Everybody Dies

When, in my post on the previous entry in Lawrence Block’s Matthew Scudder series, I wrote that it marked a return to form, I was expecting the remaining novels to be solid and mostly unadventurous, with the series settling into a comfortable groove that it would run along in until it eventually came to an end. In consequence, I was more than just a bit surprised to find out that this late in the series there would still be a novel that holds its place besides works like Eight Million Ways to Die or When the Sacred Gin Mill Closes.

Maybe part of what makes it stand out is that Everybody Dies is not really a Scudder novel – while our protagonist is quite present and is doing his usual investigative rounds, he is only marginally show more involved in events compared to Mick Ballou, his friend and gangster boss, who stands firm in the center of the story. He has always been one of the most interesting recurring characters in the series (second only to Elaine, in my opinion), as well as the most unlikely one to form a friendship with an ex-alcoholic private detective and former policeman like Scudder. And it stands testimony to Block’s considerable skill as a writer that he has consistently managed to avoid letting him slide into cliché (which is all the more impressive when you consider that Ballou is of Irish descent) – Mick Ballou is not a gangster with a heart of gold and is not redeemed by his Irish sentimentality but is an unapologetic criminal with a very matter-of-fact attitude towards doing what (in his eyes) needs to get done and that with a certain regularity tends to be very much on the violent side of things. Everything considered, he is not a very likable person, and it is again very much to Block’s credit that he never tries to make him appear otherwise, but he is also a very fascinating character and in the end is that which makes Scudder’s friendship with him entirely plausible – one can see and feel (Block makes us see and feel) how someone like Scudder can feel a strong attraction towards someone like Ballou who is in almost all regards his complete opposite, except maybe for a shared respect for things many consider old-fashioned.

So it is very welcome to see Mick Ballou take the spotlight for this installment of the series, when it turns out that someone is out to get him and he hires Scudder to investigate. Scudder is very reluctant about it and only agrees to take a look at what appears a tangential angle for the sake it excluding that possibility – but of course he gets drawn in farther and farther and ends up getting much more involved than he planned, with some disastrous consequences.

This is definitely one of the bleaker volumes in a series that is not exactly uplifting to start with (the blurb on the cover of my edition is not exaggerating when it calls the novel “very, very dark”), but it packs quite an emotional punch and the storytelling is, as always with Lawrence Block, superb – the tension builds slowly but inexorably and the reader’s attention never falters, with the narrative having a relentless grip and never letting go. In the end, it is not so much about who committed the crime but – and this also is a constant in Block’s Scudder novels – about what price everyone – perpetrators as well as victims – will have to pay for it. Overall, this is an outstanding entry in a generally excellent series and made me look forward to the next one. show less

This was my favorite in the Matthew Scudder series simply because it starred my favorite backup character in the series--Mick Ballou. He is not a nice character, but there is something definitely likeable about him and I can totally understand why Matthew chooses to be friends with him. This story revolves around someone trying to kill Mick (surprise, surprise for a gangster) and Matthew has to help him or run the risk of being killed himself. The mystery portion is well-written and the solution totally surprised me, but the best part was the evolution of Mick Ballou throughout the story.

Lawrence Block doing what he does best! This is an excellent example of why the author is a Mystery Writers of America Grand Master and multiple winner of both the Edgar Allen Poe and Shamus awards.

Several things I should mention right up front: I am a huge Lawrence Block fan -- particularly his Matthew Scudder series -- I think Mick Ballou is one of THE BEST secondary characters ever created (seriously, the guy is well worth a series in his own right) and I've always been more fond of the early Matthew Scudder who hadn't quite found the road to sobriety and was a little more edgy.

This is the 14th book to feature detective Matthew Scudder and it finds him at something of a crossroads in his life. Long past are the days of bar hopping show more and blackout drinking. He no longer lives in a residential hotel. He's married to a woman he loves and, wonder of wonders, he's actually gotten around to becoming an officially licensed private investigator! After all these years he's starting to become downright respectable.

Except respectable people don't have best friends like legendary criminal Mick "The Butcher Boy" Ballou... so when Ballou asks his friend to investigate the possibility that some unknown nefarious entity is attempting to permanently put him out of business Matt is reluctant to take the case. He's not sure how far he can go before he is no longer able to tell himself that, even though one of his nearest and dearest friends in the world is a notorious lifelong criminal, he's basically on the side of the law.

But friends, real true friends, are few and far between, and these particular men share an uncommon bond that neither can quite describe, so Scudder agrees to look into it with the understanding that if it begins to lead in a direction he doesn't like he can walk away with no hard feelings.

After a little bit of nosing around it becomes obvious that all roads lead in a direction that Scudder would just as soon not follow. Not even for Mick. So he tells Mick he's out of it, no hard feelings. Unfortunately, someone else has other ideas, so, when a contract killer sent to "eliminate" the respectable licensed private investigator who has been making inquiries on behalf of Mick Ballou mistakenly kills another friend of Matt Scudder's all bets are off! He's in it up to his ears and he couldn't get out of it even if he wanted to... and Matt's not so sure he wants out.

