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Summary: Not Everybody Died
Review: "Everybody Dies" represents author Lawrence Block's attempt to reintroduce the edge that the great private detective Matthew Scudder lost in the previous novel, "Even the Wicked." In "Wicked," Scudder turned into super-sleuth, solving three high profile cases while never coming remotely close to courting physical danger. The result was the weakest novel of the 14 (and counting) in the series. "Everybody Dies" tries to be different. Right off the bat, Scudder is viscously attacked on the street, his AA sponser is killed by a hired gunman who mistakes him for Scudder, and his gangster buddy Mick Ballou's bar is firebombed, which kills a dozen people including Scudder's former mistress. The rest of the novel concerns Scudder and Ballou's search for those responsible in order to take revenge.All of this sounds exciting, and yet it is curiously rather sterile. In the best Scudder books, the threat is always lurking in the background, including the threat that Scudder might fall off the wagon. Here it seems over the top and not particularly plausible. The leading badguy seems as if he'd be incapable of being organized enough to take on Ballou the way he does and the climatic battle has surprisingly little tension. One problem, I think, is that Scudder has become far too domesticated with his stable marriage and stable life. As a character, he needs to return to the edge. Otherwise his stories will continue to be safe and predictable, rather than daring like the best of the series, no matter how many minor characters Block kills off in the process.
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Summary: Scudder is back!!!
Review: After a huge dip -- lasting three books -- in the quality of this detective series by the very talented Lawrence Block, it's great to see Matt Scudder return in true form. The terror, the horror, the hard edge is all here. Some of the best dialogue of the genre has been a trademark of the finest works in the Scudder mysteries, and it has returned at full strength. The fear and antipation that Block is so skilled in creating is also in full force here. It's a first class mystery, terror at its chilling best, bloodbath horror that has no fictional equal. Thank you for returning Matt to his roots, Mr. Block. Welcome back, Mathew.
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Summary: One of his best Scudder novels!
Review: After many years of Matt Scudder, unlicensed PI, he has finally become licensed. As Matt, himself puts it he is on his way to becoming respectable and a high-priced detective. "Everybody Dies," is one of the best in the series of 14 novels in the series written by one of America's best detective novelist, Lawrence Block. I have read all the books in the series, except "In the Midst of Death," have enjoyed them all with exception of "Even the Wicked," and look forward to number 15 when ever its published. Over the years we follow Scudder from being an alcoholic with always a drink in hand, through this meetings of AA as a recovering alcoholic to the present, a sober alcoholic. We live with him as his relationship with call girl Elaine Mardell, who gives up the profession, grows. They live together and become a married couple a novel back. Block introduces TJ, the street wise African-American. TJ assists Scudder, at first, and later becomes as disposable as his right arm. By the close of "Everybody Dies," TJ has become Matt and Elaine's surrogate son. (Matt was married before, divorced and is the father of two sons, now grown. Friend Mike Ballou can't tell the officials about the two men who broke into his New Jersey storehouse, the stolen booze and their murder. Mike enlists Matt to help bury the two on his upstate New York farm. The two deaths lead to many others as the title suggests and threats on Matt's life. It's another can't put-it-down suspense novel. I truly enjoy reading Lawrence Block. Not only have I read all the books in this series but the Bernie Rhodenbarr "The Burglar Who..." series as well. Block has several other series which I will "attack and devour" next before going on to his stand alone novels. Thank you Lawrence Block!
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Summary: A bout with morality
Review: Block's Scudder series is serious business, though his characterizations are phenomenal in all his series. The other two: Burglar/Rhodenbarr and Tanner are much lighter. This particular Scudder continues his psychological explorations of middle-aged, formerly embittered, alcoholic, unofficial detective Matt Scudder. This one has quite a bit of action, as opposed to the last work, "Even the Wicked." A good mystery writer spins a fine tale, but a great mystery writer evolves into a great writer who chooses to write mysteries--evolving the genre into literature. It seems to me that this is Block's objective, conscious or unconscious as the case may be. Certainly his descriptions of Scudder's bout with relative morality is fine work. Many sides of his "hero" (some light, some dark) are variously depicted in this incredible series. Scudder is all too human. Block also coins memorable turns of phrase (some funny), that I add to my quote collection, such as: "I could probably be a vegetarian like Elaine, but only if bacon was declared a vegetable" on page 215. I didn't read the series in order, I think it would be better to do so, since they build on each other, and the characters' growth trend and relationships develop through the series which is chronological.
