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Matthew Scudder #12
A Long Line of Dead Men
Investigating a strange, thirty-year run of suicides and bizarre accidents that plague the members of a select gentleman's club in Manhattan, unlicensed P.I. Matthew Scudder uncovers the work of a relentless serial killer. Reissue.
338 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1994
98 people are currently reading
1057 people want to read
About the author
Lawrence Block
756 books3,008 followersLawrence Block has been writing crime, mystery, and suspense fiction for more than half a century. He has published in excess (oh, wretched excess!) of 100 books, and no end of short stories.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he’d be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them.
His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg. The first time Lawrence Block’s name appeared in print was when his short story “You Can’t Lose” was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death. In 2005 it became the first offering from Hard Case Crime, and bore for the first time LB’s original title, Grifter’s Game.
LB is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-private investigator Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller.
Because one name is never enough, LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
LB’s magazine appearances include American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Linn’s Stamp News, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times. His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar’s Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.
Several of LB’s books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder and is scheduled for release in September, 2014.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.)
LB and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.
He is a modest and humble fellow, although you would never guess as much from this biographical note.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he’d be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them.
His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg. The first time Lawrence Block’s name appeared in print was when his short story “You Can’t Lose” was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death. In 2005 it became the first offering from Hard Case Crime, and bore for the first time LB’s original title, Grifter’s Game.
LB is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-private investigator Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller.
Because one name is never enough, LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
LB’s magazine appearances include American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Linn’s Stamp News, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times. His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar’s Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.
Several of LB’s books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder and is scheduled for release in September, 2014.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.)
LB and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.
He is a modest and humble fellow, although you would never guess as much from this biographical note.
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March 23, 2020
A Long Line of Dead Men is an unusual departure from Block's realistic tales of the New York streets, and I do not believe it is a completely successful one. Still, the central idea of the novel--a gentleman's club with an unusual organizing principle and aim--is as old-fashioned a marvel as anything in Edgar Allan Poe or Arthur Conan Doyle, and Block deserves much credit for the way he brings a gritty feel and considerable credibility to this Arabian Night's style entertainment.
Detective Matt Scudder is hired by Lewis Hildebrand, who is concerned because the members of his "Club of 31" have been dying off at a statistically improbable rate, and Hildebrand wants Matt to determine if the club itself may be the hunting ground of a serial killer.
Matt has roughly two dozen primary suspects (who also happen to be potential victims) to investigate. Just as soon--of course--as he finishes examining the deaths which have already occurred.
This is where Block's task as a writer becomes challenging. How does he take this extraordinary large number of possibilities and narrow them down realistically, without using the elaborate ratiocinations and theatrical revelations Dupin or Holmes might employ? He does so by making Scudder's detective work just another part of Scudder's day-to-day life, a technique which is only an extension of Block's usual practice, for his books are always about many things in addition to the mystery itself. This time, however, I found the development too desultory, the arc of the tale too little in focus.
This may be only a minor quibble, for two reasons: 1) the events of Scudder's life (the whisky-fueled tales of his friend Mick Ballou, Matt and girlfriend Elaine's trip to the kinky club "Marilyn's Chamber," Matt's emotional involvement as an unofficial AA sponsor) are all good stories in themselves, and 2) his method works, for when the crucial facts reveal themselves near the end, I was both surprised and pleased. Block suckered me. What I thought was just another interesting episode in Matt's life turned out to be the solution after all.
Oh, and I liked the conclusion too. The murderer's punishment is both horrific and poetic, in a picturesque, old-fashioned way. I can't help thinking Poe and Conan-Doyle would have approved.
December 21, 2011
You would think that after a while the business of being a private investigator has to get kind of routine and boring for guys like Matt Scudder who have had long careers. Sure it seems like searching for murderers would never get dull, but I imagine it’s like any other job and eventually even tracking serial killers would be just like filling out another TPS report. But Matt gets a humdinger of a problem in this one that would make even the most bored and jaded detective straighten his tie and polish his blackjack at the possibility of looking into this case.
Lewis Hildebrand has been a member of an odd secret club for three decades. A group of 31 men meet once a year for a dinner and a reading of the names of members who died since their last gathering. This goes on annually until only one member is left, and then that survivor creates a new group. According to the man who recruited Hildebrand, the club’s roots go back for several generations.
However, Hildebrand is troubled at the high death rate of the membership. About half the members have gone to their reward even though his research with actuarial tables show that only about 5 men should have died out of a group their age and size. With several murders and alleged suicides in the mix, Hildebrand hires Matt to see if someone is targeting the group or if it’s just some kind of statistical anomaly. As Matt looks into the deaths, he finds a lot be suspicious about, but what kind of killer would patiently go after a small group of men for years with no obvious motive?
This is another quality entry in the Scudder series with Matt trying to unravel a unique mystery and dealing with his own issues. Investigating a group of successful men about his own age has made Matt examine his own legacy, and he’s finding it a bit thin. This is also a great one for Scudder fans because we get a lot of interactions with Matt’s supporting players like street hustler TJ, police sketch artist Ray, and an extended all-night bullshit session with his best friend and gangster, Mick Ballou.
We also get another example of Matt displaying his own brand of problem solving when it comes to dealing with the killer.
Lewis Hildebrand has been a member of an odd secret club for three decades. A group of 31 men meet once a year for a dinner and a reading of the names of members who died since their last gathering. This goes on annually until only one member is left, and then that survivor creates a new group. According to the man who recruited Hildebrand, the club’s roots go back for several generations.
However, Hildebrand is troubled at the high death rate of the membership. About half the members have gone to their reward even though his research with actuarial tables show that only about 5 men should have died out of a group their age and size. With several murders and alleged suicides in the mix, Hildebrand hires Matt to see if someone is targeting the group or if it’s just some kind of statistical anomaly. As Matt looks into the deaths, he finds a lot be suspicious about, but what kind of killer would patiently go after a small group of men for years with no obvious motive?
This is another quality entry in the Scudder series with Matt trying to unravel a unique mystery and dealing with his own issues. Investigating a group of successful men about his own age has made Matt examine his own legacy, and he’s finding it a bit thin. This is also a great one for Scudder fans because we get a lot of interactions with Matt’s supporting players like street hustler TJ, police sketch artist Ray, and an extended all-night bullshit session with his best friend and gangster, Mick Ballou.
We also get another example of Matt displaying his own brand of problem solving when it comes to dealing with the killer.
December 17, 2011
A club of 31 meets every year to observe the deaths of its members. Only someone is making sure the members don't die of old age and it's up to Matthew Scudder to find out who is behind the killings. Can he stop the murders while there are still club members left?
While it wasn't my favorite Matthew Scudders story, A Long Line of Dead Men was still very enjoyable. I figured out who the killer was about halfway through. The rumplestilskin clue clinched my earlier hunch.
Lawrence Block's writing is very underrated. I found myself writing down phrases I liked, like "orphans of the storm" and "I come from a long line of dead men." I also liked that Matt's AA membership storyline advanced a bit when he took Jim Short as a sponsee and tried to get him into AA. I also liked that his relationship with Elaine progressed a bit. Mick Ballou, as always, made me want to pester Lawrence Block to write some books about him. That's one thing that separates Matthew Scudder from a lot of series characters. Things progress and develop rather than stagnate.
If you like detective fiction and the idea of a recovering alcoholic detective pleases you, give old Matthew Scudder a shot. You shan't be dissappointed.
While it wasn't my favorite Matthew Scudders story, A Long Line of Dead Men was still very enjoyable. I figured out who the killer was about halfway through. The rumplestilskin clue clinched my earlier hunch.
Lawrence Block's writing is very underrated. I found myself writing down phrases I liked, like "orphans of the storm" and "I come from a long line of dead men." I also liked that Matt's AA membership storyline advanced a bit when he took Jim Short as a sponsee and tried to get him into AA. I also liked that his relationship with Elaine progressed a bit. Mick Ballou, as always, made me want to pester Lawrence Block to write some books about him. That's one thing that separates Matthew Scudder from a lot of series characters. Things progress and develop rather than stagnate.
If you like detective fiction and the idea of a recovering alcoholic detective pleases you, give old Matthew Scudder a shot. You shan't be dissappointed.
June 20, 2014
Unlicensed detective Matt Scudder is hired by a member of a secret group of men who meet once a year to discuss progress made in their lives. In 1961, the group started out strong with thirty-one members and now, some thirty years later, they’re down to fourteen. It doesn't seem uncommon - people die all the time - but when you look at the circumstances behind a select few deaths, it sure looks like someone has certain members in their cross-hairs. Murders, suicides, accidents - they all add up. Can Scudder prove that someone is knocking them off like proverbial ducks in a carnival game?
Scudder is trapped between a rock and a hard place. While Scudder thinks one of the best options is to get the police involved, the members wish to stay under the radar and would rather not be subjected to the inevitable media circus that would come with thrusting the club of thirty-one into the public eye. With that option out, Scudder has to rely on his ingenuity and good old detective skills to crack the case - which has never been a problem before. However, unfortunately for Scudder, he doesn't even know where to begin.
In one of the best parts of the novel, Scudder shares an evening with his friend and feared New York gangster Mick Ballou as they chat about growing up with their fathers and a multitude of other topics. If for some reason Block felt compelled to write a novel that was just a conversation between Scudder and Ballou, it would be welcomed by this reader.
The villain reminded me of James Leo Motley, the murderous psychopath from Block’s eighth Scudder novel, A Ticket to the Boneyard. While the ending isn't typical of a Scudder novel, it’s wholly satisfying and sticks out as one of the more memorable conclusions in the entire series. I was grinning from ear to ear. You will not be disappointed.
Also posted @ Every Read Thing
Scudder is trapped between a rock and a hard place. While Scudder thinks one of the best options is to get the police involved, the members wish to stay under the radar and would rather not be subjected to the inevitable media circus that would come with thrusting the club of thirty-one into the public eye. With that option out, Scudder has to rely on his ingenuity and good old detective skills to crack the case - which has never been a problem before. However, unfortunately for Scudder, he doesn't even know where to begin.
In one of the best parts of the novel, Scudder shares an evening with his friend and feared New York gangster Mick Ballou as they chat about growing up with their fathers and a multitude of other topics. If for some reason Block felt compelled to write a novel that was just a conversation between Scudder and Ballou, it would be welcomed by this reader.
The villain reminded me of James Leo Motley, the murderous psychopath from Block’s eighth Scudder novel, A Ticket to the Boneyard. While the ending isn't typical of a Scudder novel, it’s wholly satisfying and sticks out as one of the more memorable conclusions in the entire series. I was grinning from ear to ear. You will not be disappointed.
Also posted @ Every Read Thing
June 24, 2021
In book #12 Lawrence Block’s Matthew Scudder mysteries, The Club of 31, an ancient brotherhood (or, just a group of largely well-to-do men) meets in secret once a year to celebrate life in part by celebrating its dead. But the past three decades have not been kind to the Club of 31. One of the group comes to Scudder for help because it seems a disproportionate number of the members are dying off. Is someone killing them? If so, is it someone from the inside?
Of course we are all a part of a long line of dead people, and this club just is one instance of highlighting/honoring the dead among us. Scudder, too, is getting older, in his mid fifties, and he has battered his body with booze and gumshoe detective work, so his place in mortality is part of this work.
This is a rather different kind of book for Block, a kind of Agatha Christie-style “closed room” type mystery, where Matt Scudder must investigate more than a dozen suspects who remain in the group. Another Christie theme: Is the murderer “mad”? Why? Why does he do it?!
And after we (as we inevitably do) catch the (serial) killer, what happens when no one in the group wants a public trial (it’s a secret club!) or even believes in capital punishment? Block/Scudder has little problem killing people, when he needs to, but he would never just contract-kill for a client, even one like this guy, so the capture and solution of this one is interesting.
There have been disturbingly brutal murderers to solve in this series, but for the second book in a row, grisly is not Block’s way to go, for which I was personally relieved. But this one is also unusual in that Block is ramping up the comedy. I was reminded of the comic detecting duo of Nick and Nora Charles, in Dashiell Hammett’s The Thin Man series, with a lot of (very good) madcap jokes sprinkled throughout. Elaine and Matt, Durkin and Matt, TJ and Matt, all provide comic dialogue set pieces as a kind of counterpoint to the whodunnit. The early books were darker, less funny, but maybe this is in part because the ex-boozer Matt seems a bit happier; oh, he’s a human being, he makes moral mistakes here, but it would appear love may finally win the day. I think this is one of the better, later Scudder books, I really enjoyed it.
Of course we are all a part of a long line of dead people, and this club just is one instance of highlighting/honoring the dead among us. Scudder, too, is getting older, in his mid fifties, and he has battered his body with booze and gumshoe detective work, so his place in mortality is part of this work.
This is a rather different kind of book for Block, a kind of Agatha Christie-style “closed room” type mystery, where Matt Scudder must investigate more than a dozen suspects who remain in the group. Another Christie theme: Is the murderer “mad”? Why? Why does he do it?!
And after we (as we inevitably do) catch the (serial) killer, what happens when no one in the group wants a public trial (it’s a secret club!) or even believes in capital punishment? Block/Scudder has little problem killing people, when he needs to, but he would never just contract-kill for a client, even one like this guy, so the capture and solution of this one is interesting.
There have been disturbingly brutal murderers to solve in this series, but for the second book in a row, grisly is not Block’s way to go, for which I was personally relieved. But this one is also unusual in that Block is ramping up the comedy. I was reminded of the comic detecting duo of Nick and Nora Charles, in Dashiell Hammett’s The Thin Man series, with a lot of (very good) madcap jokes sprinkled throughout. Elaine and Matt, Durkin and Matt, TJ and Matt, all provide comic dialogue set pieces as a kind of counterpoint to the whodunnit. The early books were darker, less funny, but maybe this is in part because the ex-boozer Matt seems a bit happier; oh, he’s a human being, he makes moral mistakes here, but it would appear love may finally win the day. I think this is one of the better, later Scudder books, I really enjoyed it.
February 21, 2020
"A Long Line of Dead Men" is the 12th Matthew Scudder novel, a most unusual detective series. If you have been reading this series, you, of course, know that Scudder left the police force after a shooting that ended with an innocent child getting killed, that Scudder descended into drink and despair, leaving his job and family behind, but holding court at Armstrong's bar, doing favors such as detective work for friends and friends of friends. After descending into despair and blackouts, he found salvation of a sort attending meetings in church basements, sometimes more than one meeting a day, but taking one day at a time, staying sober.
At this point in the series, Scudder is living with and engaged to Elaine, a former high priced call girl who he had met and exchanged favors with when he was on the force and she needed a friend on the force. He has left his rundown hotel for an apartment with Elaine. He still lacks a Private eye license and does favors for friends.
This mystery is a little different from the ordinary. There is secret group of 31 men who meet once a year and, when they meet, they read the names of the departed, and then eat and talk and meet again the next year. Only problem: they have been dying at an actuarially extraordinary rate. It is not clear if there is a murderer stalking them, but the numbers of murders and suicides and accidents even in a statistically small group are quite high and suspiciously high at that. Scudder doesn't even know if there is a murderer out there or what the motive is or how anyone found out about the group, if indeed there is a stalker.
There is not much to go on and little in the way of clues, since the killings go back many years and there is no pattern among them. Scudder doggedly pokes around as he usually does until he finds something. It is a well-written, engrossing mystery and well worth reading. For those of us who have been following the world of Scudder, this book also develops further the personalities of Scudder, Elaine, and TJ and Scudder's gritty world in the streets of the five boroughs.
At this point in the series, Scudder is living with and engaged to Elaine, a former high priced call girl who he had met and exchanged favors with when he was on the force and she needed a friend on the force. He has left his rundown hotel for an apartment with Elaine. He still lacks a Private eye license and does favors for friends.
This mystery is a little different from the ordinary. There is secret group of 31 men who meet once a year and, when they meet, they read the names of the departed, and then eat and talk and meet again the next year. Only problem: they have been dying at an actuarially extraordinary rate. It is not clear if there is a murderer stalking them, but the numbers of murders and suicides and accidents even in a statistically small group are quite high and suspiciously high at that. Scudder doesn't even know if there is a murderer out there or what the motive is or how anyone found out about the group, if indeed there is a stalker.
There is not much to go on and little in the way of clues, since the killings go back many years and there is no pattern among them. Scudder doggedly pokes around as he usually does until he finds something. It is a well-written, engrossing mystery and well worth reading. For those of us who have been following the world of Scudder, this book also develops further the personalities of Scudder, Elaine, and TJ and Scudder's gritty world in the streets of the five boroughs.
October 22, 2012
Number 12 in a series and you would think Block might be running out of ideas. But no--he's an idea genius. The latest mystery surrounds a secret club of 31 men which has been meeting annually for decades. When the club is down to one surviving man, he recruits a group of 30 to carry on the tradition. Why? No one knows. To be a spot to share secrets. To make a connection with history. To acknowledge the passage of time (Or, as Elaine points out, to be masculine). Unfortunately, members have been dying at a rate much faster than an actuarial table would predict. One of the survivors comes to Scudder, looking for some help.
The mystery is interesting enough, although once again, the killer was relatively easy to figure out before the end. Since I'm not the kind of reader that usually knows, it means Block was more than a little obvious. Nonetheless, it was a good story, propelled by a number of character development issues and enjoyable dialogue. One of the things I love about the Scudder books is how issues and historical context is woven into the story. There's a nice little bit about the sudden predominance of trees in the city, when Scudder can remember the days where one would have to go to Central Park to see the trees. Sure, you lose a few to pollution and trucks, he acknowledges. But they are tough, and some survive. Anyone whose walked the streets in Manhattan has seen those stragglers trying to grow. "Some of us see the glass half full. I see it three-fourths empty, and some days it's all I can do to keep my hands off it."
Oh, the dialogue was a pleasure this time, especially the sections with Durkin. He and Scudder spend a few minutes getting a little philosophical about lying in service of the higher good.
Then there's Durkin without cigarettes:
"You want to get even with somebody, either you whip out a gun and make a little noise or you tear into him with a baseball bat, break his bones, and beat his fu*king brains out. Something wrong?'
'Remind me never to get you mad at me.'
'Why, did I sound like I was really getting into it there?' He grinned. 'I'm ten days off cigarettes.'"
In fact, Durkin is really on a roll:
"'Twelve years between Uhl and Watson,' he said, 'you're talking about a killer who likes to take his time. The other twenty-six guys, time he gets around to them they'll be too old to care. You know what he's like, this guy? He's prostate cancer. By the time he kills you you're already dead of something else.'"
Of course, TJ has his own take on the club, reflecting the perspective of an urban street-wise young man of color:
"'Thirty-two years,' he said. 'You couldn't start a club like that on the Deuce. Never mind no thirty-two years. 'Fore you knew it, you wouldn't have nobody left to have a meeting with. The ones that wasn't dead themselves, they most likely be locked up for killin' the other ones... Group of dudes I knew four, five years ago, half of 'em's dead. Didn't take no thirty-two years, neither. Dyin' must be easy, when I think of all the dudes caught on real quick how to do it.'
While he is working the cold cases of club members, Scudder is pondering a number life choices. Should he go private? He's continuing to take a few cases for the agency, including an unfortunate one involving Velcro. Elaine has some words of advice: "'I don't think you want it,' she said. 'I think you feel you ought to want it, but you don't, and that's what upsets you. But it's your call.'" Pleasantly intricate dialogue for a mystery.
A number of secondary characters continue to act as sounding boards for Scudder. As usual, their characterization shines, from Martin, the despondent head of the (in)security firm, to the defense lawyer Hard-Way Ray. (If there's one person I'd love to have a glass of whiskey with as he tells stories about Ireland, it would be Mick).
He's also still
An emotionally satisfying ending, though a bit preposterous. Felt more like a push to continue locating Scudder into morally-bankrupt hero territory then an honest mystery solution.
Overall, three and a half stars--good and leaning to the up side.
What are you waiting for? Go get
The Sins of the Fathers and get started.
The mystery is interesting enough, although once again, the killer was relatively easy to figure out before the end. Since I'm not the kind of reader that usually knows, it means Block was more than a little obvious. Nonetheless, it was a good story, propelled by a number of character development issues and enjoyable dialogue. One of the things I love about the Scudder books is how issues and historical context is woven into the story. There's a nice little bit about the sudden predominance of trees in the city, when Scudder can remember the days where one would have to go to Central Park to see the trees. Sure, you lose a few to pollution and trucks, he acknowledges. But they are tough, and some survive. Anyone whose walked the streets in Manhattan has seen those stragglers trying to grow. "Some of us see the glass half full. I see it three-fourths empty, and some days it's all I can do to keep my hands off it."
Oh, the dialogue was a pleasure this time, especially the sections with Durkin. He and Scudder spend a few minutes getting a little philosophical about lying in service of the higher good.
Then there's Durkin without cigarettes:
"You want to get even with somebody, either you whip out a gun and make a little noise or you tear into him with a baseball bat, break his bones, and beat his fu*king brains out. Something wrong?'
'Remind me never to get you mad at me.'
'Why, did I sound like I was really getting into it there?' He grinned. 'I'm ten days off cigarettes.'"
In fact, Durkin is really on a roll:
"'Twelve years between Uhl and Watson,' he said, 'you're talking about a killer who likes to take his time. The other twenty-six guys, time he gets around to them they'll be too old to care. You know what he's like, this guy? He's prostate cancer. By the time he kills you you're already dead of something else.'"
Of course, TJ has his own take on the club, reflecting the perspective of an urban street-wise young man of color:
"'Thirty-two years,' he said. 'You couldn't start a club like that on the Deuce. Never mind no thirty-two years. 'Fore you knew it, you wouldn't have nobody left to have a meeting with. The ones that wasn't dead themselves, they most likely be locked up for killin' the other ones... Group of dudes I knew four, five years ago, half of 'em's dead. Didn't take no thirty-two years, neither. Dyin' must be easy, when I think of all the dudes caught on real quick how to do it.'
While he is working the cold cases of club members, Scudder is pondering a number life choices. Should he go private? He's continuing to take a few cases for the agency, including an unfortunate one involving Velcro. Elaine has some words of advice: "'I don't think you want it,' she said. 'I think you feel you ought to want it, but you don't, and that's what upsets you. But it's your call.'" Pleasantly intricate dialogue for a mystery.
