In the Midst of Death

Matthew Scudder #3

by Lawrence Block

Jerry Broadfield is a cop who has been charged with extortion. His former buddies in the NYPD would like to see him dead. And when a dead hooker turns up in his apartment he is saddled with a murder rap as well. Broadfield screams "frame-up" and nobody believes him except Matthew Scudder, an ex-policeman-turned-private-investigator. But finding a killer among the stoolie-cop's sleazebag connections is going to be as difficult as finding a cold beer in Hell -- which is where Scudder is headed if he sticks his nose in too deep...

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Detective, Noir, Audiobook, Thriller

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Lawrence 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.

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hookers...blackmail...murder...police corruption...S&M fetishes...politics...and lots...and lots...and LOTS of

Welcome to another scintillating episode in the 80-proof life of New York's favorite unlicensed private detective.

Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder series is about as close to a sure thing as you're gonna find in the mystery/crime jurisdiction. Not only is Scudder one of the most exceptionally well-drawn characters populating the genre, but Block is adept at devising smart, attention-holding plots that keep you tuned in to the story's goings on.

Here, Matt gets hired by a dirty cop turned whistleblower, who suddenly finds himself framed (?) for the murder of a fetish-specializing prostitute, whose clientele includes some of the city's most influential gentlemen. To solve the mystery and reach the end of this little drama, Scudder will have to wade through a sordid array of the smarmy, the sick, and the slimy. Good times for all. 
 
One of the aspects of these stories that I find really appealing is Matt's method of investigation. He doesn't Sherlock Holmes the crime scene or solve cases by knowing how to identify the 43 different kinds of tobacco ash. He's an unassuming "Columbo" type who just strolls around talking to people, usually while slugging bourbon, and gets by with a common sense knack for piecing things together. He’s smart, but not brilliant, and has a good grasp of human nature and an ability to recognize behavior patterns that people develop over time. 

However, as entertaining as Matt working the case is, what really makes this series so miss-resistant is the time Block devotes to showing us the "non case specific" aspects of Matt's life. Over the course of the first three novels, the reader has seen Matt as a fully realized human being, one who tries to do the right thing, but struggles with demons of his own. There is a level of intimacy that is not typically present in these kinds of stories. 

We care about Matt, we care about what he cares about, and this makes the events of the story significantly more impactful.

Thus, the most compelling facet of the novel is Matt's continued devolution into becoming a serious alcoholic. From the opening pages of book 1 of the series, The Sins of the Fathers, Matt has been on a steady diet of bourbon and coffee, bourbon and beer, and bourbon and ice. Block, to his credit, has allowed Scudder's drinking to work its way into the story naturally, without fanfare, and we've seen Matt's problem steadily get worse. Now, we're finally seeing signs that Matt's drinking is in bloom and starting to impact his work.

I left Kenny’s shortly after that. Then there’s a stretch of time I don’t remember clearly. I probably hit a bar or two. Eventually I found myself in the vestibule of Jerry Broadfield’s building on Barrow Street.
 
I don’t know what led me there or why I thought I ought to be there. But it must have made some sort of sense to me at the time. A strip of celluloid popped the inner lock, and did the same job on the door to his apartment. Once inside his apartment, I locked the door and went around turning on lights, making myself at home. I found the bottle of bourbon and poured myself a drink, got a beer from the refrigerator for a chaser. I sat sipping bourbon and chasing it with beer.

The casualness with which Block relays the above is just perfect and adds, in my opinion, to the power of the scene. 
 
Eventually, we finally have a character asking Matt the $64,000 question, and Matt's reply struck me as rather foresshadowy.

'Are you an aloholic?' 'Well, what’s an alcoholic? I suppose I drink enough alcohol to qualify. It doesn’t keep me from functioning. Yet. I suppose it will eventually.' 'Could you stop drinking? Or cut down?' 'Probably. If I had a reason.'

I haven't read the subsequent novels yet, but I understand this issue will continue to evolve. Given my fondness for Matt and my thorough enjoyment of Block's storytelling, I intend to stick around to see what happens.

I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you come along for the ride.

4.0 stars. 

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crooked cop Jerry Broadfield is cooperating with a special investigator, and now—in retaliation for squealing?—he is being hassled by high class call-girl Paula Carr who claims Broadfield has been shaking her down. Broadfield hires Matt Scudder to convince Carr to lay off, and Matt's former colleagues in the department aren't pleased to see him working for a snitch. But soon their anger is the least of Matt's worries when the Broadfield case is complicated by murder and a sudden love affair.

