A major, stand-alone thriller from Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster Lawrence Block, author of the acclaimed Matt Scudder books.
A beautiful young woman called Marilyn picks up a stranger in a bar and takes him home to her Manhattan apartment. The next morning her housekeeper discovers Marilyn's body.
Marilyn's life and death have far-reaching effects on others, even people she has never met: a charismatic former police commissioner on the verge of a breakdown; a struggling writer; a folk art dealer plumbing the depths of her own fierce sexuality; a lawyer who prefers murder trials because there's one witness fewer. And in a city reeling from 9/11, an unlikely mass murderer wages a one-man war against everyone.
In this gripping, multi-faceted story, Block not only brings to life in brilliant detail the city of New York, but proves he is one of the most talented, innovative and surprising crime writers in the business.
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The real joy lies in Block's labyrinthine plotting and connecting the dots between the characters. As always though, the Big Apple is the real star of the show and Block's immense emotional connection with the city shines through his prose. His vivid descriptions of streets and locations at times read like travel guides but they help conjure an engaging and unique atmosphere as oppressive and confining as the city itself often appears. Small Town is not one of Block's best books--try one of the Matthew Scudder novels such as The Devil Knows You're Dead--but as a stand-alone introduction to one of the best spinners of New-York-based crime fiction, it's an excellent starting point and one that all fans of solid American crime-writing should seek out. --Jon Snow
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