Eight Million Ways to Die

Having only read one other Lawrence Block novel "A Dance at the Slaughterhouse", I was intrigued at the depth of Eight Million Ways to Die. The characters and the environment of New York being the backdrop for this story makes for an entertaining read. As well as Scudders unwillingness to accept that he's an alcoholic. The ending was a classic one. The way Block is able to bring to life the city as a main part of the plot in the story is amazing. Eight Million Ways to Die is a classic and will forever be remembered as one of the top 25 mystery novels of all time! Other recommended books:Death in Uptown by Michael Raleigh

"Eight Million Ways to Die" is a classic piece of hardboiled detective fiction that represents a turning point in the life of its hero, Matthew Scudder. Early on in the narrative, Scudder is told frankly by a young doctor after a two-day alcohol blackout, "if you drink, you'll die." Scared by the warning, Scudder takes a case he doesn't want in a despearte attempt to distract him from alcohol. His struggles with the bottle come across very real and are harrowing to behold. The case is a good one as well with Scudder attempting to track the manaical killer of a hooker who was trying to leave the life. Death is an ever constant theme, with the book's title being a riff on the old literary saying "there are eight million stories in the naked city."This book is everything great private detective fiction should be; dark, cynical, violent and lonely. Frankly, I like Scudder better during this period than later on after he sobers up. If you agree, you'll love this book.

This is the book that really set the standard for the Scudder series. It's the fifth Scudder adventure and it opens with Matt just out of the hospital after a major drinking binge. He is hired by a prostitute who wants out of the business, so he tracks down her pimp, Chance. No problem, Chance says. She can get out, but she could have saved herself some money and skipped the middleman.Everything looks great, but then the prostitute is murdered. Scudder, of course, assumes that Chance is the killer, so he calls in a tip to the police. Next thing you know, Chance is out and he's looking for Matt.This book is the first to really show Matt's struggle with alcohol. He starts attending AA meetings, but still doesn't see himself as an alcoholic.Normally, by the fifth book, a series begins to run out of steam. With Matt Scudder, though, the series is just beginning to find its legs.The mystery is fair play, but if you figure out how it all ties together before Matt, you're a more astute reader than I am. All of the characters are well-drawn and fully realized. Block is a true master and this is a masterpiece!

This is one of my all-time favorite books. If you are new toLawrence Block or his Scudder novels, this is a great place to start.

. Matthew Scudder is Lawrence Block's remarkable private investigator. He's a former NYPD detective who left the force after an accident left a child dead in a crossfire. Because he is unlicensed you can't "hire" him. Instead he does you a favor by taking your case and solving the crime. In exchange for the favor the client returns the favor by giving him some cash. Scudder is an alcoholic. Rarely do you find him without a drink in has hand or at one of has favorite watering holes. In "Eight Million Ways to Die,' Scudder has begin to realize being under the influence is not in his best interests. He has already begun to attend AA meetings and is trying very hard not to dunk. He isn't always successful, but at least he is trying. A prostitute, Kim, comes to Matt because she wants to get out of the life. She asks him to find and speak to Chance, her pimp. Matt does and Chance agrees to let Kim off the hook. However Kim is found dead, slashed to death. Chance, of corurse, is the prime suspect. He says he didn't do it and hires Scudder to prove his innocence. In Scudder's search for Kim's killer another prostitute is found dead, this time an apparent suicide. Chance is also a collector of African art. Many pieces adorn the walls of "his girls." Although his business is to promote young women we can't help not liking him. Block's knowledge of New York City makes this and his other novels in the series more interesting to a reader who can actually visualize where he is while reading. I could not find "Eight Million Ways to Die," in our library system and because it has been out of print for sometime equally difficult locating a copy in bookstores. As lick would have it I did find a paperback edition, signed no less, in a bookstore in New Paltz, NY, a collage town. An afterthought: Matthew Scudder is a realistic, likeable character. In the early books we find that after he left the NYPD he took up drinking and left his wife and two sons. From time to time she asks Scudder to send more money because "we need it." Scudder generally obliges. For some reason that Scudder doesn't know finds himself visiting churches and leaving a donation, tithing, ten percent of money recently received from a client. Scudder says Catholic churches receive donations for than others because they are generally open at late hours. Although he's not a religious man he finds peace and solitude in the almost always empty sanctuary he visits.