Lawrence Block is a very good writer indeed, but like grand opera, anchovy pizza and a group of 4 year olds with kazoos, he isn't for everyone. This book concerns his most famous creation, PI Matthew Scudder. Scudder is an alcoholic, and much of his time is spent attending meetings and staying sober. However, this is not the general thrust of the stories. Usually, he is doing a favor for a friend, and complications ensue. Just like real life. The mysteries are well laid out, and the solutions are logical, not, as someone once wrote about some of the writers of the 30s and 40s, the murderer was a left handed pygmy with a blowgun. In other words, the last two chapters are not a detailed and confusing solution to the crime. Block can get very deep and extremely dark and his characters are not all nice people, so if you are expecting Nancy Drew, this writer is NOT for you. Anyway, this is one of the later entries in the series, and I would NOT recommend that you start off with this one if you want to get familiar with Block and Scudder. There are references to earlier happenings and characters that the author assumes you are familiar with, but for a Scudder or Block fan, this book is a treat. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!