A DROP OF THE HARD STUFF is the 17th installment of Lawrence Block’s legendary series focused on “favor do-er” and New York denizen Matthew Scudder.
Like many of us, I’ve known Scudder for a long time. We first met him in THE SINS OF THE FATHERS, originally published in 1976. He’s been with me through all of the major events in my life, and a new Scudder tale is cause for celebration. This one will be released on Thursday, May12; if having a first edition is important to you, you best pre-order a copy.
While many will read A DROP OF THE HARD STUFF because it’s written by a legend, I’m heartily recommending it to everyone who enjoys a good story. You need not be a crime fiction aficionado nor familiar with the Scudder series to enjoy it. Also, many reviews will talk about the role of Alcoholics Anonymous in the story, but you don’t need to be familiar with AA—nor, for that matter, sober—to enjoy it. And therein lies Lawrence Block’s genius.
Like many great stories, A DROP OF THE HARD STUFF is told in flashback, and like all of the Scudder tales, involves a cast of characters who are as gritty as they are compassionate, as honest as they are kind. A DROP OF THE HARD STUFF creates a world into which the reader plummets, whether you mean to or not.
So what’s it about? No easy answer here, because I suspect readers will come away from it having had differing experiences. Scudder’s search for redemption on behalf of a dead childhood friend leads him to unexpected places both physically and emotionally, and he brings us right along with him.
The beauty of A DROP OF THE HARD STUFF is that you will read it through your own lens. For some, it is a hard-boiled tale of murder and mayhem. For others, a glimpse into the journey of recovery. Still others will see it as a sort of a visitor’s guide to New York. Regardless of your characterization, A DROP OF THE HARD STUFF is a classic.
Blurb: A classic tale from a master storyteller
Author’s Website: www.lawrenceblock.com