This is a good mystery, but far from a great one. From his very first book, Scudder is a memorable hero, flawed and haunted by his past, a hero you are willing to follow down life's dark alleys with affection and admiration, but the plots of the early novels are too often thin, their resolutions perfunctory. In addition, much of this book is taken up with Matt's first serious attempt at love in a very long time, but the affair itself is not very interesting, the lovers' dialogue often trite: in the end, Scudder seems much more comfortable with his friends, the barmaids and whores. (All this may very well be deliberate irony on Block's part, but trite dialogue—no what what its higher, ironic purpose—still sounds like trite dialogue to me.)

Still, there are some memorable characters and scenes, and a surprising turn at the end. And of course, there is always Scudder: guilt-ridden, living on coffee and bourbon, dropping a tenth part of every fee into the nearest poorbox he can find.

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lawrence Block’s character Scudder, is an unlicensed private eye. He used to be a cop. Then one day when chasing some bad guys, while involved in a shootout, a bullet from his gun ricocheted and hit a young girl in the head killing her. Scudder's life fell apart and he is now pretty much an alcoholic.

We join Scudder after having divorced his wife and leaving his two sons. He is now living in a cheap hotel and occasionally helping out his friends with their problems, using his old cop skills to earn some money. Most nights he spends roaming the city (New York) going from bar to bar attempting to remedy his soul.

In the book “In the Midst Of Death” Scudder elects to try and help a “bad” cop, accused of killing a prostitute, to clear his name, as he claims not to have committed the murder. One must remember this book was written at a time when many cops were crooked and on the take. Someone who mined this story line to great effect was James Ellroy in his “L.A. Confidential” quartet published in the 90’s

An interesting note is that the book “In the Midst Of Death” was first published in paperback In 1976 by Dell and is now considered to be the third book in the series. The following year (1977) “Time to Murder and Create” was published in paperback, by Dell and is now considered to be the second book in the Scudder series. This can be somewhat confusing.

G & G Books is the creation of Martin Greenburg and Ed Gorman and was created in 1995. The two men started what they called “The Lawrence Block Library”. Sadly they only published two books in that series. The first was the first hardcover edition of the third Matthew Scudder book “In The Midst Of Death”. The book sold out almost instantaneously. So the men tried their second attempt at publishing with the book titled “Ariel” which had already been printed in Hardcover by Arbor House. There was no demand for this second hardcover edition. That book did not sell well and so that was the end of “The Lawrence Block Library”.

This special signed edition is limited to 500 numbered an 26 lettered copies. This is copy 8 signed by Lawrence Block.

[James Thane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in Lawrence Block's excellent Matthew Scudder series. For those who may not know, Scudder is a former cop who now works as an unlicensed private detective, doing "favors" for people who show their appreciation by giving him money. Scudder, who has more than his share of demons, lives alone in a tiny hotel room in New York City's Hell's Kitchen. He spends most of his time in saloons and has a drinking problem that is obviously getting worse as the series progresses.

In this case, Scudder is asked to work on behalf of a cop named Jerry Boradfield. Broadfield makes no secret of the fact that he's a bent cop, and he practically flaunts the money he's taking as a result. But suddenly, for reasons that no one can imagine, Broadfield is cooperating with an investigation of police corruption. As a consequence, he's made a lot of enemies in the police department, and very few cops are unhappy when an expensive hooker emerges, claiming that Broadbent, a married man, is not only extorting her for sex but for money as well.

Broadfield claims that the charge is untrue and is an attempt to smear him and discredit him with the anti-corruption committee. He wants Scudder to investigate and knock down the charges. The situation escalates dramatically, though, when the hooker turns up dead in Broadfield's hideaway apartment and he gets charged with the murder. The cops are happy to see him jammed up and they're not about to investigate any further.

Scudder will, even though he's not at all fond of Broadfield. What follows is an very good story in which Matt does what he's best at--walking around the city of New York, talking to people, sorting out their stories, and otherwise doing the grunt work that will make the case. He's an extremely compelling character and it's great fun to watch him wander the city, which is, as always, a major part of the story in its own right.

This is a very solid piece of work that holds up amazingly well, even though it's now nearly forty years old, and it's a sure bet that it will still be entertaining crime fiction fans forty years from now and beyond.

[Jeffrey Keeten · Rating 4 out of 5]

”October is about as good as the city gets. The last of the summer heat is gone and the real bite of cold weather hasn’t arrived yet. There had been rain in September, quite a bit of it, but that was past now. The air was a little less polluted than usual, and its temperature made it seem even cleaner than it was.”

