For my money, Stephen King is the best short story writer of the last thirty years. I've never read a short story anthology by any other author to match his "Night Shift," or "Skelton Crew" collections. But Lawrence Block comes close with "Sometimes They Bite." Block may be a crime writer, but some of his stories, like the excellent title story, read similar to King's horror work, especially his non-supernatural horror work. Private Detective Matthew Scudder makes one fine appearance in this collection, as does Bernie Rhodenbarr of Block's "Burglar" series. The rest are a hodgepodge of stories told from the point of view of victims, perpetrators and cops. Some work better than others, of course, but there isn't a dud in the lot.

Fans of Lawrence Block should check out this book for a different view of an author who normally produces great novels.

Stephen King has the knack of turning common occurances intospine chilling stories. However, years before King's storieswere published, Lawrence Block proved his ability to do the same. How diverse to go from a story about two guys fishing peacefully (which results in spine-tingling murder) to an unscruplous lawyer to a burglar to an unwitting hit man finding a new occupation! You'd think Block lived each of these experiences by the way they are described in such vivid detail. No one has led that interesting a life so I'd have to credit these stories to Block's vivid imagination. This book is a must read for all Lawrence Block Fans. If you like this one, you'll also enjoy "Like A Lamb To Slaughter" as well as "Some Days You Get The Bear," both excellent short story collections in their own right.

This book has 18 short stories dealing with theme about lust. It is first book of seven that will deal with the seven deadly sins. There are several well known writers who has written a story for this collection, (Joan Hess, Clive Barker, Joyce Carol Oates). Most of the stories have rather predictable ending, but they are enjoyable stories. My top three stories in this book are the Lawrence Block's story(Speaking Of Lust), Clive Barker's story (The Age of Desire), and Robert Weinberg's story (Ro Erg). If you like any of these writers you want to check this book out.

Now here's some reading material to get really excited about.

Lawrence Block, best known for his mystery series, especially the ones revolving around private investigator Matthew Scudder and thief Bernie Rhodenbarr, also is the editor of the June 2001 compilation of short stories entitled "Speaking of Lust."

What really makes you stand at attention is the fact that "Lust" is the first in a series of short story collections that focuses on the seven deadly sins - greed, sloth, pride, envy, wrath and gluttony are the others, for those who skipped "Seven."

Do you realize what this means? At some point, there's going to be a collection of short stories devoted to fat people! And another about those lazy bones that simply refuse to get out of bed. Sigh ... at last, my kind of people get their time in the spotlight.

Seriously, I don't know why this type of thing hasn't been done before. Kudos go to Block and whomever is helping him in this infinitely clever maneuver for making lust, everyone's favorite deadly sin, the focus of the first book, which is smart for two reasons. One, because everyone likes lust, it'll be sure to grab the most readers. And now they've got their work cut out for them in finding clever stories that will give the other six the same kind of attention.

If "Lust" is any indication, we're in for a treat when the presumably-titled "Speaking of Gluttony" and "Speaking of Wrath" come out. It offers a fabulous array of stories that range from delightfully sinful to shockingly sexy.

Among the best offerings:

• James W. Hall's "Crack," about a man who discovers a crack in the wall that peeks into the neighbor's bathroom and allows him to spy on their 15-year-old daughter.

• "Ro Erg," by Robert Weinberg, about a man who uses a credit card error to create a whole new persona for himself.

•Ed Gorman's "The End of It All," in which a once hideous monstrosity gets made over into the handsomest man on earth, and prepares to seduce his high school crush ... and her daughter ...

• "The Girls in Villa Costas," by Simon Brett, about a machinating womanizer who finds himself torn between a beautiful woman and her less-attractive-but-stands-to-inherit-the-family-fortune sister.

Aside from introducing and editing the book, Block also writes the title novella. It is here that another reading delight emerges, and in his introduction Block promises that subsequent tales using the same characters will follow in the future books.