This book is faster paced than a lot of the later Scudder books, even though Scudder is struggling with ideas of who he is and what he stands for he is less retrospective then usual because of the urgency of the case.

There are some instances of graphic violence and the occasional use of offensive language.

One of the things I have often admired about the Scudder novels is that Matt Scudder is not trapped in time. He is constantly evolving, learning, aging, readjusting to his life and the changes that have come with it. As a result these books have always been multi-layered, there's what's happening in front of you and the depths that run underneath.

In this story you can see how Matt Scudder has to finally come to terms with just how far he can cross the line he has been walking for years -- the line between good and bad, right and wrong -- in the process he has to create a new line between who he used to be, who he is today and who he will become.

This is very good stuff with several twists and turns. Some mystery, one huge surprise and a very satisfying conclusion. Long time readers of the Scudder novels will be particularly surprised and drawn in to what is revealed as the story comes to a conclusion.

Minor quibbles: I've never really been a fan of Matt's protege TJ, mainly because I find his rhyming phrases to be annoying and I think it comes across as a lame attempt at trying to give the appearance of being streetwise rather than actual experience in the street (maybe that's the point, to show that TJ isn't as street as he pretends but it's still lame and annoying).

Since the appearance of Elaine (who I do like) there are more and more instances where instead of the narrative informing what Scudder is thinking he has conversations with Elaine that often come out as stilted and unnatural. Exposition for the sake of exposition that brings everything to a crawl. Those instances are few in this book but they're still there.

You can't go wrong with this book. As always I suggest starting as early in the series as you can and going through them in order, it still works well as a stand alone novel but it works SO much better if you know more of the history between the characters. show less

Who is ready to weigh in on "How many books in a series is too much?"
(http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/628822-how-many-books-to-a-series-what-is-your-thought#comment_id_61747914 )
Though Lawrence Block is on his 14th book about investigator Matthew Scudder, he has yet to reach the "too much" point. Despite being book 14, Everybody Dies still manages to surprise.

Mick Ballou has been backed into a corner. He suspects he's the target of a personal attack, but needless to say, he can't seek protection from the police. He requests Matt's help, and drives him out to Jersey to examine the death scene of two of Mick's employees. There's also a missing truckload of whiskey, worth ten grand or so, so it's possible that may be a motive. Scudder show more aids in clean-up but is reluctant to take the case further, and only agrees to verify it isn't a crime of opportunity. Unfortunately, even the quietest of inquiries from him and T.J. stirs up a host of trouble. Matt is walking up Fifty-third street, headed to report to Mick, when he gets jumped. Instinct kicks in and he fights back, getting away but potentially angering his unknown opponent.

Perhaps the least enjoyable section was Matt ruminating over whether or not he should become involved in Ballou's battles. After years of friendship with Mick and blatant vigilante justice, it's hardly an ethical issue at this point. Unfortunately, no matter what Matt decides, he's going to be dragged into the fray. From there, it quickly takes a number of unexpected turns. Although one small part of the mystery was predictable, the ending was shocking. My reaction on finishing was a stunned, "oh wow." I may have even wandered around the house for awhile, repeating, "oh wow."

Though it feels more violent than other Scudder books, it's actually less bloodthirsty. The violence is tempered with emotional loss, and will herald a number of significant changes in Matt's life. The attention to Matt's emotional life is one of the things that sets the Scudder series apart--the idea that there are ramifications, both political and emotional.

A compelling series that shows no signs of burning out.

Cross posted at: http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/06/21/everybody-dies-by-lawrence-block/ show less

"Everybody Does" is the fourteenth book in the Matthew Scudder series and, in my opinion, every single novel in this series is excellent, including this one. Scudder is a former police officer who walked away after an innocent died from a ricocheting bullet. He drowned his sorrows in booze for years until he discovered sobriety, this novel features an older Scudder, now married and finally a licensed investigator instead of one working as favors for friends he met in bars. He's a former cop, but his best buddy in a bar owner with a reputation as a lifetime criminal and a butcher, Mick Ballou. Scudder here is trying to figure out where he stands-- with the angels or the devils. Is he still a good guy or was he always a bit crooked, show more always taking money, always working favors. When all hell breaks loose and bodies of people he knows are gunned down, does Scudder work with the authorities or does his thirst for vengeance require he work outside the law? This is a terrific thriller more than perhaps a Detective story. It is a wild ride that takes the reader straight down the highway without any pause in the action. show less

Taking up where I left off in Block’s Matt Scudder series about eight years ago, thanks to my neurotic need to read a series of books in order. I’ve been looking for this one for awhile so I could resume the series, and it delivers. Scudder’s one of the great underrated characters of the hardboiled mystery genre – the ex-alcoholic ex-cop with the dirty past trying to get his life in order – but Block doesn’t let it get too dark, as usual. Still, it’s dark enough. And quite good.

The title pretty well describes the book. You need a calculator to keep track of the bodies.