All the Flowers are Dying (Matthew Scudder)

If your a fan of crime fiction do yourself a favor and read all 16 of the Matt Scudder novels. Unlike many series characters Scudder ages in real time in the books and this makes for a deep and realistic look at one characters life. The highest praise I can give is that Scudder seems like a real person and he's someone you'd like to have on your side. The villian in this book takes Scudder to the edge and the payoff is satisfying. If this is the last Scudder book the series is going out on top.

If your a fan of crime fiction do yourself a favor and read all 16 of the Matt Scudder novels. Unlike many series characters Scudder ages in real time in the books and this makes for a deep and realistic look at one characters life. The highest praise I can give is that Scudder seems like a real person and he's someone you'd like to have on your side. The villian in this book takes Scudder to the edge and the payoff is satisfying. If this is the last Scudder book the series is going out on top.

Matthew Scudder is back in this book, and I was shocked to find out how much I missed visiting his world. Lawrence Block has written a gripping, moving, and suspenseful novel to mark the return of Scudder, Elaine, TJ, and other lesser characters. This is the first of the Scudder books to be set in post-9/11 NYC, and Block is able to convey the characters' reactions to that event without belaboring it. The mystery is excellent and the taut narrative keeps the story moving. It's been a pleasure to follow Matthew Scudder over the years, watching him age and interact with his cadre of supporting colleagues. If Lawrence Block needs to take this much time between books in the series, I hope he continues to do so. It was well-worth the wait.

This is by far the best Scudder installment since Dance At The Slaughterhouse. Block has shied away from repetitive plot lines, as happens with so many authors and their serial protagonists, and presented an exciting page turner. Bravo!

In this, the 16th Matthew Scudder thriller, we meet a changed protagonist. Many of us are old enough to remember when we were first introduced to him some 25 years ago. If I remember correctly, Lawrence Block described him at that time as a former cop turned private eye (sans license) who drank a lot and worried the same. A quarter of a century can bring about many changes, and those years have made their mark on Matthew Scudder. Happily for listeners "All The Flowers Are Dying" is read by the author himself. A four-time winner of the Edgar Allan Poe and Shamus Awards plus numerous other honors, Block has penned more than 50 books. Think you'll agree that his reading is also deserving of recognition. After all, who knows Matthew Scudder better than the man who created him? Block delivers nuances and chills with the aplomb of a trained actor. As our story opens there's a man awaiting execution in a Virginia prison. He received the death penalty on the basis of massive evidence, yet he maintains that he did not commit three gruesome murders. A psychologist has been interviewing the man, and completes his assignment by watching as the death sentence is carried out. What seems to be a parallel plot develops as Scudder takes on an investigation. It's just the kind of job he likes now - no danger just some probing and then a paycheck. No such luck. The corpses start piling up and it seems that the next to die may very well be Scudder and his wife. Is there a relationship between the convicted killer and these murders? Could the psychologist be involved? Listen as this master of suspense weaves one more of his spine tingling tales. - Gail Cooke