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Blood on Their Hands
VIGILANTE? VICTIM? VILLAIN?
Where is your breaking point? Would you defy the law in pursuit of justice? How far would you have to be pushed before you got…blood on your hands?
Nineteen gripping crime and mystery stories reveal the transgressions ordinary people commit when they feel they have no other choice. What should be a marriage of wealth and privilege contains only dark secrets of the heart. A long-ago crime of passion on the lake returns to haunt everyone involved. A widow plots a unique revenge against the man who indirectly killed her husband. And an amateur detective tries to solve the murder of two exotic dancers…and finds a killer hiding in plain sight.
Edited and with a new foreword by New York Times-bestselling author and Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Lawrence Block, Blood on Their Hands features these and other tales of men and women who have crossed that line between law and lawlessness. Read on to find out who gets away with it…and who doesn’t…
Where is your breaking point? Would you defy the law in pursuit of justice? How far would you have to be pushed before you got…blood on your hands?
Nineteen gripping crime and mystery stories reveal the transgressions ordinary people commit when they feel they have no other choice. What should be a marriage of wealth and privilege contains only dark secrets of the heart. A long-ago crime of passion on the lake returns to haunt everyone involved. A widow plots a unique revenge against the man who indirectly killed her husband. And an amateur detective tries to solve the murder of two exotic dancers…and finds a killer hiding in plain sight.
Edited and with a new foreword by New York Times-bestselling author and Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Lawrence Block, Blood on Their Hands features these and other tales of men and women who have crossed that line between law and lawlessness. Read on to find out who gets away with it…and who doesn’t…
360 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 7, 2003
13 people are currently reading
129 people want to read
About the author
Lawrence Block
760 books3,001 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 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 14, 2018
Blood on Their Hands is an anthology of crime stories built around the theme of ordinary citizens who are pushed to the point they are willing to commit murder.
Lawrence Block is a very talented anthologist when he sets his mind to the task of selecting stories. Case in point, his two Manhattan Noir collections are superb. Also, last year's In Sunlight Or In Shadow was a big bestseller and included one Edgar winner and one nominee.
Sometimes, however, Block has succumbed to the temptation to allow his name to be put on the cover of a collection of short stories even if his only role was the crafting of its introduction. There is nothing wrong with this practice, but the results are less consistent. Blood on Their Hands is one such example where Block took the hands off approach, something he admits in his nonfiction book The Crime of Our Lives. The result is a collection with 5 strong stories ("Red Meat", "The Maids", "Doppelganger", "No Man's Land", "The Lady from Yesterday") and 14 average ones.
Here are my individual story reviews:
"Her Last Gift" by Brendan DuBois -- A young widow seeks revenge against the greedy entrepreneur whom she believes worked her husband to death. I had a hard time accepting this story because it seemed to have no real concept of the inner workings of a software development company. The widow's main gripe seems to be that she believes her husband's estate should be entitled to ongoing royalties from software sales. This makes no economic sense for anyone, given how software is priced and how frequently it is changed. It only makes the widow seem even more off-kilter and greedy than the villain of the piece.
"JoJo's Gold" by Noreen Ayres -- A trio of homeless beach combers take justice into their own hands when a compatriot is found dead on the shore. This sparse story felt like it could easily be expanded since the characters are so finely drawn. They deserved a more meaty plot and a less ambiguous ending.
"Black Heart and Cabin Girl" by Shelley Costa--A women inherits a lake house in Ontario where, sixteen years ago, her childhood friend died under mysterious circumstances. This story does an admirable job of depicting the lakeside community and setting up an intriguing backstory, even if the denouement is a bit muddled.
"One of Us" by Tom Savage--When she learns her husband is sleeping with her best friend, a vain and calculating wife sets up a psychological trap to either prove her husband still loves her or make sure his lover is dead. A great premise, but the author rushes the ending.
"A Trail of Mirrors" by Tracy Knight--A famous but aging psychiatrist battles senility while his mentee writes his biography. This narrative includes three surprise twists, which is one too many for a short story that is barely 20 pages long.
"Along for the Ride" by Aileen Schumacher--A lady on a high-rise construction crew harbors a vendetta against the son of the building's owner, and she will go to any length for her revenge.
"Red Meat" by Elaine Viets--A funny, sarcastic story of a fat middle aged man driven to murder his beautiful young physical fitness trainer. She is a metaphor for healthy living: beautiful but no fun at all!
"The Maids" by G. Miki Hayden--In the 1790's, a Haitian slave wrestles whether to serve the peaceful Catholic God of her harsh masters or a violent, independence-minded voodoo priest.
"Guardian Angel" by Elaine Togneri--A woman investigates the death of her friend and finds startling connections to events from her own past.
"The Day of the 31st" by Henry Slesar--A man's wife is murdered by a mentally ill young boy, and the husband wants justice beyond what the courts will provide. This story reads like a novel condensed to 25 pages; every character is hiding a secret, and only when they are all revealed do the pieces of the mystery fit.
"Another Night to Remember" by William E. Chambers--This story begins with an exciting sequence in which a former cop-turned-pub-owner is carjacked and saves himself only by crashing into the Hudson River. Unfortunately, the mystery of why he was targeted is painfully telegraphed, robbing this story of any real suspense.
"The Trouble with Harry" by Stefanie Matteson--A wife is driven to contemplate the murder of her louse of a husband. This quick story is a clever update on the Hitchcock movie of the same name.
"Any Old Mother" by Charlotte Hinger--A social worker intends to scam a rich widow into believing she is the daughter the woman gave up for adoption years ago. Imagine her surprise when the woman really turns out to be her birth mother! Not everything is as it seems, of course, but the final reveal relies on an even less plausible coincidence.
"Guile is Where It Goes" by Dan Crawford--Two thieves pull off a heist to steal a truck, but it is full of barrels of cow's blood. The only way to turn a profit is to sell it to vampires. This broad comedy does not fit the theme of the collection, but I give it props for being the only story with any hint of the supernatural.
"Doppelganger" by Rhys Bowen--A half-Jewish German student underestimates the influence of the Nazi government in the years before World War II, with startling consequences.
"Bloody Victims" by Matt Coward--A British police officer hatches a plan to capture muggers but gets stuck driving confused senior citizens around town in this light comedy.
"Safety First" by Marcia Talley--An insensitive library manager who routinely ignores safety hazards is taught a lesson by one of his staff members.
"No Man's Land" by Elizabeth Foxwell--A female ambulance driver in World War I must find a way to protect wounded soldiers from a flighty, self-obsessed drunk who puts their lives at risk. It is an intriguing milieu for a crime story, and the main characters could be further developed into an historical novel.
"The Lady from Yesterday" by Jeremiah Healy--A private eye turns down a case to try to clear an exotic dancer of a murder charge. When she turns up dead the next day, he uncovers a web of sex, blackmail, and broken dreams. The characters in this noir story are surprisingly engaging and memorable, and the plot sufficiently crafted.
Lawrence Block is a very talented anthologist when he sets his mind to the task of selecting stories. Case in point, his two Manhattan Noir collections are superb. Also, last year's In Sunlight Or In Shadow was a big bestseller and included one Edgar winner and one nominee.
Sometimes, however, Block has succumbed to the temptation to allow his name to be put on the cover of a collection of short stories even if his only role was the crafting of its introduction. There is nothing wrong with this practice, but the results are less consistent. Blood on Their Hands is one such example where Block took the hands off approach, something he admits in his nonfiction book The Crime of Our Lives. The result is a collection with 5 strong stories ("Red Meat", "The Maids", "Doppelganger", "No Man's Land", "The Lady from Yesterday") and 14 average ones.
Here are my individual story reviews:
"Her Last Gift" by Brendan DuBois -- A young widow seeks revenge against the greedy entrepreneur whom she believes worked her husband to death. I had a hard time accepting this story because it seemed to have no real concept of the inner workings of a software development company. The widow's main gripe seems to be that she believes her husband's estate should be entitled to ongoing royalties from software sales. This makes no economic sense for anyone, given how software is priced and how frequently it is changed. It only makes the widow seem even more off-kilter and greedy than the villain of the piece.
"JoJo's Gold" by Noreen Ayres -- A trio of homeless beach combers take justice into their own hands when a compatriot is found dead on the shore. This sparse story felt like it could easily be expanded since the characters are so finely drawn. They deserved a more meaty plot and a less ambiguous ending.
"Black Heart and Cabin Girl" by Shelley Costa--A women inherits a lake house in Ontario where, sixteen years ago, her childhood friend died under mysterious circumstances. This story does an admirable job of depicting the lakeside community and setting up an intriguing backstory, even if the denouement is a bit muddled.
"One of Us" by Tom Savage--When she learns her husband is sleeping with her best friend, a vain and calculating wife sets up a psychological trap to either prove her husband still loves her or make sure his lover is dead. A great premise, but the author rushes the ending.
"A Trail of Mirrors" by Tracy Knight--A famous but aging psychiatrist battles senility while his mentee writes his biography. This narrative includes three surprise twists, which is one too many for a short story that is barely 20 pages long.
"Along for the Ride" by Aileen Schumacher--A lady on a high-rise construction crew harbors a vendetta against the son of the building's owner, and she will go to any length for her revenge.
"Red Meat" by Elaine Viets--A funny, sarcastic story of a fat middle aged man driven to murder his beautiful young physical fitness trainer. She is a metaphor for healthy living: beautiful but no fun at all!
"The Maids" by G. Miki Hayden--In the 1790's, a Haitian slave wrestles whether to serve the peaceful Catholic God of her harsh masters or a violent, independence-minded voodoo priest.
"Guardian Angel" by Elaine Togneri--A woman investigates the death of her friend and finds startling connections to events from her own past.