Most likely using Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales" as a model (Did anyone else enjoy reading this classic in high school? After all, those stories about white whales, scarlet letters and tales about two cities, this classic had farting and people having sex in orange trees! Finally, some decent reading material!), Block's story is really just several people - a priest, a policeman, a doctor, a soldier and an old guy - sitting around playing cards and talking about the ways lust has affected their occupations and lives. Lively discussion and debates ensue.

It's an ingenious way to go about telling the story, and the stories within the story will have the reading audience on the edge of their seats (pay close attention to the priest's tale).

Best of all, the stories are relatively short, so even if there comes the rare offering that doesn't quite tickle your funnybone, you can skip it guilt free and go on to the next treasure.

Reading about sin probably wasn't meant to be this much fun. But, oh, how sweet it is.

Block hasn't lost his touch, and neither has Scudder, and if it takes you more than one sitting to read the 300 pages of EVERYBODY DIES, I'd be shocked. It's exceptionally readable and, in spots, beautifully written. But that's just spots, and long-time fans of the series will find the book as a whole less satisfying than EIGHT MILLION WAYS TO DIE and A STAB IN THE DARK (easily the two best) or WHEN THE SACRED GINMILL CLOSES, A TICKET TO THE BONEYARD, THE SINS OF THE FATHERS, and A DANCE AT THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE (the four next best).

There's a lot of recapping going on -- in the first few chapters, Block retells four or five stories from the earlier novels, which turns out to be necessary for the plot, but which is a bit tiresome for those of us who've already read those stories before. The bits of business with Elaine are perfectly believable, but ripe with the sort of squashy domesticity that has sapped some of the noir juice out of the most recent installments in the Scudder story. Jive-talking TJ has always been something of an embarrassment, and he remains one here, although his schtick is (thankfully) somewhat toned down. And there's a "spring cleaning" feeling to the whole affair, as legions of the series' supporting characters are offed. Not that Block (or Scudder) doesn't treat the deaths with sufficient gravity -- it's just that you get the feeling of an author saying, "Let's wipe the slate clean and start Scudder off on a new path, with less baggage." (Which may be a good thing for the next Scudder novel -- less recapping to be done, perhaps -- but it casts a shadow over this one.)

The book isn't bad, not by a long shot, but it doesn't sparkle (on the whole) with the sheer brilliance of the best Scudders.

I've never quite understood what it is with Block's Scudder novels. Here we have a series of tightly plotted, beautifully written novels from a writer with a gift for creating interesting characters and great dialog; these are the novels Robert Parker would write if he could. Somehow, though, they never seem to break through (just compare the Amazon sales ranking for this book with those for Kellerman's "Billy Straight" or even Cornwell's incoherent "Point of Origin").

Perhaps it's because Block can seem like several writers sharing the same name - the author of the Evan Tanner series vs. the author of the Matt Scudder series vs. the author of the Bernie Rhodenbarr series - so readers may not know what to expect when they see the latest Block on the (real or virtual) bookstore shelf. If they pass this one up, though, it's their loss. This is hard-boiled detective fiction done to absolute perfection, and ranks up at the top not only of Block's output (although "Eight Million Ways to Die" still finds a soft spot in my heart), but among the great works of the genre going back all the way back to Hammett and Chandler.

Hyperbole? Perhaps. Buy it anyway.

Lawrence Block's previous Matt Scudder novel, Even the Wicked, was arguably the best in the series. His newest, Everybody Dies, equals that praise. One wonders if the title is a harbinger of either the end of the series or a house-cleaning so Block can take the character in a new direction. Is it to be read like a shrug, as if Block is excusing the occurrences in the book by saying "You know, Everybody Dies, eventually." Or is it a mandate, as in a Spanish or Greek Tragedy, "EVERYBODY DIES!"   Throughout, even until the climax, Block keeps the reader wondering. Often you'll find yourself thinking, "He wouldn't kill Scudder, would he? How can he? Scudder's the narrator, how would he end it? And if not, he wouldn't kill this character or that character, would he?"   Frequent readers of mystery fiction often find it predictable, because you can only have so many twists and turns and stay true to your character or formula. But Block is one of few writers who, while sometimes predictable in very formulaic ways, still satisfies when the moments come. He even uses a few situations that, in a lesser writer's hands, would be cliche. But we accept this from Block because of his presentation.   This is perhaps not the best book for a first-time Scudder reader. I would suggest  the first (Sins of the Fathers) or one in the middle of the series (Ticket to the Boneyard) to introduce new readers. But for Scudder fans, Everybody Dies is one of the best.

