they are. Matt's conversation with a building superintendent is excellent, as is Matt making purchases (or, in one case, failing to make a purchase) of equipment needed for his encounter with the stalker. What would a store selling equipment for police officers have on display? "A big poster in the window, Jerry Orbach as Lennie Briscoe" (a reference to the television series Law and Order).
And much of the humor seems really funny to me. The following is Elaine and Matt talking about TJ when they first knew him. Elaine is the first speaker:
"Remember his rhyming slang?"
"When we gone eat? Cause I be starvin', Marvin."
"So let's do it, Prewitt."
"But that was early on," I said. "It didn't take him all that long to let go of that."
"You're saying he outgrew it, Prewitt?"
One last point - what is the point of the title? Did I miss an explanation?
Certainly not a bad book but in no way an outstanding one. If this is the end of the series, as it seems likely to be, it would be a disappointment.
Read
March 16, 2019A very late entry in the Matthew Scudder series. I must have started reading these twenty years ago, following Scudder through growing alcoholism, AA, various relationships and friendships and traumas. I don't know if I could read them all again, because the level of violence esp sexual violence against women is high and pretty appalling at points, but the strongest parts were always the personal ones anyway. Scudder's moral evolution, the rambling conversations, the secondary characters, the evolution of New York over decades and of one man's life.
Scudder is retired now, comfortable with Elaine, and this novella doesn't make the mistake of showing any regret for the dying of the light. It's not elegiac, or, worse, a smashing up of their hard-won happiness which would be a betrayal of all the reader's emotional investment because we *worked* for that along with Scudder. Instead we see the old man heave himself out of retirement, on a case that isn't particularly challenging (we never actually see the bad guy on page), more or less as an excuse to find out what happened to TJ and Mick Ballou and Ray Galindez and the rest.
If you don't know who they are you probably won't see the point of this novella. If you do it's a lovely, relatively gentle (in terms of this series) return to a world I lived in for a long time. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Scudder is retired now, comfortable with Elaine, and this novella doesn't make the mistake of showing any regret for the dying of the light. It's not elegiac, or, worse, a smashing up of their hard-won happiness which would be a betrayal of all the reader's emotional investment because we *worked* for that along with Scudder. Instead we see the old man heave himself out of retirement, on a case that isn't particularly challenging (we never actually see the bad guy on page), more or less as an excuse to find out what happened to TJ and Mick Ballou and Ray Galindez and the rest.
If you don't know who they are you probably won't see the point of this novella. If you do it's a lovely, relatively gentle (in terms of this series) return to a world I lived in for a long time. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
October 21, 2018
Thanks to Subterranean Press and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for this honest review.
Lawrence Block keeps threatening to retire so it’s always great to see something new; really anything new is a great treat (even if an old pseudonymous book). It’s even better when it’s something that’s about Matthew Scudder, my and many fans favorite Lawrence Block character. This novella is another excellent and enjoyable contribution to the series.
Scudder is enjoying his retirement when his wife Elaine returns from her latest Tarts meeting with something that she thinks needs Scudder’s help. (Elaine is a former prostitute and Tarts is a sort of Alcoholic Anonymous for prostitutes.) Ellen, a young prostitute, is trying to get out of the business but she’s having difficulty making one of her customers give her up. He’s become more possessive and views himself now as her only customer. This man, only known to her as Paul, makes her nervous with his recent threats and she’s forced to give in to her old life to avoid possible physical abuse. She’s hoping Scudder will find a way to convince this man to stop bothering her. Scudder enlists the help of his old friend Ray Galindez to sketch a picture of Paul from Ellen’s memory. Scudder’s hoping the picture will allow him to find out who Paul really is and to find out more about the man to convince him to stay away from Ellen.
This novella has the typical excellent writing of Block, although the story meanders into reminiscing at times somewhat like an older person that Scudder now is. I certainly enjoyed these look backs as would any long-time fan but someone new to the series (and why would you start here), may not enjoy it as much. Reading this novella, makes me reminisce myself into maybe going back to read some of the excellent books in this series.
Lawrence Block keeps threatening to retire so it’s always great to see something new; really anything new is a great treat (even if an old pseudonymous book). It’s even better when it’s something that’s about Matthew Scudder, my and many fans favorite Lawrence Block character. This novella is another excellent and enjoyable contribution to the series.
