Ticket to the Boneyard [Paperback]

Lawrence Block (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Avon Books, 1991.; 1st Avon Bks Special Printing, June 1991 edition (1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380709945
• ISBN-13: 978-0380709946
• ASIN: B002CLAE6A
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)

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 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Now I am hooked on Block., February 21, 2003

By 

nobizinfla "nobizinfla" (Windermere, Florida USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Ticket To The Boneyard: A Matthew Scudder Crime Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

I was mildly entertained by Lawrence Block's "Even the Wicked." "A Walk Among the Tombstones" was gritty enough to get me to try my third Matthew Scudder: "A Ticket to the Boneyard."

Now I am hooked, and will read the entire series.

Scudder is an ex-NYPD cop...a flawed, complex, likeable, pragmatic character. Now an unlicensed PI, he investigates for his friends.

The plot in "Boneyard" roars along from page one with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing all the way. Not predictable. The villain is one of the most realistic, despicable and depraved I have run across.

Great hard-edged writing that leaps off the pages.

I am making Lawrence Block a priority.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Who Let the Psycho Out?, May 5, 2002

By 

Untouchable (Sydney, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Ticket To The Boneyard: A Matthew Scudder Crime Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

It would seem that Matt Scudder bought his ticket to the boneyard when he was instrumental in putting away James Leo Motley for aggravated assault. It turns out that Motley is rather psychotic and tends to hold a grudge before violently acting on it. And now that he's out of prison, Scudder's on top of his hit list, as is just about anyone remotely friendly to him.

In between trips to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, Scudder desperately tries to convince the police that Motley is a deranged killer and is responsible for a few of the latest deaths around town. Motley, however, is clever enough to provide no provable evidence for Scudder to give the police. So in the end, it looks as though it will have to come down to a man on man confrontation.

Apart from being worried about being murdered by a psychopath, Scudder is also working hard on not taking a drink. This is something he works at throughout the book and is very important to his character's development.

Scudder is a very complex character who appears to be finally getting some sort of grip on his life. Although appearing to bumble his way through some situations he is able to stand up during the important moments. This is quite a good thriller that occasionally loses momentum while attending AA meetings.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great one!, November 17, 2000

By 

John D. Costanzo "johndc" (Bensalem, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Ticket To The Boneyard: A Matthew Scudder Crime Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

This was another great work of crime fiction. The story is a little familiar, reminiscent of old Dirty Harry films, but this isn't just a novel about plot. It is about style, Matthew Scudder and New York City. My favorite flawed hero, Scudder, is a complex character who has several fascinating and oddly compelling relationships with the various types of citizens of New York. It is also a novel about alcoholism, loneliness and friendship; at one point Scudder reflects that his best friends are a prostitute and a career criminal. Ironically, it is the prostitute and the criminal who lifts Scudder from the depths; not his law abiding friends. A moving, reflective and skillfully written novel, it is about as good as crime fiction gets. Highly recommended.