I am a huge fan of hardboiled P.I. fiction, and this is the first Matthew Scudder book that I've had a chance to read. And while I found the book to be a bit on the slow side in terms of action, the plot was so fascinating that I couldn't put it down. The book's real subject matter is death, and as one character says, man is the only animal who knows he's going to die. He's also the only animal that drinks. Somehow, there must be a connection. Those strictly interested in shoot-'em-ups and continuous action should look elsewhere. Those who like their P.I. stories on the philisophical side will love it.

As a character, I found Scudder interesting, especially his background and his continuous battle with alcoholism. Like any good P.I., he inhabits the landscape around him (in this case, Manhattan) so well that he becomes part of the scenery. I also didn't mind the fact that he was involved in a stable relationship (often a weakness in other P.I. serieses. A classic P.I. ought to be a loner). His love interest is just quirky enough to add spice to the story and isn't used merely to give him a contrived vulnerability. Overall, the best compliment I can pay is that I don't expect that this will be my last encounter with Scudder.

The Mathew Scudder novels of Lawrence Block are known for the intensity of both the characters and situations. If any of you non-alcoholics want to know what it's like to be an alcoholic, read these books! Thank God I'm not an alcoholic! In most of these novels, the situation is personal with the characters: i.e., the murder personally affects Scudder or his friends (as in "A Ticket to the Boneyard"). This connection makes the book more interesting. In this novel, that's not the case. The plot setup is run-of-the-mill PI fiction, with Scudder being hired out of the blue to solve a murder. What saves this book is the deviousness of the murderer and the superb writing of Block. This isn't the best book of the series, but it is a great introduction and warm up. You'll need it!

The premise is unusual - a secret society of businessmen, that started in ancient Babylon and has continued to this day. A set of 31 men, who gather once a year for a dinner, and patiently wait until only one remains, who selects 30 young men to regenerate the process. But somebody has noticed the current crop is dying at a rate well off the life insurance actuarial charts. Several of these deaths are obvious murders, but others that were dismissed as suicides or accidents are now being re-examined. Matt Scudder is employed to found out if there is a sinister plot to thin the ranks, and if so, why.

This book was outstanding. I love Lawrence Block's writing style, whether he's writing about Matt Scudder or Bernie Rhodenbarr. Can Matt Scudder uncover a mass murderer who has patiently worked for years before he strikes again? You'll be on the edge of your seat as you read this one.

This book works like a coloring book but at the same time, allows the child to find out some very important things about himself/herself. My big problem with the book was that at least three times, dogs were portrayed as angry menacing figures.

The Burglar in the Library is eighth in the series by Lawrence Block, renowned mystery-crime writer. The book is written from the perspective of Bernie Rhodenbarr, the main character. The story takes place over a long weekend. The setting is a country inn.

Bernie is a bookstore owner (and amateur sleuth) who acquires books using legal and illegal means. He learns there may be a valuable, rare edition at the Cuddleford Inn in upstate New York. If so, Bernie intends to find it and take it.

But strange things are happening at the inn. Within hours of Bernie's arrival, there is a great snow storm, the phone lines are cut, and a guest has expired in the library. Things get even more mysterious when the inn's bridge is sabotaged and people keep dying. It's up to Bernie to get things figured out.

Block has a knack for making murder entertaining. Just when you think you have things figured out, the plot takes an unexpected twist. The Cuddleford staff and guests are a strange combination of eccentric characters (a retired British colonel, a drunk, two spinsters, an inquisitive child, newlyweds, a slow-minded handyman, two backwoods country servant girls, and our hero Bernie) who do unpredictable things. The story includes interesting references to other books and authors.

