Book Review: Hope to Die

Reviewed By: Luke Croll - RAM

Hope to Die     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Lawrence Block
Class/Genre:   Mystery
Series: Matthew Scudder # 15
William Morrow; 2001; $25.00 (American dollars); pp 320
Classification: Adult fiction (crime thriller)

In Lawrence Block's newest novel, he brings back his character Matthew Scudder, who has now been around for twenty-five years. Unlike some novelists, Block has followed the progression of years and we find Scudder in his sixties, adding a slightly more authentic side to the novel.

Byrne and Susan Hollander are killed in a home invasion and a little while later, their killers turn up dead too. The police are satisfied and close the case, but Scudder suspects that there is a third man who orchestrated it all. Can he track him down?

'Hope to Die' is quite a short fast-paced thriller. Although it is part of a series, anyone can pick it up and enjoy it, since Block explains previous events and their role on Scudder's life today. Written in an easily accessible style, Block mixes humour and violence with ease.

One of the negative points that I would make is that the main bad guy seems just too good. He remains a total phantom throughout the novel, floating ephemerally and never interacting with the majority of the characters. Whilst this does create an aura of mystery, I would have liked to see him developed more. However, this is only a minor gripe in what is otherwise an enjoyable crime novel.

Luke Croll - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Luke Croll - RAM

Luke Croll - Conference interpreter and translator
http://lukecroll.translatorscafe.com