A number of secondary characters continue to act as sounding boards for Scudder. As usual, their characterization shines, from Martin, the despondent head of the (in)security firm, to the defense lawyer Hard-Way Ray. (If there's one person I'd love to have a glass of whiskey with as he tells stories about Ireland, it would be Mick).
He's also still
An emotionally satisfying ending, though a bit preposterous. Felt more like a push to continue locating Scudder into morally-bankrupt hero territory then an honest mystery solution.
Overall, three and a half stars--good and leaning to the up side.
What are you waiting for? Go get
The Sins of the Fathers and get started.
November 23, 2024
The Club of the Dead
A review of the Telemachus Press eBook (February 15, 2012) of the original William Morrow & Co. hardcover (October 1, 1994).
Investigator Matt Scudder is asked to look into the circumstances of an annual supper club of men whose members are inexplicably dying off at a fast rate. As the club isn't a tontine, there does not appear to be any monetary motive behind the deaths.
Although the situation seems rather implausible, I don't imagine anyone reads the Matt Scudder books for any true crime realism. The drawing interest is the lead character's evolution and his struggles to maintain his sobriety as he ages (now a fictional 55 years of age, in parallel with the real life author). The regular cast of supporting characters is set now and all make their cameo appearances, girlfriend/possible future wife Elaine, AA sponsor Jim Faber, criminal bar owner Mick Ballou, street kid TJ, inside man on the police force Joe Durkin, etc.
The front cover of the original 1994 William Morrow & Co. hardcover edition. Image sourced from Goodreads.
Scudder solves it of course and also continues to take his sobriety a day at a time.
Trivia and Links
I read a considerable number of Lawrence Block books in my pre-GR and pre-reviewing days. Probably 40 or so out of the 100+ that are available. That included all of the Matt Scudder books, several of the Bernie Rhodenbarrs, several of the Evan Tanners, several of the John Kellers, a dozen or so standalones and some of the memoirs. There were even a few of the earlier pulp novels which were originally published under pseudonyms. This re-read is a look back at some of those.
Lawrence Block (June 24, 1938 - ) considers himself retired these days, but still maintains an occasional newsletter with the latest issued in August 2024. He self-publishes some of his earlier works which have otherwise gone out of print, using his own LB Productions imprint.
A review of the Telemachus Press eBook (February 15, 2012) of the original William Morrow & Co. hardcover (October 1, 1994).
“And the whole club isn’t some kind of a tom-tom?”
“Huh?”
“Wrong word,” she said. “A tom-tom’s a drum. Dammit, what’s the word I want?”
“Where are you going?”
“To look it up in the dictionary.”
“How can you look it up,” I wondered, “if you don’t know what it is?”
She didn’t answer.
“Ha!” she said, a few minutes later, and I looked up. “Tontine,” she said. “That’s the word. It’s an eponym.”
Investigator Matt Scudder is asked to look into the circumstances of an annual supper club of men whose members are inexplicably dying off at a fast rate. As the club isn't a tontine, there does not appear to be any monetary motive behind the deaths.
Although the situation seems rather implausible, I don't imagine anyone reads the Matt Scudder books for any true crime realism. The drawing interest is the lead character's evolution and his struggles to maintain his sobriety as he ages (now a fictional 55 years of age, in parallel with the real life author). The regular cast of supporting characters is set now and all make their cameo appearances, girlfriend/possible future wife Elaine, AA sponsor Jim Faber, criminal bar owner Mick Ballou, street kid TJ, inside man on the police force Joe Durkin, etc.
The front cover of the original 1994 William Morrow & Co. hardcover edition. Image sourced from Goodreads.
Scudder solves it of course and also continues to take his sobriety a day at a time.
“I was a cop, a detective. I drank myself off the police force.”
“Is that right?”
“I never got in trouble for it,” I said. “Not directly, but I would have the way I was going. I walked away from it, the job, my wife and kids, my whole life …”
Trivia and Links
I read a considerable number of Lawrence Block books in my pre-GR and pre-reviewing days. Probably 40 or so out of the 100+ that are available. That included all of the Matt Scudder books, several of the Bernie Rhodenbarrs, several of the Evan Tanners, several of the John Kellers, a dozen or so standalones and some of the memoirs. There were even a few of the earlier pulp novels which were originally published under pseudonyms. This re-read is a look back at some of those.
Lawrence Block (June 24, 1938 - ) considers himself retired these days, but still maintains an occasional newsletter with the latest issued in August 2024. He self-publishes some of his earlier works which have otherwise gone out of print, using his own LB Productions imprint.
July 15, 2010
I finished reading this book again today and enjoyed it just as much as I did the first time, even knowing how it ended. A member of an exclusive men's club asks Matt Scudder to investigate what appears to be a very high death rate among the members. Matt doggedly pursues the case, and meets a number of interesting characters along the way. The resolution is a surprise; the ending of the case is very creative; and the book has what is probably the best last line in any Lawrence Block novel.
June 24, 2022
24/6/22
My second experience with this book makes me wonder if I was in a bad mood last time around. Or perhaps it's that I listened to an audio version this time, read by the excellent Jo Barrett. Either way, my reaction couldn’t have been different. As I reflected before, this is one of the stronger plot lines in the series - a group of men who meet only once a year for an ‘annual celebration of mortality’ is gradually being whittled away, but fate or by design? As usual, my memory of my first read was sketchy at best, so I was able to enjoy it as if it was a fresh story (well, almost).
And, not only did I find the story to be enthralling but the dialogue too, which I found to be sharp and sometimes amusing. Ok, I did manage to spot whodunnit, but that might have been a reminder from the past. Either way I’m happy to upgrade my rating to 5 stars for this one.
What was I thinking eleven years ago? 🧐
——————————————————————
13/8/11
If there is such a thing as a bad Scudder book then this is it. It’s not that the tale isn’t an interesting one – it really is one of the strongest plot lines – it’s more that it feels like one of the books Block didn’t lavish enough love on: the phrasings not as crisp and the humour not as sharp. It all feels a bit ‘been there before’. I’m a big fan so I still enjoyed it, but I’ve read much better.
My second experience with this book makes me wonder if I was in a bad mood last time around. Or perhaps it's that I listened to an audio version this time, read by the excellent Jo Barrett. Either way, my reaction couldn’t have been different. As I reflected before, this is one of the stronger plot lines in the series - a group of men who meet only once a year for an ‘annual celebration of mortality’ is gradually being whittled away, but fate or by design? As usual, my memory of my first read was sketchy at best, so I was able to enjoy it as if it was a fresh story (well, almost).
And, not only did I find the story to be enthralling but the dialogue too, which I found to be sharp and sometimes amusing. Ok, I did manage to spot whodunnit, but that might have been a reminder from the past. Either way I’m happy to upgrade my rating to 5 stars for this one.
What was I thinking eleven years ago? 🧐
——————————————————————
13/8/11
If there is such a thing as a bad Scudder book then this is it. It’s not that the tale isn’t an interesting one – it really is one of the strongest plot lines – it’s more that it feels like one of the books Block didn’t lavish enough love on: the phrasings not as crisp and the humour not as sharp. It all feels a bit ‘been there before’. I’m a big fan so I still enjoyed it, but I’ve read much better.
July 21, 2015
There is this club of 31 men meeting every first Thursday in May for dinner and talk. And as odds go the members in this club suffer from a grand case of death. They easily beat the odds when it comes to the average mortality rate and for this reason one of its members involves Matt Scudder. Scudder is supposed to figure out if this nature versus the helping hand of men.