Matthew Scudder isn’t living in the clouds high above the city where the air is clear and crisp. He has to hope for rain and wind to occasionally blow through the streets of New York to clear away the stench of garbage, spunk, desperation, and hopelessness. It helps that he drinks.

He drinks a lot.

He’s carrying his share of baggage. An errant bullet from his gun ended his police career. He now works as an unlicensed PI because he’s a good investigator and doesn’t have a clue of what else he could possibly do. When Jerry Broadfield hires him to lean on a whore who is blackmailing him with claims of extortion, Scudder knows this isn’t going to be one of those cases where he feels particularly good about any of the possible outcomes. For one thing, he doesn't care much for Broadfield, who has made a deal with the District Attorney to squeal on some of his fellow cops. Corruption is rife throughout the department. Scudder should know: he was once on the take, but cleaning it up could prove deadly for his client.

When the prostitute Portia Carr is found dead in Broadfield’s apartment, it is a pretty sloppy frame job, but with the police department bent on destroying Broadfield, it doesn’t have to be an airtight case for them to toss him in The Tombs. The other added complication is, since Jerry didn’t kill Portia, the next logical suspect is a corrupt cop. Scudder may end up being an annoying problem that someone might decide to dump in the river.

Scudder’s investigation takes him into the dens of inequity where he discovers that clients these days are more interested in being made to lick toilets than getting laid. As one pro says: ”Nobody seems to fuck anymore.” I know I’m old fashioned, but the bizarreness of the masochistic requests might say more about the state of our society than even our crime rates or our politics. We don’t seem to like ourselves very much.

He meets Jerry’s wife and likes what he sees.

”Then footsteps approached the door, and it was drawn open by a slender woman with short dark hair. She wore a lime-green sweater and dark green pants. Green was a good color for her, matching the eyes, pointing up the shy wood-nymph quality she projected.”

Scudder REALLY likes what he sees.

”So far today I’d sat in his chair and drunk his whiskey and taken his money and made love to his wife.

Talk about being involved in the case. Needless to say, Diana Broadfield is an added complication, but she’s an interesting, lovely woman, maybe even the right woman to make him consider cutting down on his drinking and reshaping his life.

If he can solve this case and manage to keep his client and himself alive, maybe when it’s all over, he will get that phone call with a promise of a new life.

This is yet another solid entry in the Matthew Scudder series. These are short, hardboiled, addictive books with a brooding anti-hero who follows a different moral compass than most of us, but in the end, he tries to do the right thing.

If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
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[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The prayer is said at the graveside, acknowledging human mortality and fallibility and asking God for mercy. ‘In the midst of life we are in death’”--Book of Common Prayer, 1662, Burial of the Dead

In the Midst of Death, the third Mathew Scudder mystery from Lawrence Block, is a really solid detective story. An officer, Jerry Broadfield, is in jail for killing a girl, which he says is a set-up because nobody on the NYPD likes him for opposing graft and corruption. Scudder also doesn’t like him, but he takes the case to find out who really did kill the girl, because he believes Broadfield. And he does find out.

What I like about this story is that it is clear this is a story about Scudder’s alcoholism as much as anything else. Will he survive it? He’s hanging in the balance. Booze makes its way to every page--he’s thinking about it, or drinking it, sort of like Raymond Carver’s alcoholism stories. In each successive novel, Scudder seems like he is losing ground in the struggle as he solves each case. Yes, the drunk detective is a stereotype, but in Block’s rendition, the booze, and what in part makes him drink the booze, is really the heart of the story. Scudder’s not a saint, he’s not out to save the world, but if he just does the right things, maybe he can at least save himself. And maybe a couple others in the bargain.

Because Scudder accidentally killed a little girl a few years ago, and it destroyed him, he alternates going to churches (though he says he doesn’t believe in anything) with bars, he tithes, he drinks coffee. . . spiked with bourbon. He’s divorced from his wife and he doesn’t see his two boys. He starts seeing a woman, and this seems good for him, but does he wants what is good for him? Can he accept feeling good, and healing? Not yet, it seems. Not quite.

For the most part I was a little less engaged with the crime aspect of the story, it was most of the time three stars for me, and when he solves the case things seem to be turning for him in the right direction. . . . until the kick-in-the-gut plot surprise near the end. When you are sick, getting healthy is such a precarious thing. I loved (the writing of) the anguished conclusion, and so bumped up my rating. I am beginning to really like Scudder. Finally, so good.

[Kemper · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the third book* of this excellent series by Lawrence Block, ex-cop Matt Scudder continues to work as an unlicensed private detective in Manhattan and spend most of his free time abusing his liver in various bars.

A cop named Jerry Broadfield has volunteered to give testimony regarding NYPD corruption, but his credibility is in doubt when a high priced call girl accuses him of extorting her. Matt doesn’t like Broadfield much and doubts his sincerity in claiming that he came forward because he was fed up with the broken system, but Matt still agrees to find the call girl and try to get her to admit to lying about the extortion.

When the girl turns up dead in Broadfield’s apartment, the cops are only too happy to pin the crime on him. Matt makes his police pals unhappy with his insistence that he thinks Broadfield has been set up.

Having read this series before and knowing the path that Matt’s life will take, it’s interesting to go back to the beginning and see where he was at during this period. Matt is starting to realize that his boozing is slipping out of control, but he isn’t ready to try and give it up. Matt also struggles a lot with this case emotionally because he isn’t a crusading idealist who wants to change the system, but the idea that cops may have been involved in the murder of the call girl upsets him quite a bit.

One of the pleasures of the Scudder novels is Matt’s detecting method of roaming around New York talking to people in his low key manner. Matt can easily chat with cops, call girls, writers, gay night club owners or landlords of Hell’s Kitchen apartment buildings, and Block gives a great sense of New York through Matt’s wanderings and conversations. Another bonus in this one was written in the mid-’70’s, shortly after many scandals involving the NYPD had come out so it makes a nice gritty backdrop for a mystery.

* - I originally called this the second book of the Scudder series and re-read them in that order because there's some confusion due to the fact that they weren't published in the order Block wrote them in. I've edited to change it match the publication order.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite Matt Scudder so far! Our protagonist starts here at his favorite bar when a casual drinking buddy there asks him if he would be interested working for Jerry Broadfield, a NYC cop. It seems Jerry, after 12 years in the force, went over to the special prosecutor's office a while back and offered to provide all kinds of dirt on the NYPD corruption. Then, a week or so before this starts, Jerry is in the news again because a prostitute claims he had been extorting her for a year for money and sex.

The novel starts off with Matt trying to meet the prostitute, which he finally does; high-class English gal with flaming red hair. Not much comes of the meeting, but the next day she is dead and found in Jerry's apartment. Jerry goes to the slammer and now Matt, believing him to be innocent, must somehow try to figure out what is going on. For the cops, Jerry has crossed the 'blue line' and essentially persona non grata; they have him on a murder charge and that is that. Jerry, however, maintains his innocence and Matt buys it. Yes, Jerry has been 'on the take' for some time, but he is not a murderer. So who did the deed?

The books in this series read quickly and Block nails the pacing, building up the mystery and tension as the reader progresses. Also, he manages to paint vivid characters that come to life on the page with very little words; no endless depiction of eye color, etc.! I really liked the surprises in this one, but will say no more to avoid spoilers. 4 pulpy stars!!

[Tooter · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 Stars

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A crooked cop goes straight and spills his guts to the Special Prosecutor but before anything can materialize, a call girl is found dead in his apartment. Broadfield, the cop, hires Matthew Scudder to clear his name and find out who is framing him. But can Scudder clear a dirty cop when all the other cops are gunning for him?

Lawrence Block keeps surprising me with the Matthew Scudder series. Every time he tricks me into thinking a certain way, only to jerk the rug out from under me when the person I fingered as the culprit turns out dead. Scudder continues to grow as a character, already far beyond his somewhat stereotyped alcoholic detective roots. His relationships with the women in his life are well done and not cliched. His family continues to drift out of his grasp. He realizes he has a drinking problem but doesn't know if he can stop. The mystery itself twists and turns, spiraling like a snail shell and New York is almost a character on its own.

I've said it before but I can't recommend Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder series enough.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, very noir, with a poignant, small tragedy for Matt.

Calm and complex and softly compelling. Great dialogue, great atmosphere, well-drawn characters. Perfectly paced. The best of Scudder so far.

Notes and Quotes -

8.0% ...
She turned to look at me. “Do you like this time of year?”
“Yes. Very much.”
“It’s my favorite, I think. October, November, the best time of the year. But also the saddest, wouldn’t you say?”
“Sad? Why?”
“Oh, very sad,” she said. “Because winter is coming.”

20.0% ....
I didn’t like the big cocky son of a bitch. But that didn’t get in the way. As a matter of fact, I generally prefer to work for men I neither like nor respect. It pains me less to give them poor value."