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Summary: scudder rises again
Review: great news for all matt scudder fans, bolck is back in top form. This time he's out help put old pal mick ballou, one of the great charactors in this sereis. The dialouge is great and the the nove is loaded with suspense. Thsi and Michael Fox's Luck to lose wer my two favorite novel's of the year
Rating: 
Summary: The P.I. & the Burgler could both retire with the author
Review: I have read all of the Scudder novels, and enjoyed them all. When Block is at his best, there's no one better. Unfortunately, this is not Block at his best. Still, it's a solid effort, and worth a look. The characters are well written and defined, and I appreciate that Block is willing to kill off one of one of his longest running supporting characters in order to keep the reader in suspense (that and the title kept me hooked until the end, wondering if anyone else would buy it).
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Summary: Lots Of Action But Only A Fair Plot
Review: In Everybody Dies Lawrence Block provides lots of action but the plot tends to ramble at times, is somewhat disjointed, and is fairly predictible. Overall, Everbody Dies will maintain your interest, although it is not a book that will keep you glued to your seat. Further, it is not in quite the same class as many of the earlier Scudder books -- e.g. When The Sacred Ginmill Closes, A Dance At The Slaughterhouse, and Sins Of The Fathers. Like some other reviewers, I'm starting to be concerned that Block is losing some of his edge in this series. Scudder continues to be one of my favorite fictional characters and I'll remain a loyal reader of this series with the hope that Block will return to his earlier form.
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Summary: Scudder's back, but where's his conscience?
Review: In EVERYONE DIES, Matthew Scudder is back for his 14th visit and Lawrence Block writes in his peerless fashion. The action is intense, the dialogue is dynamic, and the characterizations are tightly and realistically drawn. All seems well and Block seems to have recovered from the uninteresting and dull Scudder presented in the last novel of the series, EVEN THE WICKED. Scudder, in the earlier novels, was an enigmatic protagonist, driven by a clear and appropriate sense of good and evil, even while struggling with personal demons of alcoholism, loneliness, and despair (read A TICKET TO THE BONEYARD or A WALK AMONGST THE TOMBSTONES). In the more recent offerings, Scudder has sobered up, gotten married, and become a much less riveting character. Block has elevated the action in this story of murder and revenge as Scudder helps his criminal friend, Mick Ballou, fight back against enemies who mean to destroy him and his criminal enterprise and who target Scudder for death. However, despite the action and plot, the nature of Scudder seems to have become less noble, and he is more willing to allow the choice of evil as a part of his life. Scudder has settled into an existential place where he lives, now with a less appropriately defined sense of justice, and is willing to allow Ballou any measure of revenge, no matter how morally lacking. He is resigned to an inevitable march to death, and is carried along rather than driving the story. It may be that this is the necessary character development, given previous plot developments, but we personally liked the binge-drinking, lonelier and more profane Scudder, and hope that he will some day return.
Rating:
Summary: AGAIN
Review: It is almost impossible to review just one Scudder book. They really are small parts of a larger whole. If you are new to the series, go way back and see where they came from. The important point here is not what happens, but who they are. Whenever I read a new Scudder novel I feel like I am being reunited with old friends. Has there ever been a better supporting cast, especially Mick Ballou? You can hear the lilt in his brogue when Block writes his dialogue. Simply wonderful. When Scudder opens the first chapter of this book riding upstate on a evening with his cohorts, failing to mention the bodies in the trunk, you realize that you are in the hands of a master. In one of the earlier books Elaine said to Scudder that, no matter what happens to them, they can't leave New York. They know too many interesting people there to ever leave. Well, no matter what happens to Tanner or Bernie, don't stop writing Scudder novels. These people are just too interesting to go away.
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Summary: violent, but good book
Review: Lawrence Block's book is violent, and sometimes unintentionally humorous, but interesting. As read by Mr. Forster, whose accent is not bad, but a bit over the top (in places) as it gets more violent at the end. Overall, it is a pretty good introduction to his writing. This is the first book of his I've listened to and have bought the paperback. I will probably look for more of these.
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