The book is once more about Matthew Scudder & Elaine, TJ doing the footwork required in solving any crime. And slowly a pattern emerges that shows that some of the deaths might have been more artificial than previously suspected. The book is about relations between men and women, about their needs and wants, some more insight in the mind of an alcoholic and the inner workings of the AA.
Once again a mesmerizing work of detectivery done by Scudder and his friends, with an indeed fitting and really cool solution to the continuation of the club.
The way Block spins this tale keeps you reading, even if the pace would not make you so. Reading these last three novels in sequence show an evolution of the various characters which shows that time moves on for them. And lie with his Keller novels you really want to take part in that journey.
The book is once more about Matthew Scudder & Elaine, TJ doing the footwork required in solving any crime. And slowly a pattern emerges that shows that some of the deaths might have been more artificial than previously suspected. The book is about relations between men and women, about their needs and wants, some more insight in the mind of an alcoholic and the inner workings of the AA.
Once again a mesmerizing work of detectivery done by Scudder and his friends, with an indeed fitting and really cool solution to the continuation of the club.
The way Block spins this tale keeps you reading, even if the pace would not make you so. Reading these last three novels in sequence show an evolution of the various characters which shows that time moves on for them. And lie with his Keller novels you really want to take part in that journey.
September 18, 2015
“I haven't seen her in five years. Well, hell, I haven't had a cigarette in twelve, and I damn well wanted one for a minute there. Sometimes I don't think anybody ever gets over anything.”
It was the quote that stood out for me whilst thoroughly enjoying this twelfth novel in the Matt Scudder series, and amazingly enough it sort of captures the essence of the entire book, not that I knew it at the time. How good is that Block fella? Initially it just made my heart ache for my long line of dead relationships and all of those people I swore I'd love for life whose faces and names are faded from instant recall but the way they made me feel remains. But Block takes a classic Agatha Christie like plot - secret club, members dying at an unusually rapid rate in a multitude of ways etc. no publicity wanted, private detective retained to investigate, enter Poirot - and adds New York City and reformed alcoholic Matt Scudder in to the mix and has the theme of how we as a species are unable to get over anything run through it.
Whether it's butcher's son and Irish criminal Mick Ballou, the recently widowed Lisa Holtzman, celebrity lawyer Hard-Way Ray, security guard Jim Shorter, Matt himself or eventually even the killer themselves, in A Long Line of Dead Men they are all kept by their memories of what was lost, those that have slighted them, those they loved unconditionally and the scars of youth. Especially when Scudder eventually works out who is killing the members of this super secret men's club and confronts him. Here is a serial killer with a real chip on his shoulder.
As a rule the serial killer crime trope doesn't entertain men, even Lawrence Block's serial killer novel didn't do much for me, but then that one turned in to a personal vendetta against Scudder and that just makes things even worse as far as I'm concerned. However I was thoroughly enjoying Block's twist on the traditional mystery until the killer is revealed through Scudder's sheer perseverance in the investigation; such an interesting conceit as the one he had set up in the first 180 pages or so seemed like it was begging for a complex resolution, perhaps even bordering on the convoluted and this expectation tempered my enjoyment of the denouement. Obviously the Machiavellian machinations of a secret evil genius millionaire that was the inevitable answer in the golden age of mystery fiction wasn't going to wash in NYC in the 90s (maybe in 2015 however?) and Block's naturalistic approach fits very well within the reality presented (can we actually use the term realistic to describe a serial killer working with infinite patience over a 32 year period to disguise multiple murders as suicides and accidents?) but still, the damp squib effect didn't work for me.
This series is so much more than the mysteries presented for Scudder to solve, even at book 12 Block was finding new ways to evolve his style and investigate his protagonists psyche, discussing humanity whilst he's at it. Even street hustler TJ is growing out of his racially stereotyped caricature in to a real person that is used as a subtle criticism of institutionalised racism. It's a wonderfully readable and consistently excellent series that remains the high point of the detective fiction series as we approach the 40th anniversary of Matt Scudder's debut in The Sins of our Fathers.
It was the quote that stood out for me whilst thoroughly enjoying this twelfth novel in the Matt Scudder series, and amazingly enough it sort of captures the essence of the entire book, not that I knew it at the time. How good is that Block fella? Initially it just made my heart ache for my long line of dead relationships and all of those people I swore I'd love for life whose faces and names are faded from instant recall but the way they made me feel remains. But Block takes a classic Agatha Christie like plot - secret club, members dying at an unusually rapid rate in a multitude of ways etc. no publicity wanted, private detective retained to investigate, enter Poirot - and adds New York City and reformed alcoholic Matt Scudder in to the mix and has the theme of how we as a species are unable to get over anything run through it.
Whether it's butcher's son and Irish criminal Mick Ballou, the recently widowed Lisa Holtzman, celebrity lawyer Hard-Way Ray, security guard Jim Shorter, Matt himself or eventually even the killer themselves, in A Long Line of Dead Men they are all kept by their memories of what was lost, those that have slighted them, those they loved unconditionally and the scars of youth. Especially when Scudder eventually works out who is killing the members of this super secret men's club and confronts him. Here is a serial killer with a real chip on his shoulder.
As a rule the serial killer crime trope doesn't entertain men, even Lawrence Block's serial killer novel didn't do much for me, but then that one turned in to a personal vendetta against Scudder and that just makes things even worse as far as I'm concerned. However I was thoroughly enjoying Block's twist on the traditional mystery until the killer is revealed through Scudder's sheer perseverance in the investigation; such an interesting conceit as the one he had set up in the first 180 pages or so seemed like it was begging for a complex resolution, perhaps even bordering on the convoluted and this expectation tempered my enjoyment of the denouement. Obviously the Machiavellian machinations of a secret evil genius millionaire that was the inevitable answer in the golden age of mystery fiction wasn't going to wash in NYC in the 90s (maybe in 2015 however?) and Block's naturalistic approach fits very well within the reality presented (can we actually use the term realistic to describe a serial killer working with infinite patience over a 32 year period to disguise multiple murders as suicides and accidents?) but still, the damp squib effect didn't work for me.
This series is so much more than the mysteries presented for Scudder to solve, even at book 12 Block was finding new ways to evolve his style and investigate his protagonists psyche, discussing humanity whilst he's at it. Even street hustler TJ is growing out of his racially stereotyped caricature in to a real person that is used as a subtle criticism of institutionalised racism. It's a wonderfully readable and consistently excellent series that remains the high point of the detective fiction series as we approach the 40th anniversary of Matt Scudder's debut in The Sins of our Fathers.
January 23, 2018
The 31 Club. A group of men who meet annually for the sake of celebrating mortality or perhaps life. 31 men who share this exclusive membership which has supposedly been around since Babylonian times. After 30 some odd years since the 1961 pledge, an abnormal number of them have died. Accidents, suicides, murders, ... you name it. One of the surviving members is curious as to why so many of this clique are dead. When you've got mysterious circumstances surrounding an unusual amount of deaths, who you gonna call? Oh yes. Matt Scudder.
Well. This one has a cool premise. What a neat idea concerning the club and what a creative way to muddy the waters for Scudder's investigative prowess. But A Long Line of Dead Men is less about the murders than it is about Matthew and Elaine. The past few books in this series have incorporated elements of Matt's personal life (good, bad, and ugly). In this particular entry, the first three quarters of the book are more or less dedicated to time spent with Elaine, what it means for our favorite investigator, and how his life now revolves around this relationship. These glimpses into Scudder's life are sort of comforting in a weird way. It's like getting to know someone intimately but you'll have to expect the unexpected. Not every part of this man's life is perfect and he is not always looking to improve himself either. You can't beat cheering on a character who has the capability to repulse and surprise you every once in a while.
During the last quarter of the book, Block steps on the gas. The mystery element ramps up and it actually gave me a sensation of being hunted, similar to A Ticket to the Boneyard. The fact that Block can merge mystery, thriller, and introspective narrative in such a seamless way separates this series from other mainstream authors. Some of the Scudder books drift more into one category than the others but that's alright. Block is always able to find a good balance while offering a unique adventure for both Scudder and the reader.
It dawned on me that, sort of like the 31 Club premise, my number of remaining Scudder books to read is steadily dwindling. Before you know it I will be down to two, then one, and then what? I don't know what it is but it's almost like they are being aged in a cellar like wine. Except I, the reader, am changing as I get a little older rather than the books. Conversations with Mick Ballou, TJ, Durkin, and Elaine are appreciated a little more since I started the series a few years ago. It will be a treat to eventually reread them all but now it is a bittersweet feeling to finish one for the first time. I feel half silly writing that about a mystery series but good is good. Sort of like the restaurant Cunningham's (a nod to this book), the wonderful experience of reading these books for the first time is slowly going away. When I finish with The Night and the Music as the capstone, I'll probably celebrate with a big pot of coffee and a large jug of bourbon.
Well. This one has a cool premise. What a neat idea concerning the club and what a creative way to muddy the waters for Scudder's investigative prowess. But A Long Line of Dead Men is less about the murders than it is about Matthew and Elaine. The past few books in this series have incorporated elements of Matt's personal life (good, bad, and ugly). In this particular entry, the first three quarters of the book are more or less dedicated to time spent with Elaine, what it means for our favorite investigator, and how his life now revolves around this relationship. These glimpses into Scudder's life are sort of comforting in a weird way. It's like getting to know someone intimately but you'll have to expect the unexpected. Not every part of this man's life is perfect and he is not always looking to improve himself either. You can't beat cheering on a character who has the capability to repulse and surprise you every once in a while.
During the last quarter of the book, Block steps on the gas. The mystery element ramps up and it actually gave me a sensation of being hunted, similar to A Ticket to the Boneyard. The fact that Block can merge mystery, thriller, and introspective narrative in such a seamless way separates this series from other mainstream authors. Some of the Scudder books drift more into one category than the others but that's alright. Block is always able to find a good balance while offering a unique adventure for both Scudder and the reader.
It dawned on me that, sort of like the 31 Club premise, my number of remaining Scudder books to read is steadily dwindling. Before you know it I will be down to two, then one, and then what? I don't know what it is but it's almost like they are being aged in a cellar like wine. Except I, the reader, am changing as I get a little older rather than the books. Conversations with Mick Ballou, TJ, Durkin, and Elaine are appreciated a little more since I started the series a few years ago. It will be a treat to eventually reread them all but now it is a bittersweet feeling to finish one for the first time. I feel half silly writing that about a mystery series but good is good. Sort of like the restaurant Cunningham's (a nod to this book), the wonderful experience of reading these books for the first time is slowly going away. When I finish with The Night and the Music as the capstone, I'll probably celebrate with a big pot of coffee and a large jug of bourbon.
May 28, 2023
This is the 12th book in Block's Matt Scudder series. I have read all of the previous eleven books and I'll be looking forward to finishing the series. This is one of my favorite crime series...Matthew Scudder is a former cop who quit the force when a young girl was killed accidentally by his bullet during a gun fight. He becomes an unlicensed private investigator and has fought for years to stay sober by attending AA meetings religiously. In this novel, he is asked to investigate whether the deaths in a group of 31 men may not all be according to the laws of probability. The group is a supposed ancient brotherhood of 31 prosperous men who meet once a year to discuss the life happenings of each member. The current group was formed in the 60s and when there is only one survivor, a new group will be formed. But the death rate among the group seems extremely high with only fourteen remaining after thirty years. Could someone be killing the group members? But if so, what is the motive and why have the deaths been stretched out over thirty years. Scudder agrees to look into the case and finds that some of the deaths do indeed look questionable.
This was an unusual case for Scudder. It doesn't really involve any of the usual down and outs or the dregs of New York that he mostly gets involved with but it was still a very good novel in the series. Matt is still with Elaine, a former prostitute, but he is also seeing someone on the side. And then there are also the other wonderfully portrayed supporting characters including TJ, a young black street person who helps Matt with his cases, and Mick Ballou, a bar owner and mobster who Matt goes to for advice and long conversations. Great series that I recommend highly!
This was an unusual case for Scudder. It doesn't really involve any of the usual down and outs or the dregs of New York that he mostly gets involved with but it was still a very good novel in the series. Matt is still with Elaine, a former prostitute, but he is also seeing someone on the side. And then there are also the other wonderfully portrayed supporting characters including TJ, a young black street person who helps Matt with his cases, and Mick Ballou, a bar owner and mobster who Matt goes to for advice and long conversations. Great series that I recommend highly!
July 7, 2019
Scudder is hired by a member of a secret society of thirty-one men that meets once a year to commemorate the members’ deaths. It’s not a tontine – there’s no reward for or benefit to being the last man standing – just a social club of sorts; it’s a mystery, therefore, as to whether and (if so) why the members are being killed off at a remarkable rate, and have been for the past thirty years or so. Some deaths are suicides, some accidents, but could one devious and patient killer be thinning the ranks of the club for some crazed reason of his own? Scudder aims to find out.
This is more like it, a remarkably entertaining and thrilling entry to the series. The villain is suitably maniacal, the danger clear and present, and Scudder still the dogged purveyor of justice (the ending is perfect). Meanwhile, Scudder tries his hand at sponsoring, possibly marriage, and – could it be? – a PI license! But the amoral detective still hasn’t ended his affair... Hopefully this isn’t a sign that, on the domestic side at least, Scudder is heading into Spenser-land (a beautiful, rich, sexy, kinky wife who doesn’t mind a little girl-girl action, nor care that he has other women on the side). Physically and psychically, thankfully, Scudder’s not a cartoonish action hero.
[Read twice: 6/23/03; 12/30/13]
This is more like it, a remarkably entertaining and thrilling entry to the series. The villain is suitably maniacal, the danger clear and present, and Scudder still the dogged purveyor of justice (the ending is perfect). Meanwhile, Scudder tries his hand at sponsoring, possibly marriage, and – could it be? – a PI license! But the amoral detective still hasn’t ended his affair... Hopefully this isn’t a sign that, on the domestic side at least, Scudder is heading into Spenser-land (a beautiful, rich, sexy, kinky wife who doesn’t mind a little girl-girl action, nor care that he has other women on the side). Physically and psychically, thankfully, Scudder’s not a cartoonish action hero.
[Read twice: 6/23/03; 12/30/13]
September 14, 2022
"人類是唯一知道自己會死亡的動物，也是唯一喝酒的動物。"——史卡德
I plan to re-read this book, after the recent departure of a close relative, I can feel and better understand a long line of dead men is exactly the thing that tags behind each of us living souls.
August 6, 2018
I just finished Lawrence Block's latest Matt Scudder book, "A Drop of the Hard Stuff". It's his first book in a few years and I found it of 5 star quality and wrote a review for Amazon. But it is not Block's best Scudder book. That was "A Long Line of Dead Men", originally published in the mid-1990's. (After the first attack on the World Trade Center but before the second.) I make it a habit to reread the book every few years, but I hadn't done so in about 5 years. So, I went back and read it, hoping it would be as good as I remembered it. And it was.
