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A review by saareman
A Ticket to the Boneyard by Lawrence Block
4.0
Meditative Scudder
Review of the LB Productions eBook (September 26, 2020) of the original William Morrow & Co. hardcover (1990).
Book #8 in the Matthew Scudder series has the informal private detective having to save himself and occasional girlfriend Elaine from the murderous revenge of a psychopath who had been framed by them both and sent to prison for a extended sentence from back in the days when Scudder was still in the NYPD.
Front cover of the original 1990 William Morrow & Co. hardcover edition. Image sourced from Goodreads.
James Leo Motley is out of prison and has vowed revenge on Scudder and "all his women." One friend of Elaine's from back in the day has already been found dead with her entire family. Scudder attempts to take precautions by having his ex-wife and others take vacations out of town. With Elaine they make security arrangements at her apartment building. Motley is crazed and relentless though and it all comes down to a showdown in the end.
Along the way, Scudder is reading the [b:Meditations|30659|Meditations|Marcus Aurelius|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1421618636l/30659._SY75_.jpg|31010] of Marcus Aurelius and pondering the inevitability of what is to come. He continues his now regular cycle of attending AA meetings and keeping his sobriety a day at a time. Of the extended Scudder series cast, Irish American gangster / bar owner Mick Ballou is on hand to provide an unregistered firearm when called upon.
Trivia and Links
I read a considerable number of Lawrence Block books in my pre-GR and pre-reviewing days. Probably 40 or so out of the 100+ that are available. That included all of the Matt Scudder books, several of the Bernie Rhodenbarrs, several of the Evan Tanners, several of the John Kellers, a dozen or so standalones and some of the memoirs. There were even a few of the earlier pulp novels which were originally published under pseudonyms. This re-read is a look back at some of those.
Lawrence Block (June 24, 1938 - ) considers himself retired these days, but still maintains an occasional newsletter with the latest issued in August 2024. He self-publishes some of his earlier works that have otherwise gone out of print, using his own LB Productions imprint such as this current eBook edition for A Ticket to the Boneyard.
Review of the LB Productions eBook (September 26, 2020) of the original William Morrow & Co. hardcover (1990).
Life, I'd heard someone say, is a comedy for those who think and a tragedy for those who feel. It seemed to me that it was both at once, even for those of us who don't do much of either.
Book #8 in the Matthew Scudder series has the informal private detective having to save himself and occasional girlfriend Elaine from the murderous revenge of a psychopath who had been framed by them both and sent to prison for a extended sentence from back in the days when Scudder was still in the NYPD.
Front cover of the original 1990 William Morrow & Co. hardcover edition. Image sourced from Goodreads.
James Leo Motley is out of prison and has vowed revenge on Scudder and "all his women." One friend of Elaine's from back in the day has already been found dead with her entire family. Scudder attempts to take precautions by having his ex-wife and others take vacations out of town. With Elaine they make security arrangements at her apartment building. Motley is crazed and relentless though and it all comes down to a showdown in the end.
Along the way, Scudder is reading the [b:Meditations|30659|Meditations|Marcus Aurelius|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1421618636l/30659._SY75_.jpg|31010] of Marcus Aurelius and pondering the inevitability of what is to come. He continues his now regular cycle of attending AA meetings and keeping his sobriety a day at a time. Of the extended Scudder series cast, Irish American gangster / bar owner Mick Ballou is on hand to provide an unregistered firearm when called upon.
I said, “My name is Matt and I’m an alcoholic, and my hangovers used to be bad, too. I figured I was done with them in sobriety, so I felt a little resentful when I woke up with one this morning. It didn’t seem fair, and I started off the day with a pretty good resentment. Then I reminded myself that I used to feel that way every morning of my life, and that I took it for granted, I didn’t even object to it very strongly. My God, a normal person who woke up feeling like that would have gone to a hospital, and I would just pull up my socks and go work.”
Trivia and Links
I read a considerable number of Lawrence Block books in my pre-GR and pre-reviewing days. Probably 40 or so out of the 100+ that are available. That included all of the Matt Scudder books, several of the Bernie Rhodenbarrs, several of the Evan Tanners, several of the John Kellers, a dozen or so standalones and some of the memoirs. There were even a few of the earlier pulp novels which were originally published under pseudonyms. This re-read is a look back at some of those.
Lawrence Block (June 24, 1938 - ) considers himself retired these days, but still maintains an occasional newsletter with the latest issued in August 2024. He self-publishes some of his earlier works that have otherwise gone out of print, using his own LB Productions imprint such as this current eBook edition for A Ticket to the Boneyard.