37.0% .... Diana's dialogue (monologue) here is wonderful. Totally real and descriptive of who she is.

53.0% .... this book #3 is Far superior to book #2. Great prose rhythm here, interesting characters, Matt being proactive again.



.

[Metodi Markov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ченгета и “жрици на любовта” - прастар гамбит, който обаче има какво още да предложи. Следва изнудване, корупция и за капак - убийство.

Ще научим и защо Мат Скъдър предпочита да работи за хора, които не харесва.

Моята оценка - 3,5*.

[Cathy DuPont · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lawrence Block created a character that I have grown so fond of, Matthew Scudder even though this is only the second book in the series that I’ve read.

An ex NYC cop (is there ever one?) he’s an un-licensed PI because being a licensed PI requires paperwork, reports, and reporting income to the IRS. He would rather do ‘favors’ for friends (or perhaps acquaintances) for ‘gifts’ from same.

In The Midst of Death we learn a little more about Matt and his relationship with the NYPD, his character (what makes him tick) and his moral values. He does not draw a fine line between what’s right and what’s wrong and seems to be less judgmental than folks around him. (I’m trying hard to not think of other protagonists such as Dismas Hardy or Dave Robicheaux who have their own personal and different, maybe, moral codes. But it’s hard not to keep them away,in my mind, from Matt.)

Regarding moral codes, you won't find any Stephanie Plum's on my reading list; well, maybe one or two during my experimental stage. Not sure she knows there is such a thing as moral code. And not doing any SP bashing, here. Different strokes for different folks and as long as you're reading, good for you!

Published in 1976, the quick read doesn’t seem dated except Matt’s always using dimes in the phone booths. Doesn’t bother me a whit though.

If you haven’t read Lawrence Block, put him down to-read if you enjoy an easy, enjoyable book or short story. He uses descriptive phrases such as: with a mouth with lines on either side that look like parenthesis; sorry, paraphrasing there, he said it much better. He creates a great plots and subplots that don't let you get bogged down. And he writes clean and easy. How I love clean writing.

Must insert one of my favorite quotes by Nathaniel Hawthorne, "Easy reading is damn hard writing."

The ending of this book was particularly surprising to me and a little disappointing. Not the writing, of course, just the ending. I’m always rooting for Matt in the hope that he’ll do himself a favor and ease up on his drinking and stop punishing himself for past experiences. But, if he did that, then I would have such a great reading experience.

I love fallen characters. Always hoping they will find a way to better themselves and only want the best for this ‘sweet man’ Matt Scudder. (Oh my, sounds like I’m talking about a real live, heart beating, flesh and blood person. Block’s writing does that to me.)

[Trudi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matt Scudder continues to impress and please me. He has become such a richly realized character, after only three short books, that I have a hard time believing he isn't living out his golden years somewhere (on or off the wagon -- haven't decided yet) with a lovely lady by his side or a scruffy Heinz 57 mutt to keep him company.

The temptation to just plow ahead and read all the books in the series as fast as I can is a strong one. As soon as one case wraps up, I find myself immediately jonesing to check in with Scudder again to see what's up with him now. Each book brings a little more insight into his private life, and an update on the status of his on-going battles with booze and various other personal demons of guilt and self-loathing.

Published in 1976, there is a real vibe of authentic '70s New York City, replete with seedy settings and gritty characters. Corruption is rife in the NYPD and Block's fictional account is written in the long shadow of the infamous Serpico case of 1971 giving these early Scudder books welcome depth. Sometimes I'm so wrapped up in the time and place I'm reading about, I want to walk out my front door, turn the corner, and get a drink at Armstrong's. This is vintage New York, and for anyone with a Big Apple fetish, it's the bee's knees baby, I'm telling you.

I wasn't too crazy about the mystery this time around, what really got me is the way Block makes it all about something else anyway and it's in the little touches the way Scudder keeps calling the murder victim's phone to hear her voice, the way Scudder makes a connection with his client's wife to the point where he even cuts back his drinking (for a day). His return to the bottle when this "might have been" opportunity is lost struck me as sharply poignant. Although, truth be told, this lady did nothing for me and did not seem like a good match for our guy so part of me was very relieved.

The best part for me continues to be watching Scudder as he quietly goes about his investigations, relying on his wits, instincts, and natural ability to talk to anyone in any setting under any circumstances. This man is unflappable in his cool. In his even handedness. Yet, the cracks are beginning to show. Scudder recounts a blackout where he experiences lost time. There are a few occasions where his behavior seems erratic, where he seems not quite in control of all his faculties.

Where is all this headed, Matt? I'm worried about you now.

[carol. · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do I think? I think you should check out an excellent review:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Or if Stephen's effusive praise gets a little windy, and the gifs are too troublesome, check out Dan's succinct thoughts:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Really, what more is there to say?

Oh wait, don't forget Kemper's nice overview:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...


Reviews brought to you by the trio of taco-talking trouble who drew me into this series.

[Jason Koivu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Matt Scudder is a sad, lonely sod. The fact that I like to spend so much time with him worries me...

In The Midst of Death is another solid good-read from Lawrence Block. This time retired-cop-turned-unlicensed-private-detective Scudder is searching for whoever killed a woman in order to set up his client.

Police corruption is the main vice Block takes a look at in this one. When a member of the force, his hero Scudder himself once took bribes and kickbacks, but it was nothing beyond the usual and it never interfered with the investigation of serious crimes. Thus we're able to go on liking and rooting for our man.

Only three stars on this one? Yeah. It was just about as good as the others I've read, it just lacked a certain something...maybe action, excitement or motivation. Or perhaps this novel is a tad low on all three compared with the previous two in the series. NOTE: So far no Scudder book I've read has been super action-packed. I wouldn't want to give that impression.

In summation, In the Midst of Death keeps the series afloat and nothing about it is going to stop me from diving into the next book!

[Toby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really liking these alcoholic unlicensed private dick books from Lawrence Block but after two of them I'm still waiting to be amazed.

The plot for this one feels similar to one written by Block's old friend Evan Hunter recently republished by Hard Case Crime as The Gutter and the Grave, the drunk former cop hired by a crooked former cop to prove his innocence, it's probably a popular theme from the genre but for long periods of this novel I was getting the two stories confused in my mind they felt that similar. Broadfield needs Scudder's help, Scudder investigates, people die, people lie, people obfuscate and as always you're left feeling that you cannot simply trust people at face value. Oh yeah, there's several female characters who are more than caricatures and plot devices, through these dames and dolls you get a glimpse of the tortured psyche of our hero.

“Everybody's weird, fundamentally everybody is a snap. Sometimes it's a sexual thing and sometimes it's a different kind of weirdness, but one way or another everybody's nuts.”

A more subtle way of critiquing the denizens of New York City than Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver but essentially saying the same thing, this city of pimps, drug dealers, paedophiles, murderers, whores, skunk pussies, buggers, queens, fairies, dopers, junkies, this is Scudder's beat and there's nothing unusual about any of it, Block is just telling it how it is.

This book has everything you could hope for in the genre, including an intriguing and multi-layered protagonist in the perpetually drunk Matt Scudder but as with Sins of the Fathers it is lacking that wow factor. That's not to criticise the book or the writer because if any other author wrote this story and couldn't find a way to give me the wow factor it would almost certainly stink, it's just that Lawrence Block is the master of this genre; he knows what he's doing, he's got the skills and he's got Matt Scudder.

So far this series feels like it's building towards something amazing; it's all atmosphere and scene setting, character introductions and world building, there's an edge to everything and the sense that something awful is bubbling under the surface of Matt Scudder's daily life waiting to derail him properly this time, that he's going to have to go through hell and come out of the other side barely hanging on some time soon and Lawrence Block is going to be there to document it in all it's vivid mental and physical agony.

“People don't get to change things. Things change people once in a while, but people don't change things.”

I hope Scudder can cope with what will certainly be coming his way but in a sadistic kind of way I want to see him pushed to his limits sooner rather than later.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

7/10

This didn’t quite live up to the stellar start of the series with “The Sins of the Father” but it was still an enjoyable read/listen throughout. Maybe this is my fault for jumping straight into the next outing rather than doing my usual and leaving a series for a couple of weeks/months to let the anticipation build. It had the same great style and characterisation with a complex murder(s) where Matt is hired to get to the root of the situation and what is going on with his proper detective work by actually engaging people and getting them to talk. But, overall the mystery here wasn’t as gripping as that of the first one for me which made the overall score a lower one.

Scudder has potential, big potential. Already after two books I’m behind this guy and want to follow him some more into the grimy depths of 70’s New York. You could call it a cliché that an ex-cop has demons but I can’t point the finger here. It seems underplayed more than in your face. The guy likes a drink, he doesn’t think it’s a problem but knows it isn’t a solution but does it anyway. The way he talks to suspects/clients to get information is also one of the things that draws him to me. He just seems like a guy you could chat to down the pub. All this and add in that he’s got a conscience/ethics in there somewhere then you’ve got some great reading material.