I found this book an enjoyable read, geared toward a young adult/adult mystery audience.

The Burglar series is one of the most clever and entertaining mystery series in modern times. I love Block's style of snappy, yet pithy banter between Bernie and Carolyn. Set in an upstate New York bed and breakfast, and trapped by a snowstorm, an eccentric set of guests start noticing bodies dropping like flies. Was it Professor Plum in the conservatory with a candlestick? Perhaps Mrs Peacock? Bernie wants to solve the murders, but also is interested in pilfering an autographed copy of Raymond Chandler's "The Big Sleep". I was able to guess the killer fairly early, but was highly entertained by the quirky guests, including the pompous British Colonel, and 10 year old Millicent. A couple of things were left unexplained at the end, however, including one of the deaths (natural causes?). Furthermore, Millicent saw something that she reported to Bernie, but nothing ever became of it. I wanted all the loose ends tied up. I know, Chandler wouldn't have tied them, but this wasn't a hardboiled detective story. I also expected more out of Bernie's fake death trick. Nevertheless, this book is very good, and taken with a grain of salt, you will enjoy it!

This is one of the best in Block's Bernie Rhodenbarr series.

"The Burglar in the Library" is one part Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" (a.k.a. "The Ten Little Indians"), one part Christie's "The Body in the Library" and one part Dashiell Hammett's "The Thin Man," with Bernie and Carolyn Kaiser pairing up as a platonic Nick and Nora Charles. All of the Rhodenbarr books are pretty funny, but this one is also a loving take on the English house murders that Dame Agatha Christie made famous.

Usually, these near-parodies aren't as kind to their inspiration. But "The Burglar in the Library" makes you want to rush out and re-read a Miss Marple mystery.

This book is such a departure from the Rhodenbarr books, which are as brash and hip as their New York City setting. I wonder how many years Block has yearned to produce his own genteel English mystery? I'm glad he decided to scratch that particular itch.

It's an excellent book. The true test of a mystery is if you enjoy it when you re-read, when you already know "who done it." This book passes the test with flying colors: I've read it twice, and I'm sure I'll be reading it again.

As with all the Rhodenbarr books, Block fills it with tons of book and other trivia. I'd never read any Hammett or Chandler (who figure prominently in this book), but Block prompted me to correct that, too.

Lawrence Block has long been my very favorite mystery writer, above James Lee Burke, James Crumley, Dennis Lehane and others on my list of faves. Block isn't the prose stylist that the aforementioned writers are, but he's far and away the most natural storyteller, with an uncanny gift for creating fascinating characters and sounds-like-real-people dialogue. Of all his creations (Burglar/Detective Bernie Rhodenbarr, ersatz spy Tanner, low-key hit man Keller), Block has always done his best work with his series of mysteries featuring the recovering alcoholic ex-cop Matthew Scudder. All of which is to say that when a new Scudder mystery came out, I pounced on it like a lion taking down a gazelle. Sadly, by the time I finished "Hope to Die," I came away from the experience feeling a little disappointed. Scudder's search for a budding serial killer who murders a wealthy couple comes off feeling a little thin in the plot department. Scudder's first-person narrative is interspersed with chapters told from the killer's point of view and for the most part these chapters don't add much to the story. Take them out entirely and you can still easily follow what's happening, making these chapters appear superfluous. Of course, taking them out would have also made the book pretty darn short, too. On the plus side, it's always nice to drop in on Scudder's life and see what's going on with him. There's a great subplot involving the death of Scudder's ex-wife, finally allowing the reader a chance to meet his oft-mentioned but never seen estranged sons. The reader also gets a chance to catch up with Scudder's terrific cast of secondary characters--his wife Elaine, his streetwise helper TJ, Irish gangster Mick Ballou--characters who are always a lot of fun to read about. But overall, "Hope to Die" just doesn't stack up to the best in the Scudder series (Everybody Dies, When the Sacred Ginmill Closes, The Devil Knows You're Dead, Eight Million Ways to Die). Mind you, I didn't dislike the book. It just left me wanting more. I look forward to the next book in the series, and considering how the reader is left hanging at the end, the sequel seems inevitable.

