another in the series of Matthew Scudder books, this time he is looking for a lost actress from the midwest.
Frank H. (perryfran) reviewed Out on the Cutting Edge (Matthew Scudder, Bk 7) on + 1176 more book reviews
Another good one in the Matt Scudder series. I have been reading these in no particular order for the past decade or so and always enjoy them. This is the seventh book in the series and Matt is struggling to stay sober by attending AA meetings religiously.
Scudder is an ex New York cop who quit the force after he accidentally killed a young girl during a shootout. He works as an unlicensed PI and has struggled to stay sober. In this novel, he agrees to look into the disappearance of a young woman from Indiana who came to New York to pursue an acting career. But her parents are concerned when she doesn't return her calls and seems to have vanished. Matt does what he can to try to track her down but is not too optimistic about the outcome.
Meanwhile, he befriends a fellow AA member who is trying to stay sober. Then the friend shows up dead in his apartment with a rope around his neck. It looks like accidental auto erotic asphyxiation in that he was found naked and close to some S&M magazines. Or was he really murdered? Matt gets close to the man's landlady (real close) as he tries to get to the bottom of his death. Along the way he also befriends a mobster and bar owner named Mick Ballou who also becomes a supporting character in future novels in the series.
This was kind of an in between novel in the series. It's written at a slow pace as Matt attends AA meetings, has an affair with the lady landlord, and puzzles out the solutions to the death of his friend and the disappearance of the young woman from Indiana. Block really draws the reader into Matt's world within the down and outs of NYC. I still have a few of the series left to read and hopefully I'll get to them soon.
Scudder is an ex New York cop who quit the force after he accidentally killed a young girl during a shootout. He works as an unlicensed PI and has struggled to stay sober. In this novel, he agrees to look into the disappearance of a young woman from Indiana who came to New York to pursue an acting career. But her parents are concerned when she doesn't return her calls and seems to have vanished. Matt does what he can to try to track her down but is not too optimistic about the outcome.
Meanwhile, he befriends a fellow AA member who is trying to stay sober. Then the friend shows up dead in his apartment with a rope around his neck. It looks like accidental auto erotic asphyxiation in that he was found naked and close to some S&M magazines. Or was he really murdered? Matt gets close to the man's landlady (real close) as he tries to get to the bottom of his death. Along the way he also befriends a mobster and bar owner named Mick Ballou who also becomes a supporting character in future novels in the series.
This was kind of an in between novel in the series. It's written at a slow pace as Matt attends AA meetings, has an affair with the lady landlord, and puzzles out the solutions to the death of his friend and the disappearance of the young woman from Indiana. Block really draws the reader into Matt's world within the down and outs of NYC. I still have a few of the series left to read and hopefully I'll get to them soon.
Matt Scudder is trying to find a missing girl and over turning stones to see what he can stir up while continuing to try and stay sober. Very good story.
From Publishers Weekly
The prolific author's humanity and the immediacy of his understated style are again evidenced in his seventh mystery related by Matt Scudder: ex-NYPD officer, recovering alcoholic, and now private detective ( When the Sacred Gin Mill Closes , etc.). This novel opens with Matt looking for Paula Hoeldtke, an aspiring actress who disappeared a short time after she arrived in Manhattan from Muncie, Ind. In an unrelated case, Matt investigates the apparent suicide of a fellow AA member, Eddie Dunphy, and becomes the lover of Willa Rossiter, who manages the apartment house where Eddie lived. The affair flourishes despite warnings from his AA sponsor about an involvement with Willa, a heavy drinker. Matt ignores the advice, as he does the anonymous phone calls ordering him to quit asking questions about the missing girl and Eddie's death. In time, the dogged investigator uncovers the appalling facts that close both cases. In this riveting mystery, Block's artistry creates a full complement of fully realized characters, each a real person regardless of his or her perhaps tenuous connection to the plot.
The prolific author's humanity and the immediacy of his understated style are again evidenced in his seventh mystery related by Matt Scudder: ex-NYPD officer, recovering alcoholic, and now private detective ( When the Sacred Gin Mill Closes , etc.). This novel opens with Matt looking for Paula Hoeldtke, an aspiring actress who disappeared a short time after she arrived in Manhattan from Muncie, Ind. In an unrelated case, Matt investigates the apparent suicide of a fellow AA member, Eddie Dunphy, and becomes the lover of Willa Rossiter, who manages the apartment house where Eddie lived. The affair flourishes despite warnings from his AA sponsor about an involvement with Willa, a heavy drinker. Matt ignores the advice, as he does the anonymous phone calls ordering him to quit asking questions about the missing girl and Eddie's death. In time, the dogged investigator uncovers the appalling facts that close both cases. In this riveting mystery, Block's artistry creates a full complement of fully realized characters, each a real person regardless of his or her perhaps tenuous connection to the plot.
Another good Scudder novel. I've liked them all.
Tim C. (mysterywriter) reviewed Out on the Cutting Edge (Matthew Scudder, Bk 7) on + 142 more book reviews
The mystery and detective work in the Scudder books are great. They keep the story rolling along. But somehow they are secondary to the story of Scudder's life. You care about what happens to him. Every time he walks into a bar you hope he won't drink. Every time he meets a woman you hope he'll find happiness. Every time he goes to sleep you hope he'll wake up. "Out on the Cutting Edge" is the best in the series so far. But something tells me they just keep getting better from here.
Kevin S. (cisengineer) reviewed Out on the Cutting Edge (Matthew Scudder, Bk 7) on + 8 more book reviews
Matt meets Mickey Ballou for the first time. Fun fast read.
Eric G. (guswrites) reviewed Out on the Cutting Edge (Matthew Scudder, Bk 7) on + 28 more book reviews
Block is the master, and this Scudder installment is as enjoyable as the others.
Stephen P. (thelad48) reviewed Out on the Cutting Edge (Matthew Scudder, Bk 7) on + 495 more book reviews
Classic Scudder.
