Even the Wicked

After A Long Line of Dead Men I was afraid that Lawrence Block’s Matthew Scudder series might have jumped the shark, but fortunately it turned out that I was wrong. Even the Wicked, the thirteenth entry in the series, marks a return to form, and while it is not the best among them, it is a solid and entertaining novel.

Particularly remarkable is that it contains a locked room mystery – something that is quite unusual for a hard boiled crime novel (and hard boiled the series still is, even with Scudder dry and settling down, even married it has not lost its edge so far). That apart, Even the Wicked is refreshingly straighforward - there are no secret societies or similar antics here, just thorough, often plodding detective work, and show more it seems quite appropriate that none of the solutions to the two (or three, depending on how you count) cases Scudder is working on in here comes as a huge surprise to the reader. It’s not the first time this happens in the series, either – quite to the contrary, it has always been part of its particular “down to earth” quality that crime, its motives and perpetrators are often quite banal and predictable. In consequence, mystery has never been Block’s central concern during the entire run of the series, and I strongly suspect he quite intentionally often presents readers with the most obvious solution (some almost glaringly so). At least that would be very much in keeping with his hero’s preferred method of detection which is decidedly unglamerous and for the most part consists of asking around and digging until he comes up with something relevant rather than brilliant deduction in the manner of Sherlock Holmes or any other famous mystery sleuth. The series remains both enjoyable and true to itself then, no small achievement after thirteen volumes, and I’m looking forward to reading the remaining volumes again. show less

The 13th of Block's Scudder novels is another cracking page turner from a master of the genre. In this installment, our dogged PI manages to solve several murders including a chain of serial killings, by thinking, legwork, research and that all important gut feeling from a dream.
Scudder may be dry and happy these days, but he's still Block's best creation and I'll continue reading as long as he keeps writing 'em.

A solid three star read in which Matt Scudder takes on the classic locked-room mystery. Although not one of the more memorable Scudder books, it's an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon. Let the rain begin!

We begin with a pleasant domestic scene, TJ and Scudder at Scudder's house, watching a boxing match. TJ is leafing through a spy catalog idly suggesting ideas for their business, particularly a computer system. It becomes a telling detail about moving Scudder forward into the future and his reluctance to do so, and anchors the story in time and culture. They are interrupted when Scudder gets a call from Adrian Whitfield, a lawyer who Scudder has worked for once or twice before. He's just been notified that the latest anonymous letter show more to show up in columnist Marty McGaw's mailbox has marked him for death. "The Will of the People" is a vigilante who has been using a columnist to share his exploits, murdering people who are untouchable, at least by the legal system. This first victim was a murdering pedophile that Adrian had defended and had been recently released. Adrian consults with Scudder for safety strategies and ends up adding a retainer for finding Will. Half-heartedly working the case, Scudder ends up taking on a second investigation when an friend from AA asks for his help. Her friend, already dying of AIDS, was murdered as he sat on a park bench.

Thankfully, the two cases don't converge, which would have stretched credulity. While the solution to the locked-room mystery was predictable, a subsequent twist surprised me and kept me interested. Block continues to have a good ear for realistic dialogue that does more than feed the reader plot points. Characters are steady, largely without significant development in this installment. Fair enough; can't have drama all the time. Scudder's personal life is solidly domestic, and a few friends return for cameos. TJ plays a larger role, as well as a police officer from a former investigation.

Perhaps the most disconcerting section is when Scudder attempts to modernize his phone investigation skills. I find I miss the days when he would drop a dime in the corner booth and sweet-talk an operator into giving information. Block reminds of those times as he notes the disappearance of phones from the city, and the inability to accept incoming calls. It's an odd note; is it because Block missed the old days? Scudder? Is Block highlighting the difference? Maybe that's a series motif all along; after all, a few books ago, a number of mentions was made of his 'call forwarding' feature on his room's phone.

Overall, a steady entry into the Scudder series. show less

“Even The Wicked,” first published in 1997, is the thirteenth novel in the Scudder series and it has a bit of a different feel to it than some of the other Scudder books. This one is more polished and doesn’t feel

quite as gritty. Scudder, here, is not drinking his life away at bars and ginmills. And, he isn’t as focused on the AA meetings as he is in some of the earlier books. He has even left his hotel room and lives a life with some domestic bliss. In some ways, you wonder if this started as a non-Scudder novel and then found its way into the world of Scudder. Nevertheless, it is a terrific, compelling story and well worth reading.

A killer is out there and he is announcing his kills before they happen in the newspaper by a show more letter to a columnist. His targets are people who have gotten away with the unthinkable. A child killer who walked out of court instead of spending his life behind bars. An untouchable mafia don. A racist in a walled compound. No one can figure out how the killer does it, but he claims he is merely carrying out the will of the people. Scudder is called in to help protect the next victim. It feels much more like a locked-room who-done-it and how-did-he-do-it story than other Scudder stories and perhaps was more carefully orchestrated to appeal to a wider audience. show less

Scudder, Elaine, TJ, and "Even the Wicked" gets the usually "One of the Best" as I put it back on the shelf. But each new Scudder becomes "One of the Best" without ever diminishing the value of all that a came before. This is one of my personal favorites because of the growing relationship between Scudder and TJ. Good plot that moves right along without getting lost; characters who change and grow or dissolve before your eyes as they do in real life; and a nice tour of one of my favorite places--New York. Who could ask for anything more? The next one, please, while I go back perhaps and read one of the ones that came before.

This book was entertaining, and here and there it was a real page-turner.

Unfortunately, Scudder works out his theories by having circular conversations with various people. I found those sections a little tedious. I will probably try another Scudder book, but at this point I much prefer Bernie the burglar.

I loved the main plotline in this story. The Will of the People was a fascinating character. When this storyline was finished I felt that everything made sense and I enjoyed the resolution. The other storylines flowing through the book were a little disappointing. The circumstances surrounding Byron Leopold's murder were fascinating, but the resolution of the case was ridiculous. The first case and the circumstances behind the second case made me round my 3.5 star rating to a 4 star. Plus, I just love this series anyway.