The plot was the only slight let down, it’s still good and intriguing and I was nowhere near close to guessing who the culprit was but it didn’t grip me like the first one. I only had 30 minutes left of audiobook on Friday evening but I waited until my Monday morning drive to finish it whereas when the same applied to the previous book I had to complete it whilst I was cooking and shove the little lady out of the room so I could concentrate which I guess shows my engagement level. Another slight disappointment was the narrator. Where he was a good listen in the first one he wasn’t as entertaining in this one but he still did a good job.

I’m going to have a little break from the series, perhaps 2 weeks to try another audiobook or 2 and will then pick up this series again. I can’t see me being able to stay away for too long. The potential to shoot up my favourite lists is definitely here.

If you like this try: “Sleepy Head” by Mark Billingham

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

As many have noted in reviews posted here, Block begins to really establish Scudder as a person rather than as an unlicensed detective. We get to see him grow in ways that we've yet to dive into. Between his shaky relationship with his ex-wife and kids, to his struggle with intimacy, to his budding alcohol addiction.

I feel a little crazy giving all these 5 star ratings to Block's books but they're really that good. They're tightly structure; they don't run on for the sake of running on. We're given what we need to know about a suspect, not what they had for breakfast 3 years ago on a Tuesday - I guess what I'm saying is the man knows how to edit a book.

I don't exactly know where to go from here. Supposedly, the series continues to get better and better. Damn you Goodreads for not establishing a rating system higher than 5 stars!

[The Girl with the Sagittarius Tattoo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A perfectly bite-sized police procedural with a satisfying plot. Nothing showy about it, but it's solid.

If you're interested, I can highly recommend these in audiobook format. The narrator, Alan Sklar, is exactly how I imagine Matthew Scudder sounds.

[TK421 · Rating 4 out of 5]

After hemming and hawing about whether to start Block's Matthew Scudder series, I finally read one of the books. Granted, I was unable to read the first in the series, but IN THE MIDST OF DEATH doesn't require that the first one be read to enjoy the story. Block does a wonderful job of painting the portrait of Matthew Scudder, ex-cop turned PI who has a drinking problem, self-worth issues, two sons that he rarely sees, and a world outlook that might best be described as misanthropic. But Scudder cares; he only shows it when he wants to and in almost awkward gestures.

The premise of the novel is as follows: Jerry Broadfield is a cop who wants to turn whistle blower; but his aim is not to stop the corruption within the NYPD, rather, his goal is to reap the benefits of fame and fortune. He's not a valiant type of guy: he's been known to "hunt" for a bribe or two, and his desires of the flesh extend beyond the touch of his wife. When he is accused with the murder of a prostitute that he may or may not have been extorting, Scudder is hired to clear his name.

In what would have been a straight murder mystery with other writers, Block changes this, does things his way. The murder mystery takes a backseat to the journey Scudder has to go on to make the pieces fall together. Block is able to give the reader the right amount of detail without overwhelming, but at the same time, the amount of detail never seems rushed or ignored. As Michael Connelly states in praise of Block’s skills: “[Block] makes storytelling look so effortless, which in fact is the hardest thing to pull off.” I couldn’t agree more. In what appears to be a sparsely written crime novel is actually a multilayered story packed with human emotion and insight.

(Thanks to Dan and Kemper for this wonderful recommendation.)

Best line: "What the hell is a toilet slave?"

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the third time we meet Matthew Scudder a hard-drinking ex-police officer working as an unlicensed PI, who is involved into a case of police corruption, the murder of a call girl and a corrupt policeman. NYPD Detective Broadfield has turned on his own bu collaborating with an investigation in police corruption. Which ends up with him in jail be the main suspect of the murder of a call girl.

Scudder ends up in a case for the truth about murder and corruption. And while Scudder does not mind the police corruption he does have a problem with people being murdered and the reason for it. Once again Block delivers a tale of morality that involves booze, insight in a darker Scudder that recognises his trouble with drinking. And once again he gives us a New York as a character into a slow but unnerving story that is bound to have an unhappy ending.

A real advertisement for a brilliant series in which the leading character actually develops in character.

Well worth your time, but unlike me start at the beginning.

