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Out on the Cutting Edge (Matthew Scudder) Mass Market Paperback – July 30, 2002
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This is a city that seduces dreamers . . . then eats their dreams.
Matthew Scudder understands the futility of his search for a longtime missing Midwestern innocent who wanted to be an actress in the vast meat-grinder called New York City. But her frantic father heard that Schudder is the best—and now the ex-cop-turned-p.i. is scouring the hell called Hell's Kitchen looking for anything that might resemble a lead. And in this neighborhood of the lost, he's finding love—and death—in the worst possible places.
- Print length352 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherWilliam Morrow Paperbacks
- Publication dateJuly 30, 2002
- Dimensions4.25 x 1 x 6.75 inches
- ISBN-109780380709939
- ISBN-13978-0380709939
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"A powerhouse". -- Philadelphia Inquirer
From the Back Cover
This is a city that seduces dreamers . . . then eats their dreams.
Matthew Scudder understands the futility of his search for a longtime missing Midwestern innocent who wanted to be an actress in the vast meat-grinder called New York City. But her frantic father heard that Schudder is the best—and now the ex-cop-turned-p.i. is scouring the hell called Hell's Kitchen looking for anything that might resemble a lead. And in this neighborhood of the lost, he's finding love—and death—in the worst possible places.
About the Author
Lawrence Block is one of the most widely recognized names in the mystery genre. He has been named a Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America and is a four-time winner of the prestigious Edgar and Shamus Awards, as well as a recipient of prizes in France, Germany, and Japan. He received the Diamond Dagger from the British Crime Writers' Association—only the third American to be given this award. He is a prolific author, having written more than fifty books and numerous short stories, and is a devoted New Yorker and an enthusiastic global traveler.
Product details
- ASIN : 0380709937
- Publisher : William Morrow Paperbacks (July 30, 2002)
- Language : English
- Mass Market Paperback : 352 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9780380709939
- ISBN-13 : 978-0380709939
- Item Weight : 7.4 ounces
- Dimensions : 4.25 x 1 x 6.75 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,038,573 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #4,102 in Hard-Boiled Mystery
- #7,774 in Private Investigator Mysteries (Books)
- #43,999 in Suspense Thrillers
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Lawrence Block has been writing crime, mystery, and suspense fiction for more than half a century. He has published more than 100 books, and no end of short stories.
LB is best known for his series characters, including Matthew Scudder, Bernie Rhodenbarr, Evan Tanner, and Keller. LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years and led to a series of books for writers. He has also written television and film screenplays. Several of LB’s books have been filmed, including A Walk Among the Tombstones.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America. He has won multiple Edgar and Shamus awards, the Japanese Maltese Falcon award, the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association of the UK, been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir, and has been awarded the Société 813 trophy.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They appreciate the rich storyline with plot twists and enjoy the believable characters. The book keeps readers hooked with its interesting plot and intriguing subplots. Readers praise the author's insights into human nature and New York City.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the book. They find it well-written and a great crime story. Readers love the author's works and find the Scudder series to be excellent.
"...Halfway through this wonderful novel, Scudder meets Mick Ballou - allegedly one of the meanest, dirtiest, nastiest characters anyone has ever..." Read more
"...and logical, and the ride along the way is peppered with convincing dialogue and plenty of turns...." Read more
"...well told and well worth the read...all 18 of them!..." Read more
"Anything by Lawrence Block is fabulous & I have been reading his books for (about) 15 years...." Read more
Customers enjoy the engaging story with its suspenseful plot and intriguing characters. They find the book to be a well-crafted mystery with an interesting subplot that keeps readers hooked until the end. The plot is described as subtle, believable, and human, making it a great adventure.
"...Not only does he write a helluva good mystery story, but he knows a thing or two about relationships, as well." Read more
"...Needless to say, the solutions to the mysteries are satisfying and logical, and the ride along the way is peppered with convincing dialogue and..." Read more
"...And the basis of the story is good too. A Midwestern girl comes to NYC to find fame and finds her killer instead...." Read more
"...'s life progression re alcohol & his relationships & the storyline itself are always great. There has not been one of his books that I didn't like." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's believable characters and imaginative plotline. They find the characters colorful, sympathetic, flawed, yet morally upright. The dialogue is also praiseworthy.
"...Scudder is an interesting, likeable character, though he is not particularly happy...." Read more
"...Mick is an interesting character built on the character of Bill the Butcher Poole. And the basis of the story is good too...." Read more
"...Scudder is a thoroughly engaging, sympathetic, flawed but highly moral figure. The other characters in each novel are also fully developed and human...." Read more
"...The characters are readily believable--- even the "bad guys" maintain one's interest. The pace is fairly rapid. As I've written before,..." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's engaging story and characters. They find the story suspenseful and entertaining, with an interesting search and subplot.
"...Scudder is an interesting, likeable character, though he is not particularly happy...." Read more
"...Block has written another well thought out story which keeps the reader very interested throught out the novel. The..." Read more
"...Out on the Cutting Edge leads the reader on an interesting search and adds a curious sub plot mystery...." Read more
"Engaging, suspenseful, always keeps you wanting to see more. Block has a knack for "putting you into" the story...." Read more
Customers appreciate the author's insights. They say he is a laid-back investigator with excellent insights into people who attend meetings. The author knows human nature and the streets of New York well.
"...This guy knows human nature and the streets of New York and it's denizens up close and personal...." Read more
"...He's the most laid back investigator going and lately the most sober. Both AA and crime compete for attention." Read more
"Good detective work..." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2013This book starts off slowly. Matthew Scudder is reminiscing about life and death, and lost love and alcohol when he is hired by a distressed parent who is frantic about the sudden disappearance of his daughter from New York city. As time goes by, the case stalls and starts and then stalls again. In some of the book's quiet moments, we meet fellow alcoholic Eddie Dunphy, who, as it turns out, has a secret he is dying to tell someone. The Scud assumes it is related to his drinking, and so he tells Eddie not to rush the telling, and that the time to set it free will become obvious to all concerned.
Eddie dies a nasty death before the secret is revealed and of course the Scud feels the guilt weigh upon him for this failure, as well as his apparent inability to locate and rescue the damsel in distress. This is where the book comes alive. And it is also the stage of the book where Mr Block's gift for touching the soul of his reader is the most apparent.
Halfway through this wonderful novel, Scudder meets Mick Ballou - allegedly one of the meanest, dirtiest, nastiest characters anyone has ever created in the history of crime fiction. Scudder is surprised by the speed to which the pair begin to communicate openly and honestly but it was not until the close of the book itself that he realises why. It was because they became friends. Soul mates, even. And soul mates for Scudder means a soul mate for the reader.
Therein lies the genius of Lawrence Block. Not only does he write a helluva good mystery story, but he knows a thing or two about relationships, as well.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2019Scudder is often the last resort for those desperate for answers, when the police can’t or won’t help. In this case a young aspiring actress from Illinois has gone missing and her father is nearly frantic to find her. Ex-cop Scudder, divorced, living alone in a cheap hotel, seems to relish unofficially chasing down even the smallest tidbit of info in such cases. But here, nothing sticks out.
Meanwhile, a man he knows from AA meetings Eddy has turned up dead in his rooming house. Scudder is curious because Eddy just before his death was anxious to confess something to Scudder. Interestingly enough, Scudder becomes romantically involved with Eddy’s building manager Willa, even though Willa is a heavy drinker, which creates a certain amount of anxiety for Scudder, but he is able to work it out.
Scudder is an interesting, likeable character, though he is not particularly happy. He is a New Yorker through and through and is most at ease when engaged in the streets, on a case or not. In these two cases, Scudder’s attention to detail and his ability to read people do pay off. Those less determined would never get to where Scudder did.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2013As difficult and painful as any twelve-step program may be, at least the process is clearly defined. Matthew Scudder, while he is a devoted attendee of AA meetings, is not doing the step program--at least, not in an orthodox manner. This makes sense: he is a former NYPD officer--now a quasi-private investigator--and no case ever presents evidence and clues in an orderly fashion. Logically, no case can be investigated along a clearly-defined path. Yet, by whatever means, Scudder achieves his ends. Lawrence Block's "Out on the Cutting Edge" is a perfect example of getting results in very unorthodox ways.
To begin with, Scudder is attempting to solve two cases simultaneously: the disappearance of a girl from Indiana and the death of a fellow AA member. Trying to solve one case is problematic enough; trying to solve two at the same time is asking for frustration. Then, Scudder is struggling to keep his alcoholism at bay, but he has a romance with a pretty good drinker, befriends a hard-drinking criminal, and spends just as much time in dives as he does at meetings. These are all no-nos, any way you slice it. And it is on this "edge" that Scudder attempts to perform his balancing act.
Needless to say, the solutions to the mysteries are satisfying and logical, and the ride along the way is peppered with convincing dialogue and plenty of turns.
On a product note: I found this in a large-print edition from an Amazon seller. For my old eyes, this was a godsend.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2016This book introduces one of my favorite Scuddder cronies; Mick Ballou. Mick is an interesting character built on the character of Bill the Butcher Poole. And the basis of the story is good too. A Midwestern girl comes to NYC to find fame and finds her killer instead. In the end, everyone gets what they deserve (except maybe Mick who is the bad guy you can't help but like). well told and well worth the read...all 18 of them!
I read one or two of the Matthew Scudder books when I was a teenager back in the 70's and enjoyed them, but I didn't get hooked until I started reading them from the first installment earlier this year. I read Sins of the Father in January (bought it because at 2.99$ how could I go wrong with a Lawrence Block novel? A good deal for him too since I bought the next 17 at a higher price...) and I just finished number 18 this past weekend. One of the best things about this series is the way the character evolves and ages. From an alcoholic ex-cop to an AA member with his cop history well in his past. This series is my second favorite (after Travis McGee).
- Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2011Anything by Lawrence Block is fabulous & I have been reading his books for (about) 15 years. The dialogue, Matthew's life progression re alcohol & his relationships & the storyline itself are always great. There has not been one of his books that I didn't like.
Top reviews from other countries
- MattReviewed in the United Kingdom on October 7, 2016
5.0 out of 5 stars Another great Matt Scudder Novel
I really enjoyed this book in the Scudder series. It was hard edged, it had plenty of nourish characters and elements and to me it really brought the whole idea of New York in this period to life. The seedy underbelly where the gangsters inhabit as well as the tragic drunks all thinking that they can do anything they want, but they just want to drink.
The main mystery is handled in a way that brings al the plot elements together, and whilst it is fairly unlikely I did not find that it was too far beyond belief for me.
Definitely recommend this one.
-
Maria T. A. MacedoReviewed in Brazil on January 4, 2015
5.0 out of 5 stars Um prazer
Meu Velho conhecido é sempre ótimo.
Sem firulas, preciso vai direto ao ponto mantendo seu interesse até ao fim. Sempre inesperado.
- beheldocean42Reviewed in Canada on May 14, 2015
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
liked it
- R N McConnachieReviewed in the United Kingdom on May 31, 2015
5.0 out of 5 stars Classic American Crime Writing
I read all the Mat Scudder books and enjoy them a lot so I am biased and will always give the 5 stars. Classic American crime writing at its best, no frills, car chases or shootouts.
-
FalkeReviewed in Germany on October 5, 2011
4.0 out of 5 stars Solider Block-Krimi
"Out on the Cutting Edge" (1989) ist der siebte Krimi um den ehemaligen Polizisten und Alkoholiker Matthew Scudder. Begonnen hat es 1976. In den ersten drei Romanen ("The Sins of the Fathers", "In the Midst of Death", "Time to Murder and Create") ist Scudder bloß ein hart trinkender Privatdetektiv. Im vierten Roman "A Stab in the Dark" (1981) reflektiert er sein Trinken erstmals, als er eine Frau kennenlernt, die bei den Anonymen Alkoholikern ist. Im fünften Teil schließlich besucht er selbst die Anonymen Alkoholiker, obwohl er selber noch trinkt. Dort gesteht er sich - nach einer Sauforgie und einem Filmriss - zum ersten Mal ein, dass er Alkoholiker ist. Dieses Buch ("Eight Million Ways to Die", 1983) markiert den Höhepunkt der Serie. Der sechste Teil ("When the Sacred Ginmill Closes", 1986) ist ein Rückblick auf das Jahr 1975, also chronologisch unbedeutsam. Erst mit "Out on the Cutting Edge" wird der Faden wieder aufgenommen. Scudder ist nun seit drei Jahren trocken und fortgeschrittenes Mitglied der Anonymen Alkoholiker.
Der Roman beginnt wie ein Philip Marlowe für Arme. Scudder erhält den Auftrag, die verschwundene Schauspielschülerin Paula Hoeldtke zu suchen (ihr Vater macht sich Sorgen). Er schnüffelt ein bisschen rum (wo sie wohnte, wo sie jobbte), kommt aber nicht weiter. Die Spur ist "ice-cold", da sie schon seit zwei Monaten verschwunden ist. Für die Polizei ist der Fall uninteressant; Paula ist volljährig und nichts deutet auf ein Verbrechen.
Block nimmt dann Tempo auf, indem er den Vermissten-Plot verlässt und auf die Anonymen Alkoholiker fokussiert. Ein Mitglied, der irisch-stämmige Eddie Dunphy, sucht einen "Sponsor", den er für eine weitere Stufe im AA-Programm braucht. Er wendet sich an Scudder und fragt, ob der es machen könne (ein Sponsor ist eine Art Beichtvater, vor dem man sein Leben ausbreiten muss). Scudder willigt ein, auch als Dunphy sagt, dass er ihm schlimme Sachen erzählen müsse. Bevor es jedoch dazu kommt, wird Dunphy stranguliert aufgefunden. Diagnose: Selbstmord.
Das sind die beiden Hauptstränge des Buchs, die beide am Ende einer Lösung zugeführt werden. Die Auflösungen sind als gut zu bewerten, wenngleich der große Überraschungseffekt nicht einsetzt. Die Stärke des Buches ist der zweite Teil mit einer originellen Handlung und interessanten Thematik. Der erste Teil liefert (leider) nur den altbekannten Privatdetektiv-sucht-Tochter-eines-reichen-Mannes-Plot.
7/10
Post mortem: Für mich geht nach dem Lesen dieses Romans eine Reise zu Ende. Den ersten Scudder-Roman las ich Anfang der Neunziger. Das war "Dance in the Slaughterhouse" (1991). Der Roman hat mich überzeugt, was den Plot angeht. Für einen erfahrenen Krimileser war klar, dass hier ein absoluter Profi am Werk ist. Dennoch habe ich die Sache nicht weiter verfolgt. Mit der Figur des Scudder konnte ich mich zu wenig identifizieren. Scudder sitzt irgendwie zwischen den Stühlen - zwischen dem Moralisten Philip Marlowe von Raymond Chandler und den undurchsichtigen Hammett-Ermittlern Spade und Continental-op. Jedoch - wer weder das eine noch das andere ist -, wirkt dünn.
Erst dieses Jahr ging die Reise weiter. Ich sah den französischen Film "Contre enquête" (2007) von Franck Mancuso. Die Schlusswendung war genial und ich fragte mich: Wer hat denn das geschrieben? Die Credits zeigten dann Lawrence Block als Autor. So hieß es dann für mich: back to Block.
Was ich Anfang der Neunziger nicht wusste, ist, dass die Scudder-Reihe ein "work in progress" war. Das hat sich mir erst nach dem Lesen der ersten Romane erschlossen. Mit "Out on the Cutting Edge" schließt sich ein Kreis. Scudder ist als trockener Alkoholiker dahin gekommen, wo sein Platz jetzt ist. Damit ist auch meine Reise (die ich zunächst am Ende begann) abgeschlossen.
@ Block
Danke