I always look forward to reading a Matt Scudder novel by Lawrence Block. "Hope to Die" is the 15th Matt Scudder novel. Susan and Byrne Hollander are brutally murdered in a burglary on their home. Days later, the 2 killers are found in a room in Brooklyn dead in what the police believe is a murder-suicide. They close the case. Matthew Scudder believes that a third person is involved in the murders and tells the Hollander's daughter, Kristin, his theory. She hires him to find the murderer. Then Kristin's first cousin, Lia Parkman, is murdered. Seven other poeple are murdered before Scudder figures out who did it. The murderer is perhaps the most diabolical creation of Lawrence Block. I also enjoyed learning more about Scudder's sons, as they play a role in one of the novel's subplots. This is an excellent addition to an excellent series.

Lawrence Block has been around for a while, writing a number of successful series. Although many of his books are good to great, I have found that his most recent books in his other series (Bernie Rhodenbarr, Keller, Evan Tanner) have been a little weaker than in the past, this book - featuring his best character, Matthew Scudder - shows that Block still has it.

Scudder is a constantly evolving character. In the earliest novels, he was a standard hard-boiled private eye, but soon he came to terms with his inner demons (in particular, his alcoholism) and learned how to reconstruct his life. Now, he is sixty-two, not as inclined to get in dangerous situations, but still out to expose murderers.

This case deals with a couple who is killed in a home invasion robbery. Soon, the killers are themselves dead in a murder-suicide, but Scudder, when drawn into the case, begins to think there is a third man. Along with his investigation, he is involved with a subplot involving the death of his ex-wife and his relationship with his estranged sons.

Block is always at his best when writing about Scudder, and this case is no exception. Admittedly, this book works best if you have read the others in the series, but even as a standalone, this is a good novel.

HIT MAN Lawrence Block Avon Feb. 1999 ISBN: 038072541X Buy It Here A humorous mystery about a hired killer who is going through a mid-life crisis. This is a hard-boiled, page-turning mystery. Lawrence Block has written a series of Keller novels. Read them all you will be glad you did. Kellerman, known as Keller, is a just normal guy who lives in a nice apartment until his phone rings... then he becomes a hit man, only now he wonders why he does what he does. Story by story Keller grows on us, but you have to remember he is a cold-blooded killer who likes movies where you can tell the good guys from the bad guys, but in this book you can't always tell which is which. Pam Stone

The book the Hit Man by Lawrence Block is a book that is full of enthusiastic drama that makes you want more. This story's main character, J.P. Keller, is a contract hit man. In this book, Keller deals with many problems about his life and has many adventures in doing what he does, which is killing people. This is a great book of short stories about a hit man's personal and impersonal life. Keller is confused and doesn't know whether he should keep his job, that has him killing people, or leave it and live a normal man's life. As a hit man, he sometimes has to kill people that he likes. How does Keller deal with it? What would you do if that were you? Well to find out and to know more about what goes on in a hit man's mind read this book. I give Hit Man a 5 and recommend this book to any body that likes to read exiting short stories.

Keller is a paid assassin, a professional killer, who defies the classic stereotype. Instead, his lifestyle is that of the traveling businessman who is just another Manhattan single male when he is home. He does the Times crossword every morning while sipping his coffee. He has tried therapy and purchased a dog to help him with his growing loneliness. However, the therapy made him even more introspective and the dog left him for his former girl friend. He never cooks (even with a microwave) as he lives on take out or dining out. His lonely existence is only broken by his high paying jobs at various locations around the country. When he is not on the job, he reflects on his life and wonders about his victims' families.

HIT MAN is a short story collection about one of the best characters to arrive on the urban crime noir scene in years. Instead of being a hero, Keller is an anti-hero. The stories are all trademark Lawrence Block: gritty, exciting, and entertaining. However, what makes this terrific book so appealing is that Keller could be the guy next door taking out your sister on a date. To make matters even more interesting, Keller, despite his profession, is a likeable character. Let's hope for more Keller works in the near future. He is fascinating!

