A Ticket to the Boneyard

Rating:
Summary: Another great one!
Review: This was another great work of crime fiction. The story is a little familiar, reminiscent of old Dirty Harry films, but this isn't just a novel about plot. It is about style, Matthew Scudder and New York City. My favorite flawed hero, Scudder, is a complex character who has several fascinating and oddly compelling relationships with the various types of citizens of New York. It is also a novel about alcoholism, loneliness and friendship; at one point Scudder reflects that his best friends are a prostitute and a career criminal. Ironically, it is the prostitute and the criminal who lifts Scudder from the depths; not his law abiding friends. A moving, reflective and skillfully written novel, it is about as good as crime fiction gets. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Another great one!
Review: This was another great work of crime fiction. The story is a little familiar, reminiscent of old Dirty Harry films, but this isn't just a novel about plot. It is about style, Matthew Scudder and New York City. My favorite flawed hero, Scudder, is a complex character who has several fascinating and oddly compelling relationships with the various types of citizens of New York. It is also a novel about alcoholism, loneliness and friendship; at one point Scudder reflects that his best friends are a prostitute and a career criminal. Ironically, it is the prostitute and the criminal who lifts Scudder from the depths; not his law abiding friends. A moving, reflective and skillfully written novel, it is about as good as crime fiction gets. Highly recommended.