"The Day of the 31st" by Henry Slesar--A man's wife is murdered by a mentally ill young boy, and the husband wants justice beyond what the courts will provide. This story reads like a novel condensed to 25 pages; every character is hiding a secret, and only when they are all revealed do the pieces of the mystery fit.
"Another Night to Remember" by William E. Chambers--This story begins with an exciting sequence in which a former cop-turned-pub-owner is carjacked and saves himself only by crashing into the Hudson River. Unfortunately, the mystery of why he was targeted is painfully telegraphed, robbing this story of any real suspense.
"The Trouble with Harry" by Stefanie Matteson--A wife is driven to contemplate the murder of her louse of a husband. This quick story is a clever update on the Hitchcock movie of the same name.
"Any Old Mother" by Charlotte Hinger--A social worker intends to scam a rich widow into believing she is the daughter the woman gave up for adoption years ago. Imagine her surprise when the woman really turns out to be her birth mother! Not everything is as it seems, of course, but the final reveal relies on an even less plausible coincidence.
"Guile is Where It Goes" by Dan Crawford--Two thieves pull off a heist to steal a truck, but it is full of barrels of cow's blood. The only way to turn a profit is to sell it to vampires. This broad comedy does not fit the theme of the collection, but I give it props for being the only story with any hint of the supernatural.
"Doppelganger" by Rhys Bowen--A half-Jewish German student underestimates the influence of the Nazi government in the years before World War II, with startling consequences.
"Bloody Victims" by Matt Coward--A British police officer hatches a plan to capture muggers but gets stuck driving confused senior citizens around town in this light comedy.
"Safety First" by Marcia Talley--An insensitive library manager who routinely ignores safety hazards is taught a lesson by one of his staff members.
"No Man's Land" by Elizabeth Foxwell--A female ambulance driver in World War I must find a way to protect wounded soldiers from a flighty, self-obsessed drunk who puts their lives at risk. It is an intriguing milieu for a crime story, and the main characters could be further developed into an historical novel.
"The Lady from Yesterday" by Jeremiah Healy--A private eye turns down a case to try to clear an exotic dancer of a murder charge. When she turns up dead the next day, he uncovers a web of sex, blackmail, and broken dreams. The characters in this noir story are surprisingly engaging and memorable, and the plot sufficiently crafted.
September 18, 2020
The story line of this book is as true now as it was “ten” years ago which is where the book is set. When the author uses broken English for Alec from Trinidad and a Mexican laborer, it took away from my enjoyment of the book to the point I almost gave up reading the book very early on. That being said, the action and twists of the course plot made it worth while to stick with the book to the very end.
July 6, 2018
One of the series of (almost) annual anthologies issued by the Mystery Writers of America. There are nineteen stories, all of them original to this anthology. Most of these anthologies have themes. The back cover of this one says:
WHAT COULD DRIVE YOU OVER THE EDGE?
In this Mystery Writers of America anthology, New York Times bestselling author Lawrence Block has collected nineteen suspenseful short stories that reveal what people will do when they are pushed to the limit - and see no way out. Get ready to meet ordinary men and women who have...
BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS
Most of the stories here fit that description. Despite the title, Matt Coward's "Bloody Victims," for one, does not.
Craig Childs' excellent review here on Goodreads has a description of each story.
My favorite stories in the book are "Black Heart and Cabin Boy" by Shelley Costa (despite the questionable motive for Black Heart's actions), the Edgar Award-winning "The Maids" by G. Miki Hayden, "The Day of the 31st" by Henry Slesar, "Doppelganger" by Rhys Bowen, and the Agatha Award-winning "No Man's Land" by Elizabeth Foxwell.
WHAT COULD DRIVE YOU OVER THE EDGE?
In this Mystery Writers of America anthology, New York Times bestselling author Lawrence Block has collected nineteen suspenseful short stories that reveal what people will do when they are pushed to the limit - and see no way out. Get ready to meet ordinary men and women who have...
BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS
Most of the stories here fit that description. Despite the title, Matt Coward's "Bloody Victims," for one, does not.
Craig Childs' excellent review here on Goodreads has a description of each story.
My favorite stories in the book are "Black Heart and Cabin Boy" by Shelley Costa (despite the questionable motive for Black Heart's actions), the Edgar Award-winning "The Maids" by G. Miki Hayden, "The Day of the 31st" by Henry Slesar, "Doppelganger" by Rhys Bowen, and the Agatha Award-winning "No Man's Land" by Elizabeth Foxwell.
August 28, 2014
Some of the stories were very interesting and captivating, others weren't so much. I did enjoy reading it though if for just the experience.
November 16, 2014
Great collection of suspenseful stories.
April 18, 2017
Great anthology of 19 short stories from the noir genre. Great prose, writing that places you in the characters' worlds, interesting plot twists and murderous logic that's often hard to confute! I HIGHLY recommend this book!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews