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Even the Wicked: A Matthew Scudder Novel by…
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Even the Wicked: A Matthew Scudder Novel (original 1998; edition 1997)

by Lawrence Block (Author)

Series: Matthew Scudder (13)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
5931239,659 (3.86)2
Matthew Scudder knows that justice is an elusive commodity in the big city, where a harmless man can be shot dead in a public place criminals fly free through holes in a tattered legal system. But now a vigilante is roaming among the millions, executing those he fees deserve to die. He calls himself "The Will of the People"--an ingenious serial killer who announces his specific murderous intentions to the media before carrying through on his threats. A child molester, a Mafia don, a violent anti-abortionist--even the protected and untouchable are being ruthlessly erased by New York's latest celebrity avenger. Scudder knows that no one is innocent--but who among us has the right to play God? It is a question that will haunt the licensed p.i. on his journey through the bleak city grays, as he searches for the sanity in urban madness. . .and for a frighteningly efficient killer who can do the impossible.… (more)
Member:SmithfieldJones
Title:Even the Wicked: A Matthew Scudder Novel
Authors:Lawrence Block (Author)
Info:William Morrow (1997), Edition: 1st ed, 336 pages
Collections:First Edition, Mystery Series Collection, Personal Library
Rating:*****
Tags:None

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Even the Wicked by Lawrence Block (1998)

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Showing 1-5 of 12 (next | show all)
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. ( )
  therestlessmouse | Nov 1, 2020 |
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. ( )
  SmithfieldJones | Dec 21, 2018 |
“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 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. ( )
  DaveWilde | Sep 22, 2017 |
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.
( )
  jguidry | May 31, 2016 |
ereader ebook
  romsfuulynn | Apr 28, 2013 |
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Epigraph
Even the wicked get worse than they deserve.

--Willa Cather, One of Ours
Dedication
For Bill Hoffman
With thanks to Joan Acocella,
Ron Brogan, and Memphis Jim Evans
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On a Tuesday night in August I was sitting in the living room with TJ, watching two guys hit each other on one of the Spanish-language cable channels, and enjoying the fresh air more than the fight.
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Matthew Scudder knows that justice is an elusive commodity in the big city, where a harmless man can be shot dead in a public place criminals fly free through holes in a tattered legal system. But now a vigilante is roaming among the millions, executing those he fees deserve to die. He calls himself "The Will of the People"--an ingenious serial killer who announces his specific murderous intentions to the media before carrying through on his threats. A child molester, a Mafia don, a violent anti-abortionist--even the protected and untouchable are being ruthlessly erased by New York's latest celebrity avenger. Scudder knows that no one is innocent--but who among us has the right to play God? It is a question that will haunt the licensed p.i. on his journey through the bleak city grays, as he searches for the sanity in urban madness. . .and for a frighteningly efficient killer who can do the impossible.

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