If I'm not mistaken, the first Scudder novel was either "The
Sins of the
Fathers" or "In the Midst of Death", both 1976. Evidently,
there was some
kinda snafu where the second book was published first. Any
Blockheads out
there have the full story?
The first five books in the series, culminating in the great
"Eight Million
Ways To Die", read almost like a giant five-part novel.
Scudder's life
slowly deteriorates (just like New York around him), as he
sits in
Armstrongs, "maintenance drinking", reading the daily
atrocitiies, doing
"favors for friends" and tithing to the church. Truly classic
modern
hardboiled writing.
A far cry from the calm, efficient, happily-married, licensed
professional
investigator in "Even the Wicked." Still a great series, but
at times I
miss the flailing, drunken loser of the old days. Of course,
if Matt had
never taken the cure, the series couldn't have continued,
because,
realistically, he'd probably be dead, or even worse,
boring.
But I digress...
Kevin Smith
Web Guy for The Thrilling Detective Web Site
For info, mailto:kvnsmith@total.net
"It's the detectives come to see about the parents
Who are ready to hear the worst about their daughter's
disappearance..."
-
Watching the Detectives (Elvis Costello)
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