Out on the Cutting Edge (Matthew Scudder Mysteries Book 7)

Scudder 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.

This 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).

As 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.

I read this book in 1989.. I just read it again.The story is an Awesome Suspenseful Mystery.You feel like you are Matt Scudder's shadow and you are with him thru the streets of New York... It makes your heart race and gives you chills.Matt's life on New York streets, trying to solve a case, is full of Drama, Danger and Suspense.... And a little Humor.The Matthew Scudder novel's are the Best stories ever written. Lawrence Block is a Very Talented writer. He is a Genius. 👍

This 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.