Scudder is enjoying his retirement when his wife Elaine returns from her latest Tarts meeting with something that she thinks needs Scudder’s help. (Elaine is a former prostitute and Tarts is a sort of Alcoholic Anonymous for prostitutes.) Ellen, a young prostitute, is trying to get out of the business but she’s having difficulty making one of her customers give her up. He’s become more possessive and views himself now as her only customer. This man, only known to her as Paul, makes her nervous with his recent threats and she’s forced to give in to her old life to avoid possible physical abuse. She’s hoping Scudder will find a way to convince this man to stop bothering her. Scudder enlists the help of his old friend Ray Galindez to sketch a picture of Paul from Ellen’s memory. Scudder’s hoping the picture will allow him to find out who Paul really is and to find out more about the man to convince him to stay away from Ellen.
This novella has the typical excellent writing of Block, although the story meanders into reminiscing at times somewhat like an older person that Scudder now is. I certainly enjoyed these look backs as would any long-time fan but someone new to the series (and why would you start here), may not enjoy it as much. Reading this novella, makes me reminisce myself into maybe going back to read some of the excellent books in this series.
February 1, 2019
Lawrence Block is back with "A Time to Scatter Stones", a novella featuring Matthew Scudder. It's been 10 years since Block published a Scudder book, and I'd been hoping for another book in the series. His classic book, "A Long Line of Deadmen", published in the early 1990's remains my favorite mystery and has never failed to astound me with Block's literary talent. So, I was pleased as I began to read his newest work. I wasn't so pleased when I finished.
The book begins as an update to the lives of Matt and his wife, Elaine. Married 20 years or so, the Scudders have aged into graceful 70 year olds. They've slowed down a step or two but remain active participants in all that New York City has to offer. Restaurants, movies, plays, etc... They also remain pretty - no, very - active in their bedroom. Now, Lawrence Block's books have always had a sexy vibe to them. In some books, it's more apparent than in others, but in "Stones", it's in the reader's face almost throughout the book. I've always felt that most authors who write long sex scenes are writing them as filler, that maybe they're not good enough to write more conventional scenes. But, damn it, Lawrence Block is a great writer! He can advance plot and character development better than almost any other author I've read, using dialog to do so.
So, in between sex scenes, we find out a bit what has happened to TJ, Mick, and others who have been such important parts of Block's earlier Scudder-works. But it's not enough backwards looking to satisfy me. I wasn't offended as much as I was just plain bored with the book. Thanks god it's under 100 pages.
The book begins as an update to the lives of Matt and his wife, Elaine. Married 20 years or so, the Scudders have aged into graceful 70 year olds. They've slowed down a step or two but remain active participants in all that New York City has to offer. Restaurants, movies, plays, etc... They also remain pretty - no, very - active in their bedroom. Now, Lawrence Block's books have always had a sexy vibe to them. In some books, it's more apparent than in others, but in "Stones", it's in the reader's face almost throughout the book. I've always felt that most authors who write long sex scenes are writing them as filler, that maybe they're not good enough to write more conventional scenes. But, damn it, Lawrence Block is a great writer! He can advance plot and character development better than almost any other author I've read, using dialog to do so.
So, in between sex scenes, we find out a bit what has happened to TJ, Mick, and others who have been such important parts of Block's earlier Scudder-works. But it's not enough backwards looking to satisfy me. I wasn't offended as much as I was just plain bored with the book. Thanks god it's under 100 pages.
February 3, 2019
Not a pleasant book
Very disappointed....I liked the other Matthew Scudder books but this devolves into old people soft porn. Ugg Not for me
Very disappointed....I liked the other Matthew Scudder books but this devolves into old people soft porn. Ugg Not for me
April 21, 2019
It's always good to see Matt Scudder back, even if he is a step slower and his knees are now bothering him.
While this afternoon read is a welcome visit from an old friend, it felt a bit forced - a relatively simple assignment puffed up with some sexual stuff I didn't feel was necessary (other than to justify the release of a new story).
Scudder fans will welcome it, but I feel The Night and the Music was a far better farewell to one of my favorite characters ever.
While this afternoon read is a welcome visit from an old friend, it felt a bit forced - a relatively simple assignment puffed up with some sexual stuff I didn't feel was necessary (other than to justify the release of a new story).
Scudder fans will welcome it, but I feel The Night and the Music was a far better farewell to one of my favorite characters ever.
March 12, 2019
I LOVED THIS BOOK. Have not read Lawrence Block before, and I understand that this one is quite different from his others, but it made me laugh and for me, that's always a good thing. The sex seemed a bit tongue-in-cheek, especially toward the end, but since TARTS is a group of semi or retired sex workers it seemed not all that unusual. Elaine and Matthew are relaxed and funny in their lives, but remain willing to once again, get involved. So glad I picked it at random.
April 17, 2020
This is the last of the Matthew Scudder series and I’m sad to have finished them. Very grateful to my friend Ritchie for the recommendation. Great series!
February 22, 2019
A Time to Scatter Stones (A Matt Scudder Novella) by Lawrence Block.
Let me say first & foremost that I have been a long time fan of Matt Scudder. An avid reader of so many in this series for 20 years at least. I was happily looking forward to this new Matt Scudder. Sadly, this short story (and so glad it was short)was quite a disappointment.
Matt and Elaine (his long time significant other and now his wife) are growing old together. The usual aches and pains of the elderly have become a way of life with them. They are there for each other and still as much in love as they ever were. Matt's been in AA for decades and for him it's become a necessary part of his life. Elaine had an antique boutique of sorts once she left prostitution for good. One day she announces that she's going to meetings for women who have left prostitution. She's actually become a mentor for Ellen.
That's when Matt Scudder is confronted by Elaine & Ellen who need his assistance. Ellen has told all her "John's" that's she's through with prostitution. All have been accepting of her decision except for one. That one, "Paul", has become more demanding and that has Ellen frightened. It's Matt's turn to resolve Ellen's dilemma. This part of the story I enjoyed.
The rest of the book focuses on senior porn with raunchy language thrown in. I found it repulsive and boring. Thank goodness this was a short story. I regret Matt Scudder having this for his last story. Please go back and read some of the marvelous M.S. books from years ago. That's how I will remember Matt.
All I can say is
Let me say first & foremost that I have been a long time fan of Matt Scudder. An avid reader of so many in this series for 20 years at least. I was happily looking forward to this new Matt Scudder. Sadly, this short story (and so glad it was short)was quite a disappointment.
Matt and Elaine (his long time significant other and now his wife) are growing old together. The usual aches and pains of the elderly have become a way of life with them. They are there for each other and still as much in love as they ever were. Matt's been in AA for decades and for him it's become a necessary part of his life. Elaine had an antique boutique of sorts once she left prostitution for good. One day she announces that she's going to meetings for women who have left prostitution. She's actually become a mentor for Ellen.
That's when Matt Scudder is confronted by Elaine & Ellen who need his assistance. Ellen has told all her "John's" that's she's through with prostitution. All have been accepting of her decision except for one. That one, "Paul", has become more demanding and that has Ellen frightened. It's Matt's turn to resolve Ellen's dilemma. This part of the story I enjoyed.
The rest of the book focuses on senior porn with raunchy language thrown in. I found it repulsive and boring. Thank goodness this was a short story. I regret Matt Scudder having this for his last story. Please go back and read some of the marvelous M.S. books from years ago. That's how I will remember Matt.
All I can say is
May 16, 2019
I have never read any Matthew Scudder novels before . I thought this would be a mystery but it really wasn’t it was an odd little book about sex .......
May 19, 2019
I've been reading more and more crime fiction over the last ten years, so I have no excuse for not having read a single thing by Lawrence Block before this short novella. I've certainly heard favorable things about his works, and even have a few novels I snagged at book sales, etc. over the years. Yet, I've never picked up one until now. I actually came across this novella at my local library, and made a snap decision that, because of the shorter length, this would be a great starting point to get acquainted with the writing of Lawrence Block.
I'm glad I did and I enjoyed the book, although I finished with the impression that A Time To Scatter Stones doesn't really represent the greatness of Block that he's renowned for. Rather than discourage me, it makes me want to pick up some of those novels I'm holding and explore further.
These are the things that I really like about this story, featuring long-time Block character Matthew Scudder, now retired from detective work as well as the police force:
1. Block lets Schudder age in real time, just like Michael Connelly and Ian Rankin do with their landmark characters.
2. Conversation leads the plot - - lots of discussion throughout, and nothing happens without a preliminary conversation. The dialogue is engaging, realistic, and amusing. Old retired couple manages to retain their sense of humor and sharp wit.
3. Block doesn't try to make his character a super-man. Scudder is retired, his knees ache and he can't walk a beat like he used to, and he's not that active (except for one critical scene, and even then he's restrained). He solves the case with brains, not brawn.
4. Block takes a situation that would probably be an interesting secondary story-line in a novel, and brings it front and center making it the main conflict of the novella. But doing so, he draws attention to something that I'd never even considered - - could prostitutes have the same issues leaving the business as alcoholics do in keeping away from the bottle? And are their support groups to help them make the transition. The answers are yes and yes.
5. I've got a soft spot for stories of vigilante justice -- when it's appropriate and a better resolution to traditional methods. (To tell more would spoil the story for you. Just know that I'm not advocating brutality or murder here. Read the story and you'll understand that better.)
I'm glad I did and I enjoyed the book, although I finished with the impression that A Time To Scatter Stones doesn't really represent the greatness of Block that he's renowned for. Rather than discourage me, it makes me want to pick up some of those novels I'm holding and explore further.
These are the things that I really like about this story, featuring long-time Block character Matthew Scudder, now retired from detective work as well as the police force:
1. Block lets Schudder age in real time, just like Michael Connelly and Ian Rankin do with their landmark characters.
2. Conversation leads the plot - - lots of discussion throughout, and nothing happens without a preliminary conversation. The dialogue is engaging, realistic, and amusing. Old retired couple manages to retain their sense of humor and sharp wit.
3. Block doesn't try to make his character a super-man. Scudder is retired, his knees ache and he can't walk a beat like he used to, and he's not that active (except for one critical scene, and even then he's restrained). He solves the case with brains, not brawn.
4. Block takes a situation that would probably be an interesting secondary story-line in a novel, and brings it front and center making it the main conflict of the novella. But doing so, he draws attention to something that I'd never even considered - - could prostitutes have the same issues leaving the business as alcoholics do in keeping away from the bottle? And are their support groups to help them make the transition. The answers are yes and yes.
5. I've got a soft spot for stories of vigilante justice -- when it's appropriate and a better resolution to traditional methods. (To tell more would spoil the story for you. Just know that I'm not advocating brutality or murder here. Read the story and you'll understand that better.)
March 3, 2019
I didn’t know I wanted to watch Matt Scudder grow old, but it’s been fascinating. (And kinda hot.)
Like Spenser before him, Matt Scudder has gotten older (though his origin story hasn’t changed). That’s not to say that his story isn’t vital, or isn’t interesting; in some ways it actually is more so. There’s a good, sexual mystery/crime at the center of this book, exciting enough for long time crime readers ... but every Scudder book is more than just the crimes he’s involved with. The Scudder series has almost always been the story of a man struggling to understand himself and better himself. That’s no different in this book.
I think the main reason why I liked A Time to Scatter Stones so much is because none of it seems perfunctory, or out of place. It all seems like a logical continuation of Matt’s - and Elaine’s - story. While a number of characters I really like never got the chance to show up, I almost respect the book more for that. You don’t have to throw in fan service if the story is compelling enough, and the main characters are still interesting, and fun to read about.
Now I want more.
Like Spenser before him, Matt Scudder has gotten older (though his origin story hasn’t changed). That’s not to say that his story isn’t vital, or isn’t interesting; in some ways it actually is more so. There’s a good, sexual mystery/crime at the center of this book, exciting enough for long time crime readers ... but every Scudder book is more than just the crimes he’s involved with. The Scudder series has almost always been the story of a man struggling to understand himself and better himself. That’s no different in this book.
I think the main reason why I liked A Time to Scatter Stones so much is because none of it seems perfunctory, or out of place. It all seems like a logical continuation of Matt’s - and Elaine’s - story. While a number of characters I really like never got the chance to show up, I almost respect the book more for that. You don’t have to throw in fan service if the story is compelling enough, and the main characters are still interesting, and fun to read about.
Now I want more.
January 12, 2019
Lawrence Block is just so much better than everyone else. Is there a smoother wordsmith in existence?
A Time to Scatter Stones appears to be the Matt Scudder swan song, and it's a good one. He has aged in real-time, and he's been out of the detecting game for a spell.
Short but sweet, the novella takes its time presenting the inevitable case, opting instead to let a very old Matt and Elaine reminisce and make references to events from lots of previous novels. It's fun, and it's also kinda hard to see Scudder.... kinda... over the hill.. But fear not. Scudder is soon presented with a case, and he has to shake off some rust in order to take care of business, and he (Mr. Block) does not disappoint. Scudder is still Scudder, and Block can still write out of his mind.
It's a hair closer to Getting Off or Small Town than most of the previous Scudder novels, if you know what I mean, and if you're a Block fan, I think you do.
Lawrence Block is one of my all-time favorite authors, and he hasn't lost a step. I know that eventually he's going to stop writing, but I'll continue to devour everything he writes until then. A fitting end to the Scudder saga. We've come a long way since Sins of the Father, haven't we?
A Time to Scatter Stones appears to be the Matt Scudder swan song, and it's a good one. He has aged in real-time, and he's been out of the detecting game for a spell.
Short but sweet, the novella takes its time presenting the inevitable case, opting instead to let a very old Matt and Elaine reminisce and make references to events from lots of previous novels. It's fun, and it's also kinda hard to see Scudder.... kinda... over the hill.. But fear not. Scudder is soon presented with a case, and he has to shake off some rust in order to take care of business, and he (Mr. Block) does not disappoint. Scudder is still Scudder, and Block can still write out of his mind.
It's a hair closer to Getting Off or Small Town than most of the previous Scudder novels, if you know what I mean, and if you're a Block fan, I think you do.
Lawrence Block is one of my all-time favorite authors, and he hasn't lost a step. I know that eventually he's going to stop writing, but I'll continue to devour everything he writes until then. A fitting end to the Scudder saga. We've come a long way since Sins of the Father, haven't we?
December 28, 2018
Full disclosure: I am a Scudder/Block fan from way back. I can honestly say that I cannot recall the last time, if ever, that I have felt such anticipation for a new novel.
I first met Matthew Scudder about 35 years ago in the novel Eight Million Ways to Die. I was in my late teens, he was probably 40-ish (back in the days before 40 was the new 25 and 50 was the new 30 and 60 was the new adolescence... or whatever).
From the day I picked up that first book (actually the 5th in the series) I have been a huge fan of Scudder and Block.
Matthew Scudder has never been a character who was suspended in time. He has aged, more or less, in real time along with his creator, author Lawrence Block. So this latest entry finds him as a much older man at a time in life where it's more about memories of things that used to be - people, places, things - than it is about pounding the pavement for clues and kicking ass.
But he's still Matthew Scudder and trouble of one sort or another always seems to enlist (if not insist on) his participation. So it is that he sets out to help his wife's friend divest herself of an unwanted admirer. During the course of things he recalls some of the different characters and events we know from previous books in the series. Something along the lines of "back in the day I would have spoken to so-and-so but since he's now doing such-and-such that won't cut it."
A Time to Scatter Stones takes its time getting to where it's going. One of my favorite parts in the book is when Scudder mentally admonishes himself for taking so much time relating something that's happened "An old man's like an old river, tending to meander, given to lingering in the interesting bends and curves it cuts into the earth".
I hesitate to recommend this book as a standalone, the reality is that it you aren't at least a little bit familiar with the series it will likely leave you shaking your head and muttering, "What's all the fuss about?" And if you are a longtime fan of the series we both know that nothing I say will keep you from this book... But for the record I recommend it.
I don't know if there will be any more books in this series. There have been many times over the years when Lawrence Block has thought he was finished with Matthew Scudder, that he had said all he had to say and done all he could with the character... but then Scudder would come a' knocking and another book or two would be added to the series. These days Mr. Block, like the character he created all those years ago, is getting along in years and a man can only do so much.
While I can't say that I have loved every book in the series (most but not all) I will say that Lawrence Block has never phoned one in or given less than full measure. If this ends up being the final entry in the Matthew Scudder series then Lawrence Block will have taken him out on a high note. It's not the best in the series but it's still pretty darn good!
NOTE: There is adult language, sexual situations, and mild violence.
There's a little too much sexual content for my personal taste but it's not what I would consider rude, vulgar, or even particularly gratuitous.
***Very special thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with a free digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
I first met Matthew Scudder about 35 years ago in the novel Eight Million Ways to Die. I was in my late teens, he was probably 40-ish (back in the days before 40 was the new 25 and 50 was the new 30 and 60 was the new adolescence... or whatever).
From the day I picked up that first book (actually the 5th in the series) I have been a huge fan of Scudder and Block.
Matthew Scudder has never been a character who was suspended in time. He has aged, more or less, in real time along with his creator, author Lawrence Block. So this latest entry finds him as a much older man at a time in life where it's more about memories of things that used to be - people, places, things - than it is about pounding the pavement for clues and kicking ass.
But he's still Matthew Scudder and trouble of one sort or another always seems to enlist (if not insist on) his participation. So it is that he sets out to help his wife's friend divest herself of an unwanted admirer. During the course of things he recalls some of the different characters and events we know from previous books in the series. Something along the lines of "back in the day I would have spoken to so-and-so but since he's now doing such-and-such that won't cut it."
A Time to Scatter Stones takes its time getting to where it's going. One of my favorite parts in the book is when Scudder mentally admonishes himself for taking so much time relating something that's happened "An old man's like an old river, tending to meander, given to lingering in the interesting bends and curves it cuts into the earth".
I hesitate to recommend this book as a standalone, the reality is that it you aren't at least a little bit familiar with the series it will likely leave you shaking your head and muttering, "What's all the fuss about?" And if you are a longtime fan of the series we both know that nothing I say will keep you from this book... But for the record I recommend it.
I don't know if there will be any more books in this series. There have been many times over the years when Lawrence Block has thought he was finished with Matthew Scudder, that he had said all he had to say and done all he could with the character... but then Scudder would come a' knocking and another book or two would be added to the series. These days Mr. Block, like the character he created all those years ago, is getting along in years and a man can only do so much.
While I can't say that I have loved every book in the series (most but not all) I will say that Lawrence Block has never phoned one in or given less than full measure. If this ends up being the final entry in the Matthew Scudder series then Lawrence Block will have taken him out on a high note. It's not the best in the series but it's still pretty darn good!
NOTE: There is adult language, sexual situations, and mild violence.
There's a little too much sexual content for my personal taste but it's not what I would consider rude, vulgar, or even particularly gratuitous.
***Very special thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with a free digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Read
November 16, 2018Did you ever go to visit a long time friend or relative; just drop in one day on your way through to somewhere else? That is what this reader experienced while reading A Time To Scatter Stones by Lawrence Block. This is a Matthew Scudder novella. Scudder the once NY City cop, then private investigator is now more the latter, though extremely retired with his Elaine.
The plot surrounds a friend of Elaine's from a support group, who like her is a former hooker. The woman is stalked by a former John and asks Elaine, and Matthew for help. During this story, Scudder reflects on old cases, how his relationship with his girlfriend developed, all the while bringing the current case and relationship to satisfying conclusions.
The author does a wonderful job of weaving in mentions from the past into the present without appearing like an infomercial for former works. The reading, the plot, and the characters all made this one a very satisfying read. This book will be enjoyed by fans of the author, and Matthew Scudder. Even people new to the character will receive enough insight to the character and no doubt want more!
The plot surrounds a friend of Elaine's from a support group, who like her is a former hooker. The woman is stalked by a former John and asks Elaine, and Matthew for help. During this story, Scudder reflects on old cases, how his relationship with his girlfriend developed, all the while bringing the current case and relationship to satisfying conclusions.
The author does a wonderful job of weaving in mentions from the past into the present without appearing like an infomercial for former works. The reading, the plot, and the characters all made this one a very satisfying read. This book will be enjoyed by fans of the author, and Matthew Scudder. Even people new to the character will receive enough insight to the character and no doubt want more!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews