Matt Scudder happens to be one of my favourite investigators. He carries all the flaws necessary to make him interesting, yet he's a creature of habit and has such a range of friends that it's impossible not to like him. And then there are the cases that he chooses to work- they're always worthy of ringside seats.
When I say 'he choses to work', of course I really mean that Lawrence Block is a master storyteller who knows exactly which buttons to press and when.
I read a lot of Scudders a long time ago, but my haphazard approach to pretty much everything means that I didn't work in order and that there were gaps in the process, which is lucky for me because I get to discover new titles that give me as much of a buzz as the others did.
Even The Wicked is terrific.
Will (of the people) responds to some heavy journalism by sending out a letter of intent to murder a criminal who is getting away with things instead of being hit with the force of justice. After the murder is carried out and another letter sent, Will becomes the talk of New York. When it's the time of a hot shot DA to get his warning, Scudder is called in to work the case.
At the same time, an old man who's dying from AIDS is shot to death in a park. Scudder and the victim have a mutual AA friend and he ends up digging into the story.
Things fall into place as you might expect. Block dangles carrots along the way. Allows you to sense what's coming just before it does, allowing a reader the satisfaction of being on the right path.
And, spoiler alert, Scudder comes out on top. But so does pretty much everyone else.
Should I ever be investigated for a crime, I hope it's Scudder who pins me down. At least that way, I know he'll show me the decency and respect I deserve as he carts me off to wherever it is I belong.
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