Lawrence Block's novels - and he has had several series using different characters - are never particularly action-filled. Oh, people get killed - in Block's "Keller" series a lot of people get killed - but he's not a graphic writer. In the Scudder series, Block writes in the first person, as Matt Scudder. Scudder is a retired cop, a recovering alcoholic, and an under-the-table private investigator. People hire him to "look into things". And as I wrote in my review of "Hard Stuff", most of the Scudder series touches on AA and its Step program. "Hard Stuff" was heavily into it and this book, "Long Line" also uses AA as a plot point. But the focus of this story is on a club - a private, secret men's group that meets yearly at a steakhouse in New York. The "Club of 31" meets to mark the march of life and death. Every year they enjoy a good meal, good drinks, good conversation, and list the men who have died since the club was formed. Then, when the club is down to the last man living, he chooses 30 young men to start the march all over again. The old list of names is destroyed and a new list of names begins as the 30 age. A long line of dead men.
But the members seem to be dying off at a quicker rate than nature or accidents would account for. By the time Matt is hired to "look around", the club of 31 is down to 16 or so members. Scudder takes the case and begins a quiet search for who is knocking off the members. The only ones who know about the club are the members themselves, so suspicion is focused inward.
Now, Lawrence Block is a master of dialog and conversation. Most of this book is written as conversation between the various characters - Scudder, his girlfriend, the club members, TJ, old friends who are cops and drinkers, etc. Each character is finely drawn and the information about them expands in Block's dialog.
This is not a book for readers who want action. Neither is it so cerebral that it's in any way boring. Block is such a good writer that each page of this book is a treat. I thought it was the best mystery/detective book I'd read when I first read it years ago. I have no reason to change my mind about it now!
Lawrence Block's novels - and he has had several series using different characters - are never particularly action-filled. Oh, people get killed - in Block's "Keller" series a lot of people get killed - but he's not a graphic writer. In the Scudder series, Block writes in the first person, as Matt Scudder. Scudder is a retired cop, a recovering alcoholic, and an under-the-table private investigator. People hire him to "look into things". And as I wrote in my review of "Hard Stuff", most of the Scudder series touches on AA and its Step program. "Hard Stuff" was heavily into it and this book, "Long Line" also uses AA as a plot point. But the focus of this story is on a club - a private, secret men's group that meets yearly at a steakhouse in New York. The "Club of 31" meets to mark the march of life and death. Every year they enjoy a good meal, good drinks, good conversation, and list the men who have died since the club was formed. Then, when the club is down to the last man living, he chooses 30 young men to start the march all over again. The old list of names is destroyed and a new list of names begins as the 30 age. A long line of dead men.
But the members seem to be dying off at a quicker rate than nature or accidents would account for. By the time Matt is hired to "look around", the club of 31 is down to 16 or so members. Scudder takes the case and begins a quiet search for who is knocking off the members. The only ones who know about the club are the members themselves, so suspicion is focused inward.
Now, Lawrence Block is a master of dialog and conversation. Most of this book is written as conversation between the various characters - Scudder, his girlfriend, the club members, TJ, old friends who are cops and drinkers, etc. Each character is finely drawn and the information about them expands in Block's dialog.
This is not a book for readers who want action. Neither is it so cerebral that it's in any way boring. Block is such a good writer that each page of this book is a treat. I thought it was the best mystery/detective book I'd read when I first read it years ago. I have no reason to change my mind about it now!
July 26, 2023
Чел съм този роман преди години, така че знаех кой е убиецът още в началото на книгата. Но историята е много силно предадена и успях да ѝ се насладя напълно.
Блок е голям майстор на криминалната интрига!
Моята оценка - 4,5*.
Цитат:
"We all come from a long line of a dead people."
Блок е голям майстор на криминалната интрига!
Моята оценка - 4,5*.
Цитат:
"We all come from a long line of a dead people."
February 28, 2019
The series was rejuvenated for a while when it morphed into action thrillers, that phase is over now and it is rediscovering its roots of gritty mysteries. The biggest problem was between book 1 and 12 Block has become a huge bestseller and it is obvious the publishers have started demanding a sturdier page count. Block is still writing interesting laid back mysteries, but the part of his writing that made the stories atmospheric is being bloated against its will to resemble pages of filler.
The plot is unique - thirty one upwardly mobile strangers meet annually at an upscale steakhouse to discuss mortality. They call Scudder because they are getting to much fodder for discussion. The mortality rate of this secret society (Block never calls it such but it is one in all but name) is staggeringly high. Block sells the preposterous idea better than most but the ingrained ridiculousness kept nagging at me throughout the book. It would have been more realistic had this group experienced a few members dropping out over the years. I like a good tenderloin more than most but I won't drop everything to visit a different city for that and company of absolute strangers year in year out.
Scudder remains one of the top ten protagonists in crime fiction history and following him as he indulges in his own brand of detecting comprising of a lot of idle chatter remains exciting because of the dialogue. There are crime authors whose dialogue hits harder or are more quotable but none of them write long conversations so effortlessly. Block's conversations are quirky and sarcastic enough to be entertaining but not so theatrical that one feels that repartee of that sort won't ever be repeated outside of fiction. And Block needs all of that skill because his verbosity is having a field day.
All the major recurring characters are back. Mick Ballou a fan favorite has always been hit or miss for me and his chapters in A Long Line of Dead Men are the most difficult to read. It is completely devoid of any connection to the main plot and one can skip stretches of twenty odd pages every time he shows up in the narrative. My personal favorite supporting character is Scudder's cop buddy Joe Durkin and he is in fine form here. I always enjoy the pitch black sense of humor their conversations carry. A new character introduced here, defense lawyer Ray Gruliow also shows promise.
If Block is going to follow a similar structure he needs a bit more urgency in his narratives. One option would be having subplots that involves the supporting players more intimately because as of now all of them serve the exact same purpose of being Scudder's sounding board. Block has spent so much time filling the world of Scudder with a variety of interesting characters, he might as well use them more extensively. If this was a debut novel or the first time the series had pacing issues I would have gone for 4/5 but twelve books in and no signs of improvement on this front means I will be a bit more taxing. Rating - 3/5.
The plot is unique - thirty one upwardly mobile strangers meet annually at an upscale steakhouse to discuss mortality. They call Scudder because they are getting to much fodder for discussion. The mortality rate of this secret society (Block never calls it such but it is one in all but name) is staggeringly high. Block sells the preposterous idea better than most but the ingrained ridiculousness kept nagging at me throughout the book. It would have been more realistic had this group experienced a few members dropping out over the years. I like a good tenderloin more than most but I won't drop everything to visit a different city for that and company of absolute strangers year in year out.
Scudder remains one of the top ten protagonists in crime fiction history and following him as he indulges in his own brand of detecting comprising of a lot of idle chatter remains exciting because of the dialogue. There are crime authors whose dialogue hits harder or are more quotable but none of them write long conversations so effortlessly. Block's conversations are quirky and sarcastic enough to be entertaining but not so theatrical that one feels that repartee of that sort won't ever be repeated outside of fiction. And Block needs all of that skill because his verbosity is having a field day.
All the major recurring characters are back. Mick Ballou a fan favorite has always been hit or miss for me and his chapters in A Long Line of Dead Men are the most difficult to read. It is completely devoid of any connection to the main plot and one can skip stretches of twenty odd pages every time he shows up in the narrative. My personal favorite supporting character is Scudder's cop buddy Joe Durkin and he is in fine form here. I always enjoy the pitch black sense of humor their conversations carry. A new character introduced here, defense lawyer Ray Gruliow also shows promise.
