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Sometimes They Bite
A modern master of suspense, Lawrence Block, the Edgar Award-winning author of the Matthew Scudder series, presents a tantalizing collection of darkly entertaining mystery stories.
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First published May 1, 1984
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136 people want to read
About the author
Lawrence Block
758 books3,011 followersLawrence Block has been writing crime, mystery, and suspense fiction for more than half a century. He has published in excess (oh, wretched excess!) of 100 books, and no end of short stories.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he’d be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them.
His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg. The first time Lawrence Block’s name appeared in print was when his short story “You Can’t Lose” was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death. In 2005 it became the first offering from Hard Case Crime, and bore for the first time LB’s original title, Grifter’s Game.
LB is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-private investigator Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller.
Because one name is never enough, LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
LB’s magazine appearances include American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Linn’s Stamp News, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times. His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar’s Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.
Several of LB’s books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder and is scheduled for release in September, 2014.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.)
LB and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.
He is a modest and humble fellow, although you would never guess as much from this biographical note.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he’d be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them.
His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg. The first time Lawrence Block’s name appeared in print was when his short story “You Can’t Lose” was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death. In 2005 it became the first offering from Hard Case Crime, and bore for the first time LB’s original title, Grifter’s Game.
LB is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-private investigator Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller.
Because one name is never enough, LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
LB’s magazine appearances include American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Linn’s Stamp News, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times. His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar’s Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.
Several of LB’s books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder and is scheduled for release in September, 2014.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.)
LB and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.
He is a modest and humble fellow, although you would never guess as much from this biographical note.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 9, 2025
Добра колекция от разкази с полунеочакван край.
Има и по един разказ с участието на любимите ми Мат Скъдър и Бърни Роденбар.
Има и по един разказ с участието на любимите ми Мат Скъдър и Бърни Роденбар.
February 13, 2020
Collection of very bitey crime short stories.
Most of these stories are solid. After a while, you start to see how the author's mind tended to work at the time and can start calling the outcome, but the stories never get boring or repetitive.
Recommended for crime readers.
Most of these stories are solid. After a while, you start to see how the author's mind tended to work at the time and can start calling the outcome, but the stories never get boring or repetitive.
Recommended for crime readers.
March 17, 2010
I’m not one for short stories and especially for short story anthologies. It takes me twice to three times as long to read an anthology because I read a story and put it away. Short stories are like lap dances. They suggest themselves as the preliminary to something more, but don’t deliver more than a tease. I would normally discount them both, but there are occasionally short stories that catch my attention. I can’t comment on the lap dances, but it sure seems like it would be a waste of money and time to me. This anthology of stories by Block contained 90% exceptions to my anti-short story rule. Even the ones that were predictable were only predictable in the “He wouldn’t go there!” sense.
Each story, but particularly the two about the unscrupulous attorney who would and did everything imaginable to win a case and the cautionary tale about money coming from nowhere were fascinating. I can’t describe the stories without spoiling them, but suffice it to say that they make up in intensity what they, necessarily by the genre, lack in characterization. I still prefer becoming emotionally involved with my fictional characters and short stories do not give me that opportunity. But this collection of stories serves as a remarkable exception to Johnny’s Law (“Short stories are like lap dances—short and unlikely to engage you emotionally.”)
Each story, but particularly the two about the unscrupulous attorney who would and did everything imaginable to win a case and the cautionary tale about money coming from nowhere were fascinating. I can’t describe the stories without spoiling them, but suffice it to say that they make up in intensity what they, necessarily by the genre, lack in characterization. I still prefer becoming emotionally involved with my fictional characters and short stories do not give me that opportunity. But this collection of stories serves as a remarkable exception to Johnny’s Law (“Short stories are like lap dances—short and unlikely to engage you emotionally.”)
February 19, 2012
A bit of a dated book.. mostly Hitchcock and Ellery Queen reprints.. My favorite one was the last, a short thirty-five page Matthew Scudder story! A good read for those spare moments, when a short story can be squeezed in..
March 30, 2016
A group of short stories by Block from 1964-1983, mostly from Alfred Hitchcock Mysteries & Ellery Queen Mysteries, one is from Cosmopolitan. One is a Matthew Scudder story. All are well done and enjoyable to read. Recommended to mystery readers.
January 30, 2017
Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Lawrence Block is best known for his novels, especially those featuring sometimes detective Matt Scudder. Here, however, he gathers some of his short stories, most of which were published in the mystery magazines in the 1960s and 1970s ( The Book was published in 1983). Like all such collections, the book is a mixed bag; the stories are all high quality and show off Block's narrative skill, ear for dialogue, and gift for mood and tone. Best Stories - " Strangers on a Handball Court", "Collecting Ackerman's", " Bad night for a Burglar", and the Matt Scudder gem, "Out the Window".
June 5, 2025
First time reader of Lawrence Block and I was blown away. He is exactly what I was looking for in a mystery writer. This compendium of short stories, as he explains in his introduction, is unfortunately a thing of the past. In my mind, they fit the bill for me. Each one varied so much yet never disappointed. Apparently, Block has series written with many of the characters making appearences in these stories; Scudder, Keller, Rhodenbarr, and Ehrengraf. So many more series to get started on!
I'm on to the next collection of short sories, Some Days You Get the Bear.
I'm on to the next collection of short sories, Some Days You Get the Bear.
October 19, 2023
I find short stories to be somewhat of a lost art. I found myself imaging these stories to be scripts for episodes of The Twilight Zone as many of them had a surprising twist on the last pages. After reading the book I read a review that compared them to Hitchcock movies. I guess they fall somewhere in between. Definitely worthwhile reading, especially if you like Lawrence Block’s style. Also the book did include one Matthew Scudder short story in case you are a fan of that series.
March 5, 2025
Няколко разказа ми харесаха много, два не ме грабнаха и останалите бяха на средно ниво. Имаше един разказ, който имаше интересна идея, но ми се стори, че не завърши, както трябва, чак ме мотивира да го напиша по-добре. Като цяло ми харесва стила на Блок и идеите му са добри, така че ще го чета още във времето.
November 29, 2024
"Sometimes They Bite"" is an adult version of the horror comic books of the 1970's. Each short story is tightly written with a dark, demented twist at the end. Although after while the reader sees the sharp turns coming, they stay on for the sheer exhilaration of the ride.
January 27, 2019
Pretty fun collection of stories originally printed in the 'Hitchcock' and 'Ellery Queen' magazines. Brisk pace, often funny and ends with a pre-AA Scudder story. Just fun to read.
November 8, 2023
Tremendous collection of short stories.
Want to read
September 28, 2009AKA: Sheldon Lord, Jill Emerson, Paul Kavanaugh, Chip Harrison, Lawrence Block
February 26, 2019
Absolutely love Block short story collections
December 26, 2012
Only read the title story, as I got a corrupted copy. Good writin'.
January 15, 2025
All of L. B.'s short stories are great. Loved this collection. Especially the first story.
May 3, 2017
An entertaining assortment of short stories.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews