From AudioFile With understated panache, Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster Lawrence Block reads from his latest Matthew Scudder mystery in which the unlicensed private investigator faces one of his most daunting nemeses yet. Block never reveals the real name of the clever killer who orchestrates a series of murders set up to look like a botched burglary and a suicide. Scudder--together with wife, Elaine, and associates, T.J. and Mick--set out to learn the identity of the real killer before they become the next victims. While the resolution of the book won't satisfy everyone, Block remains one of the great American storytellers, whose words are as alive emerging from his mouth as they are appearing on the page. S.E.S. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine Product Description Twenty-five years ago, Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Lawrence Block introduced his acclaimed unlicensed private investigator to the New York crime scene. Today Matthew Scudder remains one of the most complex, richly human protagonists in noir fiction -- as he pursues a faceless adversary with a unique talent and taste for murder.When Byrne and Susan Hollander are killed in a brutal home invasion, the whole city catches its collective breath. A few days later the killers turn up dead behind a locked door in Brooklyn. One has killed his partner, then himself. The city sighs with relief. The cops close the case.Matt and Elaine Scudder were in the same room with the Hollanders hours before their deaths. In spite of himself, Scudder is drawn to the Hollander case. The closer he looks, the more he senses the presence of a third man, a puppet master who manipulated his two accomplices, then cut their strings when he was done with them.The villain who looms in the shadows is one of Block's most inspired creations, cold and diabolical, murdering for pleasure and profit. Nobody but Scudder even suspects he exists -- and he's not done killing.He's just getting started.... From Library Journal First brought to our attention 25 years ago, Matthew Scudder is back at work, investigating the particularly unpleasant murder of a wealthy West Side couple. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. 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.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.