Mystery Crime Books

[[ASIN:0449150046 Mrs. Pollifax and the Lion Killer (Mrs. Pollifax Mysteries) This book is one of a series of books that reminds me of the Miss Marple mysteries of Agatha Christie with the added bonus of action and intrigue in exotic places. It is very well written, the characters are very unique and believable. If you like mysteries,and action/adventure novels, you will like this series. All of the books that I have read have been well worth reading.

I never got fully engrossed in this book. The characters were hard to understand, and the whole reason why Mrs Pollifax felt compelled to go to Africa didn't quite make sense. I expected more intrigue associated with the economic development of the mythical African country, but it never happened. And to top things off, when the killer was finally unmasked (literally!) I found it kind of hard to believe it was this character. The whole kidnapping part of the story was weak too. Sorry - just didn't work for me.

I hadn't read the previous book, Mrs. Pollifax Pursued, where she apparently meets Kadi and Sammy, her main cohorts in this story. Kadi finds out that Sammy is having difficulties and so she and Mrs. Pollifax hop on the first available flight to Ubandiba, where Sammy is the current ruler. The people are terrified by the rumors and murders of the Lion Killer, all of which point to Sammy. Kadi, daughter of murdered Ubandiba missionaries, becomes a target of the Lion Killer and Mrs. Pollifax must use her resources and ingenuity to save them all. I listened to this book, and it was a pleasant diversion on a long drive.

In Dorothy Gilman's previous book, "Mrs. Pollifax Pursued", she introduces us to Kadi, the daughter of Ubandiba missionaries, and her college friend Sammy, who is now trying to rule the country after many years of dictatorship. Sammy calls upon Kadi for help and Mrs. Pollifax decides to accompany her. There have been a series of violent deaths at the hands of a "lion killer", one who dons a lion costume, and Sammy's enemies have accused him of being behind the murders. When Kadi arrives in Ubandiba, she becomes the target of an old enemy, and Mrs. Pollifax does her best to protect the young girl. A potential archaeological dig and the hint of romance for Kadi combine with political intrigue and murder to create another satisfying story of Mrs. Pollifax.

While the story is interesting and Gilman does a good job of describing an African nation in the shaky position between "President for Life" and new king, the amount of attention paid to daily life in Ubangiba was a little boring for me. Toward the end of the book the story picked up a little and I was more interested, but "Lion Killer" is definitely not Gilman's best work. Still Mrs. Pollifax is a charmer and a Pollifax book that rates four stars is still head-and-shoulders above many five star mysteries by other authors!

This review is of the audiobook version.

This is the second story in the series and follows on a couple of months after the shocking conclusion to the previous book. In this story Lindsay Boxer, newly promoted to Lieutenant, finds herself investigating some race hate crimes. She discovers fairly quickly that the crimes are being committed by a person who is part of a specific white group with an identifying tattoo - but it proves very difficult to pin down exactly who he is. When he starts toying with Lindsay and the police department, including killing someone close to her as well as attacking her friends, the stakes are even higher.

There are some additional side-plots in this story, including the return of Lindsay's father into her life, some significant events in Jill Bernhardt's life and a romance for Cindy Thomas. As in the previous book, the Women's Murder Club seems a rather unnecessary plot device where Lindsay talks over the case with her friends.

The writing style in this book felt at times rather clunky. I lost count of the time James Patterson used phrases like "My heart was exploding in my chest" or some other overblown description for Lindsay's excitement or fear. Although the action kept going I found some of the events a little difficult to swallow and I wasn't as gripped by this story as I had been by the previous one in the series.

The reader of this book had a less enjoyable voice than the reader of the previous one with a rather harsh delivery at times. Chapters where the narrator is the murderer were read by a male reader and unfortunately the volume on these chapters was notably quieter so that the volume had to be increased to hear him properly, then reduced again for the female narrator.

Yes, this book has a nice simple story line that makes you turn the pages. But, those pages are usually three-page snippets (called chapters) and the four women characters of the "club" are stereotyped middle-class working women. The protaganist, Lindsay Boxer is the last person in the world you would want to see heading up a homicide squad: emotional, impulsive and not very bright. The turning point for me was when she and her department buddies wanted to apply a little pressure to a suspected murderer and parole violator. They couldn't figure out how to bring him in on murder charges, so they just showed up at his door to let him know they were watching. Why didn't they simply arrest him on the parole violation? Combine this with her impulsively chasing after bad guys by herself (twice) and her need to be rescued (twice) by a man or men (her father and homicide department buddies), and you've got a less-than-compeling lead character. I'd never heard of James Patterson before, and this book certainly doesn't incline me to read any more of his books. For my money, John Lescroarts' series of books set in the same place--San Francisco's Police Department homicide unit and legal community--are much more sophisticated and equally page-turning.

Sometimes it's hard for a second book in a series to live up to the first one. This one didn't disappoint. I did finish it and somewhat enjoyed the story, but decided I probably wouldn't get the next in the series. I guess I'm spoiled to the Alex Cross series and was hoping this would be as good, it wasn't.

This is the second book in the Women's Murder Club series featuring Detective Lindsay Boxer and her friends -- a crime reporter, a medical examiner, and an assistance district attorney -- who are the Women's Murder Club. They gather to discuss evidence that others in their workplaces may have missed as well as sharing support and friendship. This time it's another rather bizarre serial killer. Boxer's long-lost father, a retired police officer, makes an appearance in this book. This is a fast read with short chapters. The plot holds one's attention to the end.

Picked this up for another trip to Europe and eagerly finished it. I continue to enjoy the interplay of the four women. I do wish that Jill's character was developed just a little more. There were a few pieces that even after finishing confuse me, but perhaps that's part of the mystery. I'm curious to see if the Aaron Winslow character continues in the series.

Geary once again proves himself both a gifted illustration & a capable researcher of true crime.

This account of the Lindbergh kidnapping is complete, fair & well-balanced.

His clear b&w illustrating style captures both the faces of the people involved, the evidence & the era.

One small note that Geary did not include--the State Police Chief involved in the case was the father of Desert Storm General Norman Schwarzkopf.

Brad Cunningham was clearly the epitome of delusional narcissism. The classic sociopath/psychotic, without conscience, he cared for no one's feelings but his own. His personality disorders deemed him dangerous, placing him beyond any woman's worst nightmare. Lack of empathy and compassion combined with total self-absorption may make it difficult to see what anyone would find attractive about him; however, that is what characterizes people like Brad Cunningham as pure evil. He seeks out the perfect victim. He makes her feel important or needed or beautiful or whatever. There is a reason women fall for these men. Most are victims to begin with. I hope people do not judge Brad's victims too harshly. Sometimes others have a tendency to wonder how women could fall for guys like that. Men like Brad Cunningham know exactly what they are doing. I have read all of Ann Rule's books. I tout them as "must reads."

This is a gripping book from start to finish. It's hard to believe that there are real life 'psycho' people out there like Brad. He had to just be so charismatic to lure these normal, unsuspecting woman into his life like he did. This was a great book and had me up late turning pages- then cuddling up next to my wonderful husband and thanking the Good Lord above for my blessings!!!!

This book is excellent. Ann Rule really develops these characters to the extent you can feel the fear that was instilled in them by this man. Seldom have I ever felt such a rage towards anyone like I did Brad Cunningham when I read this book. Evil is too nice a word to describe Brad Cunningham. This man is nothing short of a monster and Ann Rule is at her best in telling the horrific evil he dispensed on everyone who came into contact with him.

This book was superbly written. I've read a lot of Ann Rule, and in my opinion, this was the best. There was a sick, ominious feeling throughout, because you knew it was going to get worse, but I couldn't tear myself away. I am amazed at Ms. Rule's ability to weave a story, complete with each of the many characters' backgrounds and present situations, without it seeming choppy.

A sample of her superb writing in this story: "...the enmity in Cheryl's relationship with Brad was intensifying. And as it did...the essence that was Cheryl had begun, finally, to disentegrate. As water eventually erodes stone after an eon of continual dripping, Brad's relentless seige against Cheryl was working its devastation."

Hard to believe that what I read in this book actually happened. I can only hope that somewhere deep in Brad's warped mind, he knows what a complete loser he is. I hope he has only female jailers who tell him what a piece of "garbage" he is every single day!

After finishing this book, I can only think of Cheryl as a martyr. Her unwilling sacrifice saved so many people from being tormented by Brad forever. At least in jail, his victims know where he is.

READ THIS BOOK!

I just finished reading 8 of ann rules books i dont know why I just found her - but i am so glad i have!!!! So many of the men/women who commit the crimes she relates are really so fascinating. I think Ann does an incredible job of weaving the history of the people involved, the psychological profiles, and the trials with updates and pictures...it's all good...

The people who perpetrate these crimes are such charming "users" - it is quite overwhelming to read 8 of her books in a row - i am watching neighbors to see if any of them seem psychotic!! Can make you a tad paranoid, but hey, these books are true and we should all be a bit more careful out there.

So I'm a new fan, cannot wait to buy more of her books!!!

The earlier Matthew Scudder noves are the best. They are dark, gritty and realistic. In later novels, Block marries off Scudder, why? Marrying the detective off makes him as Mr and Mrs North. Here he is still free to adventure and screw up. Block fleshes out all of the characters and we know them. We may not like them, but we know and understand them.
This is one of the best of the series, and I have read them all.

I made it the whole way to Jan's and Matt's "enlighting" [not very... cut me a break Block], trite, hack conversation about if he was a drunk or not and realized I was going to sleep. I made a firm decision and tossed the book into the get rid of this asap pile and went and found something else to read.

Block reads like "she said... he said..." conversations. Dry comes to mind. As I said in a previous review if you really hate "show not tell" in novels this is the writer for you. He does no showing at all. I feel as if I am listening to someone outline what might be a very good book. I had read another book of his which had the same fate as this one: halfway I tossed it into the get rid of this do NOT pass on to someone you like pile.

Matt comes across as the most pathetic attempt at an alcoholic I have encountered in novels [or in real life and I use to work Drug and Alcohol units]. He meanders aimlessly thru his addiction and Block meanders aimlessly thru the plot. Well suited for each other. It's a shame. As I said previously there is great potential for a GREAT story here. It was wasted more than Matt ever was in his drinking days.

IF you must try Block, I suggest the library.

While this book did have an entertaining plot, a woman is suspected of being killed by the icepick prowler, but turns out that she wasn't killed by him when he confesses to 7 of the 8 murders he was suspected of. Scudder is thrown into the mix to investigate whether Barbara Ettinger was killed by the Icepick Prowler or a copycat killer. While it is an entertaining and easy read, I felt at times that the quality of writing wasn't nearly as good as 2 of his best scudder novels ever: "Eight Million Ways to Die" and "A Dance at the Slaughterhouse". I just wasn't satisified with the quality of this book, I felt it could have been better. That tends to be the way Block's books are with me, they are either a hit or a miss.

In this fourth novel of the Matt Scudder series, Scudder is hired to investigate the murder of a young woman that happened nine years ago. The police assumed that the Icepick Prowler, a serial killer, had murdered her, but they recently caught him, and he confessed to all the other murders, but swore he did not do this one. Although the murder showed the characteristics of the Icepick Prowler's work, Scudder notes enough differences to make him think that a copycat killer did it and is still loose. This leads us on Scudder's plodding, careful investigation through streets (and bars) of New York. It's a gritty picture, but the author gives us clues that help to identify the killer. Otherwise, it's a surprise. Block's writing is outstanding, and his descriptions of the dark streets and alleys of New York are priceless. This is a great book to keep your attention on a long flight.

This is the 4th book in the Matt Scudder series and is a very appropriately titled book, with Scudder investigating a stabbing murder that happened 9 years ago. He doesn't particularly look forward to the case but, with nothing better to do, he begins to sift through old ground in between cups of bourbon-laced coffee.

The Matt Scudder character is the important feature of this book as we follow his tortured journey around New York City chasing up clues in a long-dead case. He unearths clues and leads as a good detective should, but it's his battle with the bottle that proves the most fascinating story. He finally gets a good hard smack across the chops in this book which may help put him on the road to sobriety, at least, it scares him enough to consider he may need help.

This is another fine example of an outstanding modern hardboiled mystery, just part of an outstanding hardboiled series.

After postponing the wedding due to a high risk pregnancy, art therapist Zoe Hayes is in the final countdown to saying I do. Although she is run off her feet, she remains relatively calm as she deals with an upset hyperactive wedding planner and dodging her boss at the Psychiatric Institute. Her home is taken over by her fiancé's two brothers Tony and Sam, who look almost exactly like her beloved. She does not mind them monopolizing her home and her fiancé Detective Nick Silver, but she wishes they would include her in their discussions.

Zoe's tranquility is shattered when she discovers a gutted woman on her patio. The police think it was a drug deal that turned hideous as the suppliers worked her over to get to illegal contraband inside her stomach. That theory goes down in flames when the victim is identified as a Homeland Security Agent who Tony recognizes as the woman who bumped into him.

The forth Zoe Hayes mystery is hilarious as it is fun to watch the heroine jump from one crisis to another while also dealing with post partum depression, bridal anxiety disorder, caring for a disorderly baby, and trying to fit in with Nick's eccentric family. Readers are interested in the goings on of the cast as it seems everyone seeks something from everyone else even the dead agent. Chaos is the norm for Zoe and the guys while humor and excitement is the norm for readers.

Harriet Klausner

Kimo is a very original gay detective, we see him here as he copes with his coming out, whilst trying to identify a vicious killer. I sympathized with Kimo and appreciated the mystery, much in the style of late McBain's 87^ Precinct's procedurals.A very promising mystery author, and a very hoy protagonist!

In spite of a fairly unbelievable mystery at the heart of "Mahu Surfer," Kimo Kanapa'aka is back with his interesting, likeable friends and family in a worthy successor to "Mahu."
Kimo's search for killers and his search for love make for compelling reading but I wish the author wouldn't keep repeating the same information over and over. The rushed ending has some plot errors, but hey, I still think Kimo's cool...even if his mysteries aren't terribly...well, mysterious! For me the sequences with his family far outshine the kill plot and make this series so enjoyable.

I mainly bought this book to find out how Kimo, the gay policeman, was getting along after reading Mr. Plakcy's earlier book that introduced this character. The mystery was compelling, though the frequent rehashing of facts that Kimo learns as he investigates is a little bothersome. It's like the author didn't trust that the reader could retain any information and needed to be reminded of what was happening, which is ironic as he leaves out a very important piece of information at the end (regarding an unknown shooter and a certain character we learn nothing more about). To me this was a big flaw, I even went back and checked to see if I missed a page. Did anyone else notice this? The entire ending (all 2 pages of it) felt very rushed, and nearly ruined what had been a fairly good story. 3 stars for most of the book but 1 for the hurried and incomplete ending.

I like mysteries and crime novels, and that's why I bought this. I loved reading it. It was engaging and I just loved the main character, Kimo. (What a great name) He is so easygoing and intense at the same time. He's a character you can feel close to and care about what happens to him. I recommend this book to any reader of crime or mystery books.

Mahu Surfer is a terrific follow up to Mahu and a solid mystery on its own. Neil Plakcy really gets the island talk, island sensibility and island locations. Having been to Oaha over a dozen times, and holding off on reading this until I was back in Honolulu, I felt as if I was living in the Hawaii of the book. Kimo is turning into a very likeable character with enough flaws and room for development to make him interesting. This time he is still reeling from his very public coming out and sent undercover to the North Shore - a much different Hawaii from Waikiki. He gets his man (and then some).

Great read....what more can I say? Well written prose, great premise, interesting genre, interesting characters. Looking forward to reading the next in the series...

Amusing but inconsequential mystery by writer whose day job is in IT and has been "a librarian for many years." Not sure who would combine those jobs, or how!--OK, I have to confess, I work in IT and have a Master of Library Science, so perhaps I'm more than just a little jealous.

Formulaic characters and dialogue spell the beginner's work (this is his second published novel). Not awful, but not better than what a decent writer could do in his spare time.

The plot is fairly standard fair, weaving the tale of a young Boston beat policeman into a tail of deception in England in 1942. He gets involved in Operation Jupiter (the code name of the real-life deception campaign to confuse Germany about Allied intentions towards a Norway) and a fictional spy/murder story.

With more practice to can the cliché and create truer characters, a follow up effort (a follow up, probably a series, is hinted in the denouement) could rate three stars.

An easy book to read. The plot keeps you hooked and the WWII setting, mostly in England, conjures a familiar somehow comforting atmosphere. Characters in this book have simple values, and do not challenge with moral ambiguity.

I'm lukewarm about this; I'd have been disappointed if I were expecting more. Yes, the characters are stereotypical but they're well drawn. The plot takes a long time to get there but somewhat pulls together at the end. Not much thriller (even in what should be the thriller parts). Overall character-driven and not plot-driven.

I MUCH prefer Aaron Elkins to James Benn (both his WW-II era books as well as his anatomy expert series). I think Elkin's Turncoat and Loot are much better WW-II or post-war stories.

Once you get passed the silliness of our hero being Eisenhower's nephew, settle in for some good fun. It's a cross between a "cozy" stately, home murder mystery, and a Ken Follet style cloak and dagger yarn. What's best though, is that it's all served up with some seriousness and a few nice passages of solid writing. Terrific finish. Many times when yet get a new book set in the 40s, the hero sounds like one of the Dead End Kids and they over do the slang. There's some fun with that here, but by and large Billy's a solid hero. (Although I must say the many Norwegians in the cast kind of ran together.)

I love the China Bayles series, and I usually love China. She's smart, savy and quick-witted. Her quirky friends are half the fun too. This one just didn't do it for me as much as the others. The actual mystery was pretty good. There were a lot of plot twists and underlying issues like all her previous stories, but I had this one figured out by the end. I won't give anything away, but there's something rotten in the Ranger emporium. What I really didn't like, and what seemed unbelievable due to China's previous shows of independence was the fact that she blamed herself for her lover's infidelity! What's going on with That? I certainly hope that Ms. Albert redeems her heroine in the next outing.

The author sure thew a twist into this one. Back from her haitus at Saint T's convent, China is trying to get back into the swing on things. However, McQuaid is acting different, and China fears he is having an affair. She overhears a phone conversation between McQuaid and a woman and confronts him about it. McQuaid admits it is true, but that it is over. Also, unbeknownst to China, McQuaid is working undercover with the FBI regarding an issue with Texas Rangers. While China is trying to sort out her feelings, McQuaid is shot while working undercover on his case. We never really get to see how China would have worked things out because once she hears that McQuaid has been shot, everything else is immaterial. Not only does she totally forgive McQuaid for his affair, but she befriends the woman with whom he had the affair (an FBI agent). To top it off, she takes responsibility for the affair by saying that if she had said yes to McQuaid one of the many times he had asked her to marry him, he wouldn't have looked elsewhere. No matter how much she loves McQuaid, I have trouble equating this simpering female with the headstrong,independent China from the previous books.

Let me start of by saying China has always been one of my favorite characters. And I would love to have her back in the next installment. This China, the simpering idiot who blames herself when her boyfriend betrays her, is not the strong heroine of previous books. Bring back the real China!!

China Bayles is back from a retreat at a monastery and is debating with herself about the future of her herb shop. Should she give it up and move on to something else? Should she add a tearoom and hire someone to run it? One thing that becomes clear to her is her devotion to her live-in lover Mike McQuaid, and China is considering making their relationship a permanent one. In the middle of these personal questions, she begins an investigation into the death of former Texas Ranger, Roy Adcock. His death appears to be a suicide, but China thinks it may be murder instead. During the course of her investigation, she begins to have doubts about her relationship with McQuaid, as well as her investigative skills. Adcock's death becomes complicated when it appears that he had a connection with a notorious drug lord, and China goes up a lot of blind alleys before she finally discovers who is guilty in this case. Her private life also ends on an uncertain note and the future of her relationship with McQuaid is up in the air. It appears that readers need to read the next book, to find out how it turns out!

This was my first China Bayles mystery...I enjoyed it, reading about China and the town of Pecan Springs was a hoot. Having gardening plans and ideas strewn throughout the book was fun. Being in the legal field, I can relate to the idea of leaving it all behind and running from the city to a quiet remote little town. But somehow I think the town of Pean Springs has a lot more danger lurking around than one would think. China's friends are quirky and add spice to the background. They mystery itself kept me quessing...I will hunt up the previous China stories as well as the more current ones. Great reading for an rainy afternoon or relaxing on the beach...

In NYC there are the Lambs, the Friars, and the Players. Maurice Jenkins-Lloyd, a member of one of the organizations and known to Matt Scudder through their shared fate of alcoholism, died of a ruptured esophagus. At this stage Scudder attends AA and has handed in his police badge and functions as an unlicensed PI. He is looking for Paula Hoeldtke.

Paula is from Muncie, Indiana. She attended Ball State, majoring in theater. The theater was an excuse for her to go to NYC. Unfortunately she has been missing for more than two months and her father has contacted Scudder to try to solve the mystery of her disappearance.

Joe Durkin, Scudder's police contact, calls the hospitals for him. It is discovered that Paula moved out of her residence without telling the landlady. It seems that Paula had not held membership in any of the unions or clubs for actors, but by fine-combing the two theater programs featuring her, Scudder develops some leads to pursue in the search.

