A Long Line of Dead Men

October 3, 1994
The newest Matt Scudder novel by the blessedly prolific Block is right up to his usual standards. It takes a while to set up the situation (someone in an exclusive male dinner club that meets once a year is killing off the members at an alarming rate), but once it's established, Matt gets his man by his usual patient attention to detail and sheer doggedness. He almost misses him, however (giving rise to a matchless last line), and the punishment meted out to the villain is a highly unusual variant on the kind Scudder thinks up when the law, as sometimes happens, is helpless to act. His ex-call girl companion, Elaine, is her usual comforting self, and there's a brilliant portrait of an offbeat New York lawyer, obviously modeled on William Kunstler, who specializes in representing the underdog. The scene where the lawyer and suspicious ex-cop Scudder get to know and like each other is alone worth the price of the book. Those who become impatient with Scudder's determined pursuit of AA meetings--and it's possible to do so--should note his publisher's assertion that he now has a strong following not only among mystery buffs but also in ``the recovery community.''

For more than a century, a private club of thirty-one men has met once a year to celebrate their accomplishments and eulogize those of their group who have passed away. When only one man remains alive, he selects thirty more to continue the legacy. Now someone appears to be hastening the demise of the current members, and Matthew Scudder is hired to find the killer. Actor Ken Howard superbly narrates, using some changes in tone and pitch to indicate character changes. Abridged recordings are like movies; while almost never as good as the complete book, they can be very entertaining. Commuters, joggers and others looking for three hours of entertainment will find it here. J.L. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine