Most Popular Books by Lawrence Block

Meet Killer, the coldly efficient, yet decidedly human hit man. Your basic Urban Lonely Guy. He makes a decent wage, lives in a nice apartment. Until the phone rings and he gets on a plane and flies halfway across the country and kills somebody. It''s a living. But is it a life? Keller''s not sure. He goes to a shrink. He gets a dog, he gets a girlfriend. He gets along. There''s no one like Keller. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

Ariel Jardell, an adopted 12-year-old girl, is possessed, her mother thinks, by jealousy and by forces far more bizarre. An unnerving tale woven together with a fascinating, terrifying child at the center of each twist and turn it takes, this book gives new definition to the old conflict of good versus evil, sane versus insane. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

Matthew Scudder, ex-cop and recovering alcoholic, has finally gtten his life together. Suddenly, trouble arrives in the form of and old enemy, psychotic James Leo Motley, who is brutally murdering anyone close to Scudder--with Scudder''s name on the list! Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

In the era before he created moody private investigator Matthew Scudder, burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, sleepless spy Evan Tanner, and the amiable hit man Keller—and years before his first Edgar Award—a young writer named Lawrence Block submitted a story titled "You Can''t Lose" to Manhunt magazine. It was published, and the rest is history. One Night Stands and Lost Weekends is a sterling collection of short crime fiction and suspense novelettes penned between 1958 and 1962 by a budding young master and soon-to-be Grand Master—an essential slice of genre history, and more fun than a high-speed police chase following a bank job gone bad.

The city caught its collective breath when upscale couple Byrne and Susan Hollander were slaughtered in a brutal home invasion. Now, a few days later, the killers themselves have turned up dead behind the locked door of a Brooklyn hellhole -- one apparently slain by his partner in crime who then took his own life. There''s something drawing Matthew Scudder to this case that the cops have quickly and eagerly closed: a nagging suspicion that a third man is involved, a cold, diabolical puppet master who manipulates his two accomplices, then cuts their strings when he''s done with them. No one but Scudder even suspects he exists. And his worst fear is that the guy is just getting started ...

Matt Scudder is finally leading a comfortable life. The crime rate''s down and the stock market''s up. Gentrification''s prettying-up the old neighborhood. The New York streets don''t look so mean anymore. Then all hell breaks loose. Scudder quickly discovers the spruced-up sidewalks are as mean as ever, dark and gritty and stained with blood. He''s living in a world where the past is a minefield, the present is a war zone, and the future''s an open question. It''s a world where nothing is certain and nobody''s safe, a random universe where no one''s survival can be taken for granted. Not even his own. A world where everybody dies.

Small-time stoolie, Jake " The Spinner" Jablon, made a lot of new enemies when he switched careers, from informer to blackmailer. And the more "clients", he figured, the more money -- and more people eager to see him dead. So no one is surprised when the pigeon is found floating in the East River with his skull bashed in.And what''s worse, no one cares -- except Matthew Scudder. The ex-cop-turned-private-eye is no conscientious avenging angel. But he''s willing to risk his own life and limb to confront Spinner''s most murderously aggressive marks. A job''s a job after all -- and Scudder''s been paid to find a killer -- by the victim...in advance.

Bad cop Jerry Broadfield didn''t make any friends on the force when he volunteered to squeal to an ambitious d.a. about police corruption. Now he''saccused of murdering a call girl. Matthew Scudder doesn''t think Broadfield''s a killer, but the cops aren''t about to help the unlicensed p.i. prove it -- and they may do a lot worse than just get in his way.

A thief finds himself in the wrong place and suspected of the wrong crime in the "unfailingly entertaining" series from bestselling author ( The New York Times). It''s hard to ignore someone with his hands in your mouth. Bernie Rhodenbarr''s all ears when Dr. Sheldrake, his dentist, starts complaining about his detestable, soon-to-be-ex wife, and happens to mention the valuable diamonds she keeps lying around the apartment. Since Bernie''s been known to supplement his income as a bookstore owner with the not-so-occasional bout of high-rise burglary, a couple of nights later he''s in the Sheldrake apartment with larceny on his mind—and has to duck into a closet when the lady of the house makes an unexpected entrance. Unfortunately he''s still there when an unseen assailant does Mrs. Sheldrake in . . . and then vanishes with the jewels. Bernie''s got to come out of the closet some time. But when he does, he''ll be facing a rap for a murder he didn''t commit—and for a burglary he certainly attempted—unless he can hunt down the killer who left him hanging. "Light-hearted crime at its very best." —Robert Ludlum "Hilarious." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch "A forgery ring turns up—along with the breezy Manhattan repartee and charmingly crude New Yorkers we''ve come to expect from the likably smart-alecky Mr. Block." — Kirkus Reviews

The author of dozens of acclaimed novels including those in the Scudder and Keller series, Lawrence Block has long been recognized as one of the premier crime writers of our time. Now, the breathtaking skill, power, and versatility of this Grand Master are brilliantly displayed once again in a mesmerizing new thriller set on the streets of the city he knows and loves so well. That was the thing about New York -- if you loved it, if it worked for you, it ruined you for anyplace else in the world. In this dazzlingly constructed novel, Lawrence Block reveals the secret at the heart of the Big Apple. His glorious metropolis is really a small town, filled with men and women from all walks of life whose aspirations, fears, disappointments, and triumphs are interconnected by bonds as unbreakable as they are unseen. Pulsating with the lives of its denizens -- bartenders and hookers, power brokers and politicos, cops and secretaries, editors and dreamers -- the city inspires a passion that is universal yet unique in each of its eight million inhabitants, including: John Blair Creighton, a writer on the verge of a breakthrough; Francis Buckram, a charismatic ex–police commissioner -- and the inside choice for the next mayor -- on the verge of a breakdown; Susan Pomerance, a beautiful, sophisticated folk-art dealer plumbing the depths of her own fierce sexuality; Maury Winters, a defense attorney who prefers murder trials because there''s one less witness; Jerry Pankow, an ex-addict who has turned being clean into a living, mopping up after New York''s nightlife; And, in the shadows of a city reeling from tragedy, an unlikely killing machine who wages a one-man war against them all. Infused with the raw cadence, stark beauty, and relentless pace of New York City, Small Town is a tour de force Block fans old and new will celebrate.

Book description to come.

Nobody knows better than Matthew Scudder how far down a person can sink in this city. A young prostitute named Kim knew it also—and she wanted out. Maybe Kim didn''t deserve the life fate had dealt her. She surely didn''t deserve her death. The alcoholic ex-cop turned p.i. was supposed to protect her, but someone slashed her to ribbons on a crumbling New York City waterfront pier. Now finding Kim''s killer will be Scudder''s penance. But there are lethal secrets hiding in the slain hooker''s past that are far dirtier than her trade. And there are many ways of dying in this cruel and dangerous town—some quick and brutal ... and some agonizingly slow.

Offers aspiring novelists guidelines for developing plot ideas, characters, and the story line as well as rewriting the manuscript, finding a literary agent, and getting works published.

Louis Pinell, the recently apprehended "Icepick Prowler," freely admits to having slain seven young women nine years ago -- but be swears it was a copycat who killed Barbara Ettinger Matthew Scudder believes him. But the trail to Ettinger''s true murderer is twisted, dark and dangerous...and even colder than the almost decade-old corpse the p.i. is determined to avenge.

The New York Times–bestselling author “ratchets up the suspense with breathtaking results as only a skilled, inventive and talented writer can do” (Orlando Sentinel). A man in a Virginia prison awaits execution for three horrific murders he must have committed but swears he didn’t . . . An aging investigator in New York City has seen too much and lost too much—and is ready to leave the darkness behind . . . But a nightmare is coming home—because a brilliant, savage, patient monster has unfinished business in the big city . . . and a hunger that can be satisfied only by fear and the slow, agonizing death of Matthew Scudder and the woman he loves. “Block, who couldn’t write a dull scene even if he tried to, is in fine form here.” —Los Angeles Times “Block, as always, takes his readers on a wildly entertaining ride.” —The Buffalo News “A thrilling, satisfying concoction brewed by a master storyteller in top form.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “An unforgettable tale of violence, death and deceit.” —Lansing State Journal “A page-turning work of art.” —Toronto Sun

In this city, there is little sense and no rules. Those who fly the highest often come crashing down the hardest -- like successful young Glenn Holtzmann, randomly blown away by a deranged derelict at a corner phone booth on Eleventh Avenue. Unlicensed p.i. Matt Scudder thinks Holtzmann was simply in the wrong place at the worst time. Others think differently -- like Thomas Sadecki, brother of the crazed Vietnam vet accused of the murder, who wants Scudder to prove the madman innocent. But no one is truly innocent in this unmerciful metropolis --including Matther Scudder, whose curiosity and dedication are leading him to dark, unexplored places in his own heart...and to passions and revelations that could destroy everything he loves.

Bernie Rhodenbarr is a personable chap, a good neighbor, a passable poker player. His chosen profession, however, might not sit well with some. Bernie is a burglar, a good one, effortlessly lifting valuables from the not-so-well-protected abodes of well-to-do New Yorkers like a modern-day Robin Hood. (The poor, as Bernie would be the first to tell you, alas, have nothing worth stealing.) He''s not perfect, however; he occasionally makes mistakes. Like accepting a paid assignment from a total stranger to retrieve a particular item from a rich man''s apartment. Like still being there when the cops arrive. Like having a freshly slain corpse lying in the next room, and no proof that Bernie isn''t the killer. Now he''s really got his hands full, having to locate the true perpetrator while somehow eluding the police -- a dirty job indeed, but if Bernie doesn''t do it, who will?

"Right up there with Mr. Block''s best....A DROP OF THE HARD STUFF keeps us guessing."--Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal Facing his demons in his first year of sobriety, Matthew Scudder finds himself on the trail of a killer. When Scudder''s childhood friend Jack Ellery is murdered, presumably while attempting to atone for past sins, Scudder reluctantly begins his own investigation, with just one lead: Ellery''s Alcoholics Anonymous list of people he wronged. One of them may be a killer, but that''s not necessarily Scudder''s greatest danger. Immersing himself in Ellery''s world may lead him right back to the bar stool. In a novel widely celebrated by critics and readers, Lawrence Block circle back to how it all began, reestablishing the Matthew Scudder series as one of the pinnacles of American detective fiction.

Matthew SCudder is hired to find Paula Hoeldtke.Hot on the ice-cold trail of themissing girl,he finds it''s a sleaze-and-terror playground in which he is lookingfor love in all the wrong places,& finding death in all the right ones..

Sometimes They Bite is a tantalizing collection of 18 darkly entertaining stories, including one Scudder gem.

Bestselling author and grand master Lawrence Block returns to his deadliest hitman. A man named Nicholas Edwards lives in New Orleans renovating houses, doing honest work and making decent money at it. Between his family and his stamp collection, all his spare time is happily accounted for. Sometimes it''s hard to remember that he used to kill people for a living. But when the nation''s economy tanks, taking the construction business with it, all it takes is one phone call to drag him back into the game. It may say Nicholas Edwards on his driver''s license and credit cards, but he''s back to being the man he always was: Keller. Keller''s work takes him to New York, the former home he hasn''t dared revisit, where his target is the abbot of a midtown monastery. Another call puts him on a West Indies cruise, with several interesting fellow passengers -- the government witness, the incandescent young woman keeping the witness company, and, sharing Keller''s cabin, his wife, Julia. But the high drama comes in Cheyenne, where a recent widow is looking to sell her husband''s stamp collection . . . In Hit Me, legendary Edgar Grandmaster and New York Times bestselling author Lawrence Block returns to one of his most beloved characters. Welcome back, Keller. You''ve been missed.

Bookseller and New-Yorker-to-the-bone, Bernie Rhodenbarr rarely ventures out of Manhattan, but he''s excited about the romantic getaway he has planned for himself and current lady love Lettice at the Cuttleford House, a remote upstate b&b. Unfortunately, Lettice has a prior engagement—she''s getting married . . . and not to Bernie—so he decides to take best buddy Carolyn instead. A restful respite from the big city''s bustle would be too good to waste. Besides, there''s a very valuable first edition shelved in the Cuttleford''s library that Bernie''s just itching to get his hands on. Did we neglect to mention that Bernie''s a burglar? But first he''s got to get around a very dead body on the library floor. The plot''s thickened by an isolating snowstorm, downed phone lines, the surprise arrival of Lettice and her reprehensible new hubby, and a steadily increasing corpse count. And it''s Bernie who''ll have to figure out whodunit . . . or die.

For years now Keller''s had places to go and people to kill. But enough is enough. Just one more job—paid in advance—and he''s going to retire. Waiting in Des Moines for the client''s go-ahead, Keller''s picking out stamps for his collection at a shop in Urbandale when somebody guns down the charismatic governor of Ohio. Back at his motel, Keller sees the killer''s face broadcast on TV. A face he''s seen quite often. Every morning. In the mirror. Keller calls his associate Dot in White Plains, but there''s no answer. He''s stranded halfway across the country, and every cop in America has just seen his picture. His ID and credit cards are no longer good, and he just spent almost all of his cash on the stamps. Now what?

Complications ensue when Bernie''s second entry into Onderdonk''s apartment finds the Mondrian missing, a dead body in its place, and a voluptuous stranger with designs of her own hiding in the dark.

A philosophical yet practical gentleman, Bernie Rhodenbarr possesses many admirable qualities: charm, intelligence, sparkling wit, and unwavering loyalty. Of course, he also has this special talent and a taste for life''s finer things. So he''s more than willing to perform some vengeful larceny for a friend -- ripping off a smarmy, particularly deserving plastic surgeon -- for fun and a very tidy profit. But during a practice run at another address, Bernie''s forced to hide under a bed when the lady of the house returns unexpectedly with the worst kind of blind date in tow. In no time, Bernie''s up to his burgling neck in big trouble. Again. And this time it includes his arrest, no less than four murders, and more outrageous coincidences than any self-preserving felon should ever be required to tie together.

Cold War superspy Evan Tanner lost the ability to sleep on a battlefield in Korea. So where the heck has he been since the ''70s? Frozen. Cryogenically. A Tanner-sicle. Which he never thought would happen when he walked into a basement in Union City, New Jersey, more than a quarter century ago. Now he''s unthawed and ready to rumble, and his somewhat addled, former super-secret boss, "the Chief," is glad his favorite operative''s active again. Tanner awoke to a different world, though some bad things have remained the same . . . or gotten worse. Even before he can fully acclimate himself to this perplexing future, Tanner''s off to Burma (which isn''t really Burma anymore) to pose as a monk, destabilize the government, dodge a lethal double-cross, and rescue a beautiful prisoner. The world''s still full of conspiracy, corruption, greed, political chicanery—and beautiful women. So Tanner''s back with a vengeance, with a lot of lost time to make up for.

For this spy, there’s no Nazi losing sleep over. An up-all-night thriller from the New York Times–bestselling author and MWA Grand Master. Evan Tanner ran head-first into a piece of shrapnel in Korea, and now he can’t sleep. Ever. Which can be an asset for a dedicated linguist, term paper forger, thief, lost cause enthusiast . . . Spy. Tanner takes on jobs for a covert intelligence organization so secret that even those who work for it have no idea who they’re working for. Now his nameless supervisor wants him to sneak behind the Iron Curtain, storm an impregnable castle in Prague (alone!), and rescue an old Slovak who’s got a pressing date with a hangman’s noose. The trouble is the prisoner is an unrepentant Nazi who makes Goering look like Mister Rogers. Tanner hates Nazis. If he’s caught (which is likely) the U.S. will deny that they know him. And Tanner will be executed. After being tortured, no doubt. All in all, there are many excellent reasons why Tanner should refuse this assignment. So, naturally, he says yes. Praise for Lawrence Block “Block is one of the best!” —The Washington Post “Block is a deft surgeon, sure and precise.” —The New York Times “Block generates nonstop suspense.” —Publishers Weekly “One of our best authors.” —San Diego Union-Tribune

The craft of writing is a lot like spinning a web: You take threads and weave them skillfully together, and only you know where this intricate network of twists and turns begin and how it will end. Now, with Lawrence Block''s expert advice, you can learn this art of entrapping your reader in a maze of fascinating fiction. Spider, Spin Me a Web is the perfect companion volume to Block''s previous book on writing, Telling Lies for Fun and Profit, which Sue Grafton noted "should be a permanent part of every writer''s library." As helpful and supportive as always, Block shares what he''s learned over the course of writing over one hundred published books: techniques to help you to write a solid piece of fiction; strategies for getting a reader (or editor) to read—and buy—your book; ideas for increasing your creativity and developing an environment that will nourish you and your craft. Spider, Spin Me a Web is a complete guide to achieving your full potential as a writer.

Evan Michael Tanner hasn''t slept in more than a decade--not since a small piece of battlefield shrapnel invaded his skull and obliterated his brain''s sleep center. Still, he''s managed to find numerous inventive ways to occupy his waking hours. Tanner is a card-carrying member of hundreds of international organizations, from the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Order to the Flat Earth Society--not because he believes in their myriad lost causes, he''s simply a joiner by nature. Besides, it gives him something to do. The Russians think Tanner is a CIA operative on a covert mission. The CIA is certain he''s a Soviet agent. Actually, he''s in Turkey pursuing a fortune in hidden Armenian gold. But Tanner''s up for anything, including a little spycraft, if it helps him reach his big payday. And if need be, he''ll even start a small revolution . . .

Bernie Rhodenbarr is back and he''s after the prized coin collection of one Herb Colcannon, and he has the inside information to help him...or so he thinks! But the Colcannon house is a set-up and he''s not the first to think of the heist. What''s more, the collection consists of just one coin...worth over $25,000. So whois Bernie going to sell it to and how is he going to get away with it? ''Wonderfully detailed and inspiring writing'' - The Guardian ''A detective writer to savour'' - Daily Mirror

Keller is friendly. Industrious. A bit lonely, sometimes. If it wasn''t for the fact that he kills people for a living, he''d be just your average Joe. The inconvenient wife, the troublesome sports star, the greedy business partner, the vicious dog, he''ll take care of them all, quietly and efficiently. If the price is right. Like the rest of us, Keller''s starting to worry about his retirement. After all, he''s not getting any younger. (His victims, on the other hand, aren''t getting any older.) So he contacts his "booking agent," Dot, up in White Plains, and tells her to keep the hits coming. He''ll take any job, anywhere. His nest egg needs fattening up. Of course, being less choosy means taking greater risks—and that could buy Keller some big trouble. Then again, in this game, there are plenty of opportunities for some inventive improvisation . . . and a determined self-motivator can make a killing.

Matthew Scudder knows that justice is an elusive commodity in the big city, where a harmless man can be shot dead in a public place criminals fly free through holes in a tattered legal system. But now a vigilante is roaming among the millions, executing those he fees deserve to die. He calls himself "The Will of the People"--an ingenious serial killer who announces his specific murderous intentions to the media before carrying through on his threats. A child molester, a Mafia don, a violent anti-abortionist--even the protected and untouchable are being ruthlessly erased by New York''s latest celebrity avenger. Scudder knows that no one is innocent--but who among us has the right to play God? It is a question that will haunt the licensed p.i. on his journey through the bleak city grays, as he searches for the sanity in urban madness. . .and for a frighteningly efficient killer who can do the impossible.