Rating: 
Summary: Block delivers again
Review: In many of the novels of Lawrence Block, there is a somewhat hidden character, hidden because it is not a person, but a place: New York City. In Small Town, Block brings this character to the forefront, showing how it is recovering from the wounds it received on the infamous September 11. Block treats the city with a certain reverence and by interweaving the lives of his human characters, demonstrates that there is a certain "small-town" quality to the big city. It's a formula that is mostly, but not completely successful.As a long-time fan of Block, this book reminded me of his many books on the art of writing. First, because of the good writing that once again indicates he's an author who knows his craft. Second, because in a couple of those books he discusses writing soft porn early in his career, and this novel does have a level of sexual explicitness that is unusual for most of his mysteries. Third, because one of his characters is a writer, and Block gives a behind-the-scenes look at what such a life could be like. The story itself involves a serial killer whose family died as a result of 9/11 and now is driven by a delusion that the city itself requires sacrifices. The two principal characters are the writer mentioned above who is suspected of one of the killer's murders and an art gallery owner whose sexual addiction drives her to all sorts of interesting behavior, much of which is described in great detail. Although never directly involved in the life of the killer, she does become entangled in the lives he has affected. In tone, this is reminiscent of Block's Matthew Scudder novels, which is a good thing, since Block is at best with that series of novels. As one of his rare excursions into non-series fiction, this is likely to please many of his fans; although not perfect, it is entertaining.
Rating: 
Summary: So good I'm tempted to read it again!
Review: Lawrence Block loves New York City. You can see it in his Matthew Scudder novels, in which the city is as engaging as the major character. Because of his love for the city, it was inevitable that Block would respond to the attack on the World Trade Center.
In Block's novel the 9-11 incident leads to a rash of murders. Marilyn Fairchild, a party-animal real estate agent, is murdered and the most likely suspect is John Blair Creighton, a writer who had been seen leaving a bar with the woman at closing time. In short order, several gay bars are firebombed and the only tie-in is Jerry Pankow who had cleaned the real estate agents apartment as well as the bars.
Block bends the usual mystery structure in that this case revolves around a femme fatale, Susan Pomerance, an over-sexed folk-art dealer who knew Marilyn. Susan's sexual exploits are integral to the plot. She's got the hots for John Blair Creighton as well as just about everybody else in the book, man and woman. Something you should know: Lawrence Block started his career writing for girlie magazines and he never got over it. Some of the scenes are sexually explicit. If you're the squeamish type, this book may not be for you. Block also has a wicked sense of humor. Through Creighton, Block rabbit punches the publishing industry who gets involved in a bidding war over Creighton's next book due to the murder indictment. Block also seems to be saying something about America's sexual hangups, as he portrays Susan as an erotic artist rather than a nymphomaniac.
Technically, I found this book to be a bit challenging. It is divided into nice easy-to-read chunks with lots of white space, but it's Block's use of pronouns that provokes. He's under the assumption that the reader has a brain and will be able to figure out who is in the scene through context clues. As a result I lost track of an important clue. A Zuni fetish, a small turquoise rabbit is missing from Marilyn Fairchild's apartment. It winds up in John Blair Creighton's sock drawer. We know who did the bombings and other murders because Block shows him doing them (He's the World Trade Center tie-in), but we're not sure about Marilyn Fairchild. This book was so good I'm tempted to go back and read it again to find out if I missed something. And I never read anything twice.
Rating: 
Summary: thineagle
Review: I'm a real Block fan, but where this book was concerned, I just wanted it to end. Where is the Block who gave me those concise Matt Scudder books where I was hooked for hours on end until the end? Instead, I'm subjected to "New York" where everything is sex, sex, sex-- excuse me, where is Lawrence Block, the novelist, not the porn expert? Please, Lawrence, don't get senile on us-- get back to Matthew and his problems and those neat mysteries we can cozy up to with a hot toddy and our recliner and lose ourselves in your great prose. Please...
Rating: 
Summary: What a stinker!
Review: Hard to believe that an author with such strong credentials wrote this mess. Improbable plot, thoroughly unlikeable, flat characters, excessive boring, badly-described, kinky sex, implausible coincidences...presumably the reason for the book title... and a turgid drawn-out ending. I struggled to reach the end of the book. LB, please go back to your previous formulae.
Rating:
Summary: A Human Story, but maybe not for the Faint of Heart
Review: Marilyn takes home a stranger from a bar. The next morning her conscientious cleaning person cleans and wipes most of the crime scene before he discovers her body in the bedroom. Someone is killing and the cleaner discovers more bodies as more of his clients have their chips cashed in. It's only been a year since the terrorist attacks and New York is still on edge, now there's a serial killer on a spree. Everybody wants the killer caught in this story with well drawn characters and more than enough suspense. There is the main suspect, a writer who was with Marilyn on the night she died, who conveniently can't remember much of that night. There is the ex-police commissioner who has been forced to retire and seems to question his self worth. There's the art dealer who has a lot in common with the dead woman when it comes to sexual experimentation. This is an intense, gritty, hard-core story and not for the faint of heart. But it's also a story that I highly recommend, a sad story of a killer, a story of people coming together, a human story.
Rating:
Summary: Characters are the Driving Force.
Review: I was unsure of this book when I bought it because of the reviews. However, I found this book interesting based on the strength of its characters. Sure the ending was weak as far as the bad guy was concerned. I just think the gist of this book is that for a city as large as New York City, the way the characters interact gives it a small town feeling. The book loses 1 star for the "Carpenter's" demise but 4 stars are given for the gallery owner, the writer, the lawyer and the former commissioner.
Rating:
Summary: Haning on the edge of your seat-astonishing and brilliant.
Review: Best book I've read in years. A little ashamed to admit it with all the strange sex etc, but this is a fabulous book. Brilliant.
Rating:
Summary: Starts with a Bang, Ends with a Whimper
Review: This book started out in a fascinating way - a janitor discovers a body, a writer is possibly guilty (but doesn't remember the crime), etc., but then goes downhill fast. Once the murderer is revealed, it becomes dull, since we know the ending. Plus, the kinky sex scenes with the art dealer are embarrassing, juvenile, and actually got boring after awhile, since they seemed to have nothing to do with the book. And (dare I say it), I'm a little sick of New Yorkers thinking they have some kind of special handle on tragedy because of 911 - everyone goes through things like loved ones having cancer, heart attacks, car wrecks, etc - and it is just as painful for the rest of us, even if those things don't garner national attention. I would not recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, not great
Review: 1. A lot of graphic sex scenes that just got boring after a while, I didn't mind, but without pictures, they didn't really add anything to the story.
2. ... driving home the point that New York is a "Small Town"...I lived there 20 years and I say "no WAY!"
3. Nicely paced, good climax.
4. Some plot threads are not resolved which is too bad because the characterizations were terrific.
Rating:
Summary: small town sucks (literally and figuratively)
Review: What was he thinking? Found this book to run on and I didn't like any of the characters. If this is what small town New Yorkers are like...I pity them. Getting back to the book. I am a great fan of Lawrence Block from Bernie to Matthew to the man with the Lithuanian princess for a roomy. I picked this book expecting to be entertained and couldn't wait to finish it so I could get away for the going on and on about nothing. I got the picture on the characters early on and the only mystery to me was who exactly who would catch the bad guy. And that turned out to be anti-climatic or was this so the ex-cop could prove his manhood in the end. (no pun intended). But, I'm going on and should stop now. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME
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