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This time around, Scudder's in the cups while dealing with dead hookers, corrupt cops and people who will do anything for a book deal. In addition to giving us another case to solve, Block lets us look further into Scudder's life as we navigate the streets of 70s New York. He does a pretty phenomenal job of striking the balance between case and background. Block also brings back a character who I happen to love - gay bar owner and sometime informant, Kenny (just back from summering on Fire Island, of course). My love for Matthew Scudder only grows stronger.

[Andrew Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this third episode of the series, Scudder is asked to assist a cop, Jerry Broadfield, who is looking to publicly ‘out’ corruption within his own force. Despised by his colleagues, he’s already in hiding when he becomes the lead suspect in a murder case. Did he do it, is this a stitch-up by the police or is something more complicated going on? The unlicensed investigator doesn’t warm to Broadfield but a job is a job. And anyway, he quickly starts to appreciate the charms of Jerry’s wife!

The story is a bit of a plodder and the main interest for me here was how Block continues to develop his main character. A social drinker from the start, alcohol is now starting to become a problem for Matt. He’s developing a hard drinking habit that’s going to be a significant theme going forward. In addition, his back story, the reason he left the force - and now, we understand, also why he left his wife and family - is fleshed out quite a bit more. His need to tithe is also tied in, as is his desire to simply drop into random churches on a regular basis. Yes, I think this is the point at which Scudder the man become fully formed in the eyes of the reader.

I’d struggle to give this book more than three stars if it wasn’t for the fact that other elements exposed here are so important in the context of the broader picture. I’m also realising (as should have been obvious all along!) how beneficial it would have been to have read this series in chronological order the first time around.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, it finally happened- I'm lukewarm on one of these books. You know how most TV shows will have a few filler episodes when it feels like the main writer(s) took a week off and left the script to someone else? That's how this "episode" felt to me. In the Midst of Death is still decently entertaining, and the excellent final chapter almost vaulted it back into 4-star territory; but the main plot about a cop who may or may not have been set up by his fellow officers on a murder charge because he was cooperating with an IA investigation is probably the least engaging of the first five of these books I've read, a subplot involving Scudder's kind of bland new romance doesn't really help, and Block's usually terrific dialogue is on autopilot. Scudder also comes across as a slightly different character here. Something about this one just feels off.

[Ineffable7980x · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another solid edition in the Matthew Scudder series. I like these novels because they are unsentimental without being despairing. They focus on real detective work, which might seem tedious to some but is fascinating to me. I also love how Scudder is a very flawed man who still works for the good. And they are short.

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very quick and easy read as Scudder investigates if a former cop killed a prostitute. While this did keep my interest it does feel as if it was a contract filler. Very short, and for Scudder, pretty tame. Recommended only to Scudder fans.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect measures of police corruption, the challenges of walking the tightrope for call girls to stay alive and the investigative skills of our man Scudder to uncover truths and manage to free one cop and lead the guilty one to turn himself in for murder. His personal life holds its own drama. These books are the right length and good medicine between physical tasks - better than Ibuprofen maybe.

[Tim · Rating 1 out of 5]

While I am a big fan of author Lawrence Block, I can't say the same of this early 1976 version that I found unfulfilling. 1 of 10 stars

[Alan (on December semi-hiatus) Teder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scudder's Serpico
Review of the LB Productions eBook (September 26, 2020) of the original Dell paperback (1976).

One man, with not even a junior G-man badge to convince people they ought to talk to him, would not even begin to accomplish anything that way. Especially when the police would not even cooperate with him in the first place. Especially when they were opposed to any investigation that might get Broadfield out of the hot seat.

Unofficial detective Matt Scudder takes the case of Jerry Broadfield who appears to have been set up on a murder charge. Following the continuing thread of police bribery and corruption in the early Scudder novels, Broadfield was turning informant and becoming a witness for a Federal prosecutor looking to expose police corruption. The novel thus seems to have been inspired by the real-life case of Frank Serpico.

The fictional Broadfield was corrupt himself and regularly took money. He has no friends left in the Police and now even the prosecutors doubt his innocence. But Scudder actually believes in his client and takes the case regardless. Other innocents will die along the way before the truth is revealed.


Front cover of the original 1976 Dell paperback edition. Image sourced from Goodreads.

This novel continues the story of Scudder's alcoholism which doesn't begin to turn around until book #5 Eight Million Ways to Die (1982) when he begins to attend AA meetings. It is also the last of the original Scudder pulp paperbacks, all issued by Dell in 1976 & 1977. With book #4 A Stab in the Dark (1980) the novels began to appear in original hardcovers.

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 that have otherwise gone out of print, using his own LB Productions imprint such as this current eBook edition for In the Midst of Death.