If Block is going to follow a similar structure he needs a bit more urgency in his narratives. One option would be having subplots that involves the supporting players more intimately because as of now all of them serve the exact same purpose of being Scudder's sounding board. Block has spent so much time filling the world of Scudder with a variety of interesting characters, he might as well use them more extensively. If this was a debut novel or the first time the series had pacing issues I would have gone for 4/5 but twelve books in and no signs of improvement on this front means I will be a bit more taxing. Rating - 3/5.
July 14, 2018
Reading Matt Scudder series again after few years is like meeting an old friend who never lets you down. I always look for Scudder simply walking through his life, his streets of New York. That's rarefied air in the way I rate a hardboiled detective series. Luckily he is actually good PI too who does the legwork like a police detective, not like a TV detective where all the clues find him in his office.
When I started this novel i thought like some other reviews that the case of the secret club was too unrealistic like a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novels (Sherlock short stories are more realistic detective stories) but this still became a great one in the series , big favourite of mine because Scudder's down to earth, pretty mundane life, the way he moves around his streets of New York city dominated the story, the PI work was well done as usual.
When I started this novel i thought like some other reviews that the case of the secret club was too unrealistic like a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novels (Sherlock short stories are more realistic detective stories) but this still became a great one in the series , big favourite of mine because Scudder's down to earth, pretty mundane life, the way he moves around his streets of New York city dominated the story, the PI work was well done as usual.
February 23, 2021
Number twelve in the Matt Scudder detective series rolls out all the old favorite characters in a most pleasing way. The murder mystery is interesting, if not exciting. There is a little flurry of action at the very end, but there is not enough tension throughout to sustain your average mystery fiction fan. So why 4 stars? Well, it's a good book, but it's strictly for series fan. You need to have read what came before for this one to be a "good read".
January 7, 2019
The first 60 pages are repetitive filler. Innocuous crap repeated. Stretched dialogue. The story AGAIN of Matt and Elaine.
DNF at 15%
DNF at 15%
May 29, 2020
I listened to this as an audio book. I’ve always been a big fan of Lawrence Block and this novel didn’t disappoint. I love how his novels capture New York and the diversity of the population and the atmosphere of its streets. Favourite regular characters like Mick at Grogan’s create flavour, thematic depth and give the novel heart. The crime plot itself was compelling to the end.
This audiobook version was narrated by Jack Barrett and was a great dramatisation.
This audiobook version was narrated by Jack Barrett and was a great dramatisation.
July 17, 2017
It doesn't matter that I knew whodunnit fairly early, I always love reading about Matt's life, friends and detection process. Scudder is a no-frills kind of character whose tales always appeal to me.
September 23, 2025
Scudder is a great lead character, worth reading just for him and because I have read the other 11 in the series. But I kind of knew I wouldn't like it from the start. I am not a fan of books with too many characters, especially ones that get pages dedicated to them, that have nothing to do with the plot. This book is about a club of 31 men who meet once a year and then they start getting killed off. I should of known...
May 6, 2018
One of my favorite Matt Scudder novels.
For me, this is a series best read in order, as the character goes through so many changes.
Matt is hired to look into the deaths of a group of men that meet once a year.
It seems that someone is killing them off, one by one...
Great mystery.
Great writer.
For me, this is a series best read in order, as the character goes through so many changes.
Matt is hired to look into the deaths of a group of men that meet once a year.
It seems that someone is killing them off, one by one...
Great mystery.
Great writer.
December 19, 2021
This was one of the best in the Scudder series!
October 3, 2016
A traditional fair play mystery, with traditional clues, and a decidedly non-traditional ending.
One of the best Matthew Scudder books, from a particularly fertile period by author Lawrence Block.
One member of a men’s club, formed decades ago simply to mark the passage of time and note who has passed away, suspects the rate of death among the club’s members is higher than the actuarial charts. He hires Scudder. It turns out the percentage is much higher, but not necessarily telling because of the small sample. Fourteen members are left out of thirty one. Scudder looks into it. Along the way he meets a number of interesting people without really learning anything. Until he realizes the solution was right in front of him the entire time.
Dialogue is a strong suit in this novel; in fact it’s mostly dialogue. If I had any complaint, it would be there are two conversations Scudder has that go on for a few chapters each. They began to feel artificially stretched to me. A tighter edit would have improved these two sections of the novel.
Still a great read, and one of the best from “one of the best”.
One of the best Matthew Scudder books, from a particularly fertile period by author Lawrence Block.
One member of a men’s club, formed decades ago simply to mark the passage of time and note who has passed away, suspects the rate of death among the club’s members is higher than the actuarial charts. He hires Scudder. It turns out the percentage is much higher, but not necessarily telling because of the small sample. Fourteen members are left out of thirty one. Scudder looks into it. Along the way he meets a number of interesting people without really learning anything. Until he realizes the solution was right in front of him the entire time.
Dialogue is a strong suit in this novel; in fact it’s mostly dialogue. If I had any complaint, it would be there are two conversations Scudder has that go on for a few chapters each. They began to feel artificially stretched to me. A tighter edit would have improved these two sections of the novel.
Still a great read, and one of the best from “one of the best”.
July 26, 2018
The catalog description provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped does a fine job of summarizing this mystery without giving too much away. It reads:
"Each year on the first Thursday in May, an exclusive club of what started out as thirty-one men meet at a restaurant for a meal and to read the names of club members who died during the past year. The surviving member will choose thirty more men to form a new group to continue the pattern. But someone is rushing things: the death rate is suspiciously high. Matthew Scudder investigates."
I really enjoy this series and I thought this entry was particularly intriguing, mostly because it is so unusual. I like the interplay between Scudder's personal life and the solution of this mystery.
Reading these books in order has caused me to have some interesting thoughts. As I read this, I found myself wondering if I would choose Matthew scudder as a friend. I decided that, while I find him fascinating, he probably isn't someone I'd hang out with very often. Even so, I think you'll find that A LONG LINE OF DEAD MEN is well worth your time.
"Each year on the first Thursday in May, an exclusive club of what started out as thirty-one men meet at a restaurant for a meal and to read the names of club members who died during the past year. The surviving member will choose thirty more men to form a new group to continue the pattern. But someone is rushing things: the death rate is suspiciously high. Matthew Scudder investigates."
I really enjoy this series and I thought this entry was particularly intriguing, mostly because it is so unusual. I like the interplay between Scudder's personal life and the solution of this mystery.
Reading these books in order has caused me to have some interesting thoughts. As I read this, I found myself wondering if I would choose Matthew scudder as a friend. I decided that, while I find him fascinating, he probably isn't someone I'd hang out with very often. Even so, I think you'll find that A LONG LINE OF DEAD MEN is well worth your time.
March 5, 2009
A LONG LINE OF DEAD MEN (Unl. Inv.-Matt Scudder-NYC-Cont) - VG
Block, Lawrence - 12th in series
From Fantastic Fiction: One by one, the 31 members of a Manhattan tontine are dying in a bizarre series of "suicides" and violent accidents. Private eye Matt Scudder is hired to identify the murderer before the terrible scheme reaches its bloody and seemingly inevitable conclusion.
Block's Scudder series is my favorite of his and this is even more serious than some. Well-developed, complex characters.
Block, Lawrence - 12th in series
From Fantastic Fiction: One by one, the 31 members of a Manhattan tontine are dying in a bizarre series of "suicides" and violent accidents. Private eye Matt Scudder is hired to identify the murderer before the terrible scheme reaches its bloody and seemingly inevitable conclusion.
Block's Scudder series is my favorite of his and this is even more serious than some. Well-developed, complex characters.
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