Paula's last place of employment had been the Druid's Castle, an English-style pub. When a man from AA, Eddie dies, Matt Scudder arranges to meet one of the local tough guys, Mick Ballou. He finds out that Eddie had been friends with Mick's brother Dennis, a victim of the War in Vietnam.

Solving the mystery reveals remarkably sad stories to Scudder as he traces the links between Paula's and Eddie's disastrous ends.

"Out on the Cutting Edge" follows the two best novels in the Matthew Scudder series, "8 Million Ways to Die" and "When the Sacred Ginmill Closes." It is also the first novel in which Scudder conducts a case (in this instance two cases) while not in an alcoholic stupor. We catch up with Scudder a few years after he joined AA. He has a sponser and has managed to recover control of his life. His day to day existence, meanwhile, hasn't changed much. He still lives in a residential hotel and still conducts cases off the books as "favors" for friends.

The two cases are interesting. One is for pay; a family wants to know the whereabouts of their missing daughter. One is personal; an AA companion apparently commits suicide just before he is ready to confess his sins to Scudder. Both take Scuder in some unlikely directions and the payoff is typically messy. Meanwhile, author Lawrence Block introduces one his most interesting side characters to the series, the Irish gangster Mickey Ballou. Overall, this is a solid Scudder novel that is not quite on par with the best of the series. But any Scudder novel makes for excellent reading.

Matt Scudder is dealing with the day-in, day-out struggle to stay sober in the Big Apple. He has a case he doesn't have much hope of solving and he's got an AA acquaintance who wants Matt to sponsor him. Eddie Dunphy is a small-time crook, sober for a little over half a year. He has something he really wants to tell Matt, but before he gets a chance, he's found dead in his apartment--an apparent suicide.

It's an open and shut case, but Matt is obsessed with finding out whether or not Eddie died sober. Dead is dead, but if he stayed sober he won the war. Of course, he finds out Eddie was murdered and he also gets a lead on his original case just when he was ready to give up on it.

This book introduces a recurring character in the series: Mickey Ballou, known as the Butcher Boy. Mickey has a reputation. Folks believe he killed a man and carried the guy's head around in a bowling bag for a week, showing it off so people would know not to cross him.

The characters all grow and change over the course of the book. This is a terrific novel and a nice addition to the Scudder series.

Once again Lawrence Block has managed to blow me away with another fantastic Matt Scudder book. This one is about a guy who is looking for his daughter, who went off to New York to try and find fame. He hires Scudder to find his missing daughter, but the only problem is, there arent many leads. He searches and goes through all the motions and has stumbling blocks in his way, but manages to get around them. I wont tell you the rest, because I dont want to ruin the book for you, but I will just say this. THE ENDING WILL SHOCK YOU!!!!!

Matthew Scudder is Lawrence Block's remarkable private investigator. He's a former NYPD detective who left the force after an accident left a child dead in a crossfire. But that was years and probably took place sometime in the past before the first Matt Scudder novel. "The Devil Knows You're Dead," is Block's 11th in the series. (As of this writing there are 13.) This is a fast paced story in which Scudder finds he is asked to solve the death of a Yuppie lawyer living in an area of Hell's Kitchen. Matt and his girlfriend Elaine spent an evening and Glenn Holtzmann, the lawyer, and his wife Lisa. From the beginning Matt doesn't like Glenn. Glenn is killed and a homeless vet is arrested and accused of the murdering Glenn. Scudder is asked to prove that the vet didn't do the crime by his brother. Of course one thing leads to another as the truth unfolds. The relationship between Elaine, Matt's girlfriend becomes more serious as they plan on buying an apartment together. TJ, the streetwise African-American teen is back assisting Scudder. As I have said in other reviews of Matt Scudder novels. They are like potato chips. You can't quit after one.

Matthew Scudder is Lawrence Block's remarkable private investigator. He's a former NYPD detective who left the force after an accident left a child dead in a crossfire. Because he is unlicensed you can't "hire" him. Instead he does you a favor by taking your case and solving the crime. In exchange for the favor the client returns the favor by giving him some cash. Scudder is recovering alcoholic. Scudder is hired to find a missing girl, a would be actress, who came to the Big Apple from the mid-west. When her parents fail at contacting her they find that Scudder may be the one to help. He comes highly recommended by a NYPD police officer that has known Scudder for years. This Block/Scudder adventure takes us to the dark side of Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen. All this makes for excellent reading. I thoroughly enjoyed "On the Cutting Edge," and I am anxious to read the next Matt Scudder novel sitting by my easy chair.