Harriet Klausner

I love the burglar series. These books are well written, and most important, highly entertaining. Expect the unexpected as you drift through what seems like unimportant fluff, only to discover the subtle clues were laid down to allow our favorite burglar to solve yet another set of murders. It all starts with a dental instrument embedded in a woman's chest. The heat is on Bernie again, as New York's finest have him fingered as a suspect. Bernie finds unusual quantities of cash in the unlikeliest of places, as he pastes together the past of his dentist's ex-wife. Bernie pre-maturely pegs the murder on somebody who ends up dead --- in an awkward location. The grand finale is spectacular as always, with Bernie pulling out a fake witness to corroborate his suspicions and force a confession out of the guilty.

Lawrence Block is one of our most talented mystery authors. In the Bernie Rhodenbarr series he explores out an ordinary, but intelligent, "honest" person might go about pursuing a life of crime as a fastidious and talented burglar who isn't proud of what he does, doesn't like to hang out with criminals, and really gets a big thrill out of breaking and entering . . . and removing valuables. As you can see, there's a sitcom set-up to provide lots of humor. But the humor works well in part because Mr. Block is able to put the reader in the Bernie's shoes while he breaks, enters and steals . . . and evades the long arm of the law. To balance the "honest" burglar is an array of "dishonest" and equally easy-money loving cops. As a result, you're in a funny moral never-never land while your stomach tightens and your arm muscles twitch as tension builds. To make matters even more topsy-turvy, Bernie at some point in every story turns into an investigator who must figure out "who-dun-it" for some crime that he personally didn't do. It's almost like one of those "mystery at home" games where the victim comes back as the police investigator, playing two roles. Very nice!

So much for explaining the concept of the series. The Burglar in the Closet is the second book in the series. I strongly suggest that you begin the series by reading Burglars Can't Be Choosers. Each story in the series adds information and characters in a way that will reduce your pleasure of the others if read out of order. Although, I originally read them out of order and liked them well enough. I'm rereading them now in order, and like it much better this way. The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling comes next in the series.

As Stephen King likes to point out, a great way to start a book is to put a character in an unusual situation and then let things happen from there. The Burglar in the Closet certainly follows that route in a successful manner with what reads and feels like a very realistic (and hilarious to think about) burglary experience.

The complications soon start coming from all directions like sharpened spears, and Bernie's ducking before one of them hits him! Along the way you'll meet The World's Greatest Dentist and his hygienist, some remarkably vivid barflies, and visit again with the brilliant, but bent cop, Ray Kirschmann from Burglars Can't Be Choosers. Bernie gets accused of just about everything but what he actually did, and as before, straightens matters out through his own investigation.

I thought that the identity of the more serious criminal was pretty obvious, but the plot develops in such a witty, charming way that I didn't really mind. The plot is pretty complicated, and will keeep you on your toes . . . so pay attention!

This book is definitely a step up from Burglars Can't Be Choosers and really establishes the series as a solid one for fans of off-beat mysteries.

As I read this book, I was reminded of Murphy's Law (anything that can go wrong, will). Most of the unpleasant situations in our lives come about because we ignore Mr. Murphy. This book will certainly remind you to think through what could go wrong . . . before you go ahead.

Donald Mitchell
Co-author of The 2,000 Percent Solution, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise and The Ultimate Competitive Advantage

Less well known than some of the installments that followed it in the "Burglar" series, THE BURGLAR IN THE CLOSET is a fabulous play-fair whodunnit, filled with great character bits and at least a dozen scenes that will make you laugh out loud. Bernie is not yet the proprietor of his used bookstore here -- he's a full-time burglar and part-time detective, working desperately to free his dentist from a charge of murder. Block's authoritative asides on the science of burglary are delicious and the climactic unmasking of the killer at the end is entirely satisfying. (Fans of the series will note that this book contains the first appearance of artist Denise Raphaelson, who returns to great effect in Block's brilliant THE BURGLAR WHO PAINTED LIKE MONDRIAN.)