The Specialists [Paperback]

Lawrence Block (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Gold Medal - Fawcett Books; First Paperback Printing edition (1969)
• ASIN: B000ETOQ0M
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,883,022 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lawrence Block (b. 1938) is the recipient of a Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America and an internationally renowned bestselling author. His prolific career spans over one hundred books, including four bestselling series as well as dozens of short stories, articles, and books on writing. He has won four Edgar and Shamus Awards, two Falcon Awards from the Maltese Falcon Society of Japan, the Nero and Philip Marlowe Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Cartier Diamond Dagger from the Crime Writers Association of the United Kingdom. In France, he has been awarded the title Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice received the Societe 813 trophy.

Born in Buffalo, New York, Block attended Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Leaving school before graduation, he moved to New York City, a locale that features prominently in most of his works. His earliest published writing appeared in the 1950s, frequently under pseudonyms, and many of these novels are now considered classics of the pulp fiction genre. During his early writing years, Block also worked in the mailroom of a publishing house and reviewed the submission slush pile for a literary agency. He has cited the latter experience as a valuable lesson for a beginning writer.

Block's first short story, "You Can't Lose," was published in 1957 in Manhunt, the first of dozens of short stories and articles that he would publish over the years in publications including American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and the New York Times. His short fiction has been featured and reprinted in over eleven collections including Enough Rope (2002), which is comprised of eighty-four of his short stories.

In 1966, Block introduced the insomniac protagonist Evan Tanner in the novel The Thief Who Couldn't Sleep. Block's diverse heroes also include the urbane and witty bookseller--and thief-on-the-side--Bernie Rhodenbarr; the gritty recovering alcoholic and private investigator Matthew Scudder; and Chip Harrison, the comical assistant to a private investigator with a Nero Wolfe fixation who appears in No Score, Chip Harrison Scores Again, Make Out with Murder, and The Topless Tulip Caper. Block has also written several short stories and novels featuring Keller, a professional hit man. Block's work is praised for his richly imagined and varied characters and frequent use of humor.

A father of three daughters, Block lives in New York City with his second wife, Lynne. When he isn't touring or attending mystery conventions, he and Lynne are frequent travelers, as members of the Travelers' Century Club for nearly a decade now, and have visited about 150 countries.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Lawrence Block title, September 26, 2009

By 

Booklover "LA" (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Specialists (Hardcover)

Ah, what might have been. This novel reads like it's part of a series, but, alas, Lawrence Block only wrote about these guys in one book. Too bad because this is LB at his best. The characters are strong, the plot is fun, and it's dark, dark, dark. It won't take you long to read it, so go ahead and find this one. One of my favorites.

11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Absolute Crap, August 24, 2010

By 

Sparse Grey Hackle (Boulder, Utah) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Specialists (Kindle Edition)

I can not believe Block wrote this.

it is the worst writing I have ever seen outside of an 8th grade English class. Block claims he wrote it in one sitting and I believe that. A Very Short sitting.

Block states he didn't like writing about the characters, so he never did another book on them, and thank God for small favors for that.

This book is written by someone that has ZERO knowledge of Vietnam, Special Forces, the US Army, war or combat.

ZERO KNOWLEDGE.

If a child wrote it, and I won't argue that possibly one did, one would read it and smile and say, well, good job, when you grow up you will learn what research is as applied to writing, or simply stick to a subject you have knowledge of.

I have read a stinker from Block now and then but why in sweet heaven would anyone willingly dredge this pile of crap back up from the past and label it a work of Block?

Whomever suggested Block release this again, deeply hates the man. It is Absolute Crap.

If you can read beyond where the Special Forces soldier now turned assassin routinely tapes a skeleton knife to his arm and leg to hide it !!! you are braver than I....ever try to quickly get a taped knife off of your arm of leg in a combat situation? not only does he do it again and again but it sounds like a good idea to his team mates too....He jumps fences, scales walls, goes hand to hand and the kife stays right there because of all the tape, probably duct tape, sure, why not?

then when he needs it...RRRRIIIIIPPPPPP, it is ready, then it simply gets stuck back in place when he is done slicing and dicing...he also hides under the victims car, ever try to leap out from under a car?

ever try to leap out from under a car to attack an armed body guard and a valet while ripping a duct taped knife off your leg? or forearm?

holy crappin crap this is childish stuff and I can't read more.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A guilty pleasure, July 16, 2011

By 

Craig Childs (Cordova, TN United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Specialists (Kindle Edition)

It's not Eight Million Ways to Die or even Girl with the Long Green Heart, but I couldn't help liking this book. It's fast-paced, with wildly implausible action scenes and tongue-in-cheek humor. (I particularly liked the part where one of the commandos would tape a knife to his leg and then sneak up behind someone, remove the knife quiety, and kill him. Really? How does the intended victim not hear you ripping duct tape off your leg?)

I realize this book is deeply silly on many levels. But it's like watching a James Bond movie from the 70's: Yes, the plot barely makes sense. And yes, the characters are little more than cardboard cutouts. But you still can't turn away because it's so much fun seeing what comes next.

One interesting twist in this story was that the "good guys" were arguably morally worse than the bad guys. In fact, throughout the book, the menacing gangsters never actually killed anyone. Oh, they threatened and they beat a few people up, but nothing like the "good guy" commandos who basically ran around killing gangsters, gangster wives, and hapless security guards almost at random.

But hey, who doesn't like a good shoot-em-up every once in a while?