No comments about Burglars Can't Be Choosers: Library Edition.

5 comments about The Burglar on the Prowl (Bernie Rhodenbarr Mysteries).

1. In a series of unbelievable coincidences, a burglar breaks into a random woman's apartment to relief her of some of her possessions. Before he can make good his escape, the woman comes home with a man. The man date rapes the woman while the burglar hides under the bed. Meanwhile, an apartment upstairs in the same building is burglarized and Bernie (the coward that hid under the bed) is blamed. Now, the two people in the upstairs apartment die (as does the doorman) and it turns out that the murder is connected to a plastic surgeon that Bernie burglarized the night before. Another unbelievable coincidence. Not as unbelievable as the fact that Bernie starts dating the woman that he burglarized and when he tells her he hid under the bed as she was raped, this woman decides to continue dating him. How understanding! Most women hold grudges for petty things, how did this guy get away with that?!
   
   The author has a good writing style, but the story is just too unbelievable.



2. I've just finished reading THE BURGLAR ON THE PROWL, my third Lawrence Block book in the continuing adventures of master burglar, Bernie Rhodenbar. I have to say that I've enjoyed them all tremendously. The charactors are thoroughly enjoyable and the stories, though wildly improbable, are just too much fun to miss.
   
   Mr. Block writes in a style that is quick but deliberately paced, keeping those pages turning well into the evening. The characters are funny, sterotypical, completely predictable, and absolutely marvelous. That perhaps is the great charm of these books - they are like riding a roller coaster. You can see what's coming a mile away, you anticipate the plunges, dips, swerves and loops. You know they're coming, you're absolutely delighted as you go through them, and you are always satisfied with the result once you're done.
   
   Granted, these stories do not rise to the level of a really engaging John Le Carre, P.D. James or Collin Dexter mystery. Actually, they put me more in mind of a Lilian Jackson Braun "Cat" novel or a really funny episode of Monk on the television. If you want a dark, brooding mystery with gritty realism, leave Block's books on the shelf. If, on the other hand, you want a great experience of light reading on a cold winter's evening or while lounging on a sunny beach - these are the books for you.



3. I like Block and Rodenbarr and have read many in the series. This one is a real letdown. Recently authors appear to be having more and more problems bringing their tales to a satisfactory close. That's true in spades in this book. At the end the author actually has Bernie review what the police will say happened, what really happened, and what could have happened. It is all jumbled and unintelligible. The book ends with a classic showdown in a drawing room like some '30's series. That's no problem but the reader doesn't really know who half the people are or why they are there. It's just too much confusion for a story that's pretty dull to begin with. The author does take time to praise Bernie's illegal immigrant doorman. Apparently Block feels that the high crime rate, astronomical High School drop out rate and appalling illigitimacy rate are nothing compaired with the joy that comes from rich Manhattanites being able to find good menial help who know their place. People don't get much dumber than upper west side liberals.



4. Bernie (the burglar) is always witty, inventive and in trouble. His fast-paced mysteries are a joy to read and Mr. Bloch's dialogue keeps the memory of Rex Stout alive. I have all the Bernie adventures and hope that his creator loves him as much as I do and will keep on writing for years and years.



5. As always Lawrence Block has another exciting quick read book. It is a shame he has taken a break for both his series. But will wait patiently for the next one to hit the shelves.

5 comments about The Girl with the Long Green Heart.

1. Contrary to most readers who wrote reviews here, I find the story a little lame. It is a con story from stone age, i.e. before e-mails, internet, cell phones, and hence a lot of the sting build up is mainly of archaeological value. The human side of it is not really very gripping, actually quite conventional. It is not bad, just not very exciting.
   I like Block's Scudder series a lot. I find his Keller books so so, and his burglar series frankly uninteresting. I liked some of his stand alone novels, but others failed to interest me. In other words, a very mixed record. Some of the reviewers are praising Block's way with words. He is a solid story teller, but I can not quite see him as a major word smith.
   No need to throw this girl away unread, but also nothing to rave about.



2. My favorite of the non-Scudder novels. Holds up surprisingly well so many years later, especially considering the pre-digital world it depicts. I think the reason is the sheer quality of Block's craftsmanship; this would be a great tale no matter what the era, so superior is the storytelling.



3. Realistic, fast paced, no filler, right to the point, excellent ending!



4. I am not overly familiar with Block; I remembered his name from the old Alfred Hitchcock Magazines and PB anthologies. The cover was delicious, though, so I thought I'd try it.
   I could hardly put it down ~ the writing is great, the suspense was tense, I did expect some surprises at the end and did guess part of it right... however, I expected a bit more of an explosive ending in the last three chapters or so; instead, after the initial twist was revealed, those chapters turned out to be little more than anti-climactic, with no more appearances of or retribution for the title femme fatale. Sorry, guys. But while I was reading it, I enjoyed it so much that I went out and bought 3 more in this series. I look forward to enjoying them.



5. I've read 15 HARD CASE CRIME books so far in the series and this one was one of the better written of them. I always enjoy a good confidence man story and this one didn't disappoint.
   
   The only problem with this one was the ending, but, to me, the ending is only ONE part of a book. The rest of it is compulsively readable and makes for a good idea of how the confidence game worked back then (it seemed a lot easier and seemed like more people were into it). I wonder if Block hoped to have a series of books with the characters in this book with the way he ended it. He should have.
   
   Check this one out though. Good reading for a lazy afternoon.

5 comments about Krueger's Men: The Secret Nazi Counterfeit Plot and the Prisoners of Block 19.

1. It was one of Nazi Germany's top-secret operations. It was the most humiliating episode in the Bank of England's history. It saved dozens of Jewish artisans from the chimneys.
   
   Operation Bernhard was the massive counterfeiting plot designed to destroy England's economy--and the financial wellbeing of any other nation that dared to defy the Third Reich. With the failure of its predecessor, Operation Andreas, Operation Bernhard sought talent from an unlikely source. SS Officer Bernhard Krueger selected his crew of counterfeiters from concentration camps. Some of the men were only hours away from death when they were recruited for the scheme. Printers, lithographers, artists, and others with related skills were brought to Block 19 at Sachsenhausen.
   
   While he was nothing like Oscar Schindler, Krueger saw the sense of treating his men like human beings. Decent food and clothing meant so little to those used to it, but it meant far more to those who had been denied the most basic of necessities. Such treatment will buy respect, if not some form of loyalty.
   
   Author Lawrence Malkin's in-depth research delves into a lesser-known facet of WWII and Nazi Germany. The first several chapters provide information of the events leading to the formation of Operation Bernhard. These chapters are somewhat slow, but they are essential to understand the remaining narrative, which grows intriguing andcompelling.
   
   KRUEGER'S MEN would be an excellent reading choice for students of WWII history, as well as any fields that could benefit from the study of a complex crime ring.
   
   Whether a student or casual purveyor, this book is a fascinating study of brilliance and diligent work put to an unsavory use.
   
   Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
   10/25/2006



2. Since the first coins were minted, men have tried (the vast majority of the time unsuccessfully) to make themselves rich by counterfeiting the world's currencies for their own prosperity. Nations too, have used the tactic in time of war for the last two thousand years with little success.
   
   Lawrence Malkin's historical Krueger's Men, details probably the single most successful effort of a nation or state's attempt to devalue another nation's currency in time of war.
   
   From the earliest months of World War II, Nazi Germany plotted to counterfeit one of the history's premier and most stable currencies, the British pound. Through a series of fits and starts, Heinrich Himmler and the vaunted SS hit upon a solution that would haunt the Bank of England for half a century.
   
   What started as an experiment--with a motive of devaluing the currency of the last-standing free country of Europe--sent tremors through the shattered economies of nearly every country in Europe.
   
   Krueger's Men explains in startling detail how the prisoners broke down the Bank of England notes to the microscopic level and eventually produced British bank notes so perfect that many were taken as real by the bank itself!
   
   Millions of pounds worth of forged notes were surreptitiously circulated through a variety of money launderers scattered all around the European continent. This played havoc with British currency that at the inception of hostilities traded at four pounds to the US Dollar.
   
   By the end of the war, the exchange rate was one for one and many British citizens refused legitimate bills when tendered because of the known scheme to undermine their own currency. One has to wonder whether, given enough time, would the British economy have survived?
   
   To understand the scope of the deception, it wasn't until a little over two years ago that the Bank Of England finally admitted that its currency had been forged during the war.
   
   Lawrence Malkin has done extensive research as the epilog, notes, bibliography and appendixes will testify.
   
   Krueger's Men exposes one of the greatest dark secrets of Nazi deception, the will to live of the men pressed into service at the camps, and a victor's unwillingness to admit the truth.
   
   Armchair Interviews: An amazing true story of World War II.



3. Although I finished reading this book I did so imagining that at some point there would be a real narrative of experiences by those who lived it, i.e. a story of what happened. Instead it is like an assembly of facts and names and dates all of which I began to ignore. Without the story of what happened what difference do the dates, names, etc. make to anyone? Very disappointing read.



4. This is a very interesting book. The author does an excellent job of turning historical facts into a story. He manages to form complex history into a narrative that is interesting and informative. I was particularly impressed by the insightful analysis of the Nazi bureaucratic structures and their players. This is a well-written book and reads quickly. It will be of interest to both the WWII historian (especially if concerned with economics) and to those who study the Holocaust.
   
   I am glad I read this book and I learned from it, but there are two areas in which I feel it falls short. First, there are a lot of controversies surrounding the interpretation of WWII history. The author typically picks one of these interpretations, presents it as fact, and neglect to mention that it is not fact at all, but supposition. One of the most egregious examples is the author's explanation for the calling of the Wannsee Conference and the switch (in 1942) from shooting Jews to killing them in concentration camps (predominately, by gassing them). The author explains that Heinrich Himmler was repulsed by the idea of German soldiers shooting people, even Jews and sought other solutions. This explanation is based in fact, but it ignores the many other explanations that reputable historians have offered for this change in policy. Among these is the inefficiency and messiness of killing millions of people by shooting them one at a time, the strain this posed on a stretched German military apparatus which was failing to win the war in Russia, internal power struggles in the German bureaucracy and the clearer articulation by Hitler of his desire to exterminate all the Jews.
   
   Second, there are a distressing number of errors in facts in this book. I will give but two examples: The author states as fact that 900,000 people were murdered at Treblinka. Most scholars agree that 800,000 is the correct number. The author provides a list of extermination camps in Europe, but neglects to mention either Chelmno (150,000 killed) or Belzec (430,000 killed). There are literally scores of such errors in the book. They don't alter the overall story or the analysis, but they are noticeable to the more knowledgeable reader.
   
   I do not know anything about currency and economic policy in Britain, but the number of errors related to the history of the Holocaust led me to wonder how accurate the other facts in the book are. I would ask that a knowledgeable reader in this area assess this question.



5. An excellent companion piece for the Academy Award-wining (Best Foreign film 2008) "The Counterfeiters." This book will take you behind the scenes on how the operation was organized and executed beyond the confines of the concentration camp. The insights into how the Bank of England dealt with the waves of fake pound notes (bottom line - they didn't) are especially interesting.

5 comments about All The Flowers Are Dying (Matthew Scudder Mysteries).

1. This is the umpteenth Matthew Scudder novel by Lawrence Block, who's one of the three writers I think are strongest in the mystery community without having breakout status (the other two are Max Allan Collins and Loren D. Estleman). He doesn't seem to produce many bestsellers, but on the other hand he sells steadily and has a very large number of books behind him. All the Flowers are Dying is another entry in one of the most enduring series in mystery fiction, at least in terms of length of time.
   
   Scudder has settled into semi-retired life. The author skillfully uses exposition to show you this, having Matt approached by a guy who is about to retire from the NYPD and wants to work for Matt, and help him be a private eye. Instead, Matt thanks him but says no, and moves back into his routine with his wife, surrogate son TJ, and ball games.
   
   Meanwhile, the book shifts POV and follows a guy who's apparently, after some exposition here too, a serial killer who enjoys framing other people for his crimes. Back in New York City, Matt's agreed to look into the background of a man who's the date of a woman who's a friend of a friend. She likes the guy, but thinks he's a bit strange, and wants to check up on him before she commits to anything. As the plot moves along, the three threads threaten to merge (or actually do, I won't tell you which) and things speed up.
   
   I enjoyed this book. Block's a competent writer, probably the strongest mystery writer with a New Yorker main character right now, and this is a good entry in the series.



2. Matt Scudder, a former cop and alcoholic has been through hell. He plans to wind up his investigations and concentrate on his AA meetings and his wife. But he agrees to take one last case. Louise, a single woman, has finally met a man she likes, but she fears he's keeping something from her. She hires Matt to check him out. Meanwhile, Elaine's best friend, Monica, also has a secret lover. But Monica is more street-wise than Louise; to her it's just a game, one she's sure she can win. But before Matt can track down the identity of Louise's lover, Monica is found murdered in her apartment. She was tortured to death by a man who left just one piece of forensic evidence behind, an antique letter opener that he'd bought at Elaine's shop. Suddenly Monica's death doesn't feel so random any more. Matt is convinced that the killer is stalking Elaine and he is determined to protect her. It soon emerges that Monica's murderer is a highly practised serial killer.
   This actually if a good, fast-paced detective story that I enjoyed.



3. While this book is not without its merits, it was overall a very mediocre product that is disappointing coming from masterful crime writer Lawrence Block. If this is the quality of book he's producing nowadays, I'm hoping he's decided to let this be the last Matthew Scudder mystery.
   
   Block is really good at interesting and believable dialog (although he's not very good at giving characters different voices), and his prose style is usually involving. But this novel really suffers under the slow pacing and cookie-cutter plot. I also feel that Block wasn't very subtle about many different plot points; leaving nothing to the imagination, he falls into the trap of over-explaining something to the point of insulting the reader's intelligence.
   
   My biggest problem with this book was the bad guy, a chameleon-type serial killer with no motives for his killing. A huge portion of the narrative is told from inside the killer's mind, and it quickly becomes tedious and unbelievable. The killer is rendered as more of a cartoon character that would never really exist in reality. I wish writers would ease up on the tired formula of "a ridiculously brilliant serial killer goes on a motive-less killing spree and outwits the police at every turn." Rather than intrigue the reader with a fresher character, the stock character of the brilliant serial murderer is mostly tiresome because he's so obviously a contrived creation of the author and not a frightening depiction of someone who may actually exist. For a really great book that truly gets inside the mind of a psychopathic personality, read Jim Thompson's "The Killer Inside Me." The killer in this book, however, is unbelievable and clearly the creation of a sane author who tries and fails to get inside a killer's mind.
   
   There's also far too many coincidences for my liking. I don't want to go into details and spoil plot points for anyone, but you'll see what I mean if you decide to read it. It's truly a sign of lazy writing when implausible plot points arise to connect virtually every character in the book.
   
   I wouldn't recommend this book, although it's not terrible. But it's certainly not of the same quality as Block's older works, which I would recommend you read instead.



4. I have read everyone of the Matthew Scudder novels. Trust,
   this one is the least of the series. I was very disappointed.
   He appears to borrow from James Patterson in giving us a serial
   killer and pages and pages of the killers voice. That is one,
   two it is boring. All the Flowers are dead and so is Matthew Scudder.



5. If your a fan of crime fiction do yourself a favor and read all 16 of the Matt Scudder novels. Unlike many series characters Scudder ages in real time in the books and this makes for a deep and realistic look at one characters life. The highest praise I can give is that Scudder seems like a real person and he's someone you'd like to have on your side. The villian in this book takes Scudder to the edge and the payoff is satisfying. If this is the last Scudder book the series is going out on top.

5 comments about Grifter's Game (Hard Case Crime).

1. I first stumbled upon the Hard Case Crime line, and of Lawrence Block with the book "Lucky at Cards." I enjoy poker and seeing the title had me interested. I purchased the book and instantly fell in love with the writing of Block, and the Hard Case Crime genre of books. After reading and loving "Lucky at Cards." I have since bought four other Hard Case Crime books, including the title you are here to read about, "Grifter's Game". This was my second Block book, and I equally enjoyed it as much his previous title that I read. Bottom line is, if you like Crime Noir you will love Hard Case Crime, and Lawrence Block. Get this book, and others from Block and Hard Case Crime, you will not be disappointed. Happy Reading!



2. Block is a great writer but this early effort is as lame as it gets. Implausible and basically a 30 page short story stretched out.



3. Our "hero" Joe is a somewhat likeable con man who drifts around until he stumbles onto Mona.. the bored attractive housewife married to a rich old guy.. where have we heard that before... they go from a one night stand to joe wanting to spend the rest of his life with her in literally the turn of a page.. a bit hard to believe for a seasoned hard boiled con man.. a smitten school boy perhaps. Anyway Joe pulls off a well designed crime.. and what was interesting how the writer portrayed this type of character... lots of time on their hands..a lonely existence... almost bored to tears.. Bit of an odd ending for me.. but a quick read and overall worthwhile...



4. I love a great mystery and love the classic pulp stories of radio and print. This is a combination of both. While no mystery is present here the following of these two characters thru the seedy world of drugs and hitmen gives you a great feel for those early pulps. A few twists and turns here and there (I hate spoilers so don't look for any!) will keep you reading and this book is so short it will give you a few hours reading at most. Good but you defintly have to love pulp and classical writing. Reccomend!



5. Joe Marlin is a small-time conman. He supports himself by checking into luxury hotels, running up a large tab, and then ducking out on the bill. Of course, when he leaves, he needs to abandon his luggage, so he sometimes steals new luggage in order to check into the next hotel. He gets far more than he bargained for, though, when he filches some luggage in the Atlantic City train station - a little surprise in the form of a huge chunk of heroin. Fortunately, the owner doesn't figure out that Marlin has the dope, but someone else does - a beautiful vamp named Mona. This development sends into motion a series of events that leads to no good.
   
   "Grifter's Game" was originally released in 1961 as "Mona," which is probably a more accurate if less exciting title for this book. It's the first Lawrence Block novel I've read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. His writing is extremely good at times, as is he use of hardboiled dialogue. Block also includes great humor; for example, while watching a Hitchcock film, Marlin makes some amusing observations about the tendency of noir to rely on coincidences. In addition, the characters are interesting and manage to be a bit more nuanced than you often see in this genre. The only debit is the final chapter, which is a bit of a disappointment.
   
   This book was the first in the Hard Case Crime releases; I love the eye-catching covers reminiscent of the golden era of noir. I would have liked a short introduction or summary of Block's work in this edition. However, such information is so easily available online nowadays that it's understandable that the publisher has chosen to make these brief novels as streamlined as possible. Overall, "Grifter's Game" is a terrific re-release that has encouraged me to want to purchase further entries in the series as well as other Block books.

2 comments about All the Flowers are Dying CD (Matthew Scudder Mysteries).

1. 
   In this, the 16th Matthew Scudder thriller, we meet a changed protagonist. Many of us are old enough to remember when we were first introduced to him some 25 years ago. If I remember correctly, Lawrence Block described him at that time as a former cop turned private eye (sans license) who drank a lot and worried the same. A quarter of a century can bring about many changes, and those years have made their mark on Matthew Scudder.
   
   Happily for listeners "All The Flowers Are Dying" is read by the author himself. A four-time winner of the Edgar Allan Poe and Shamus Awards plus numerous other honors, Block has penned more than 50 books. Think you'll agree that his reading is also deserving of recognition. After all, who knows Matthew Scudder better than the man who created him? Block delivers nuances and chills with the aplomb of a trained actor.
   
   As our story opens there's a man awaiting execution in a Virginia prison. He received the death penalty on the basis of massive evidence, yet he maintains that he did not commit three gruesome murders. A psychologist has been interviewing the man, and completes his assignment by watching as the death sentence is carried out.
   
   What seems to be a parallel plot develops as Scudder takes on an investigation. It's just the kind of job he likes now - no danger just some probing and then a paycheck. No such luck. The corpses start piling up and it seems that the next to die may very well be Scudder and his wife. Is there a relationship between the convicted killer and these murders? Could the psychologist be involved?
   
   Listen as this master of suspense weaves one more of his spine tingling tales.
   
   - Gail Cooke



2. The story is great but the author ought to get someone else to do the reading.

No comments about Alfred Hitchcock's and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazines: Mean Streets and a Vacation to Die for (Great Mystery).

5 comments about Transgressions: Terror's Echo: Three Novellas from Transgressions.

1. From what I've read, it seems like a lot of readers bought this just for the King novella. While King's short novella excellent, I highly recommend you read all the others, too. There's a lot of good material in this big book!



2. Since I am a big fan of Sharyn McCrumb, this compilation was chosen to find something harking back to her historical novels. "The Resurrection Man" was Southern in setting alright, in Georgia instead of Tennessee, North Carolina or Virginia, but it predated her Appalachian ballads. Why she chose such a morbid subject is beyond me. This story takes place in pre-Civil War and concerns the maneuvering of a medical school doctor to get the cadavers he needs for anatomy class.
   
   In 1852, Dr.George Newton, was forty-five years old and paid his carefully-selected servant to obtain supplies (newly-buried bodies from the cemetery) saying, "We must make use of the dead to help the living." After serving fifteen years doing this grotesque work, he returns to show the freed blacks with white guardians how to be grave robbers. In 1859, the doctor contracts tetanus (lockjaw). Then the war intervened, bypassing Augusta, for the big city of Atlanta. Slaves were called servants. The doctor's supplier returns to the college as a porter.
   
   Walter Mosley contributed "Archibald Lawless, Anarchist at Large." The longest was John Farris' "The Ransome Women." Lawrence Block wrote "Keller's Adjustment." This collection of ten stories was edited by Ed McBain, a writer in his own right. TRANSGRESSIONS is a "quintessential classic collection of stories" by mystery writers.



3. Hopefully Ed McBain's effort in convincing a stellar cast of fellow writers to contribute the novellas that comprise "Transgressions" will induce publishers to encourage more of the same.
   Don't get me wrong, I love long novels. But, in these days when we all seem to have less time than we'd like, the novella is the perfect form to consume in a short period. And, the novella is a deserving and time-honored part of literature. Nabokov and Simenon, to name two among many, excelled in the form.
   McBain, who contributed an interesting tale of his own, deserves kudos for the roster of superstars who joined him in this venture. The 10 stories provide a good introduction for those not familiar with the work of some of these writers.
   Naturally, some stories are better than others. That, of course, being defined by personal taste.
   My own favorite would have to be Anne Perry's "Hostages," a moving look at the continuing plight of families in Northern Ireland. Sharyn McCrumb contributes an excellent Southern gothic tale, "The Resurrection Man," and the awesome Walter Mosley is represented with "Archibald Lawless, Anarchist at Large." There are also tales by Joyce Carol Oates, Stephen King, Jeffrey Deaver, John Farris, Donald Westlake and Lawrence Block.
   I can truthfully say I enjoyed all 10 stories and a few writers who were less familiar to me will now receive more attention.



4. After the success of his novel BLACKBOARD JUNGLE, Evan Hunter (Ed McBain) turned to what were then referred to as "novelettes," his subject being the 87th Precinct detectives of Isola (think New York). As time passed, the 87th Precinct novelettes grew to full-length novels. Fifty years later, McBain persuaded nine other mystery, thriller, and horror writers to submit what are now called "novellas" of around a hundred pages each.
   
   The result was one of my most enjoyable reads of 2006. I don't know why I don't read more anthologies. It was in an anthology that I first experienced Stuart Kaminsky, Sharyn McCrumb, and Lawrence Block.
   
   Coincidentally, one of the best novellas in this anthology is one by Block. Block returns with his enigmatic hit man Keller in KELLER'S ADJUSTMENT. Block manages to make us feel empathy for the man. Although he has sex with a Phoenix real estate saleslady, Keller is essentially a lonely man. He needs somebody to talk to. He once had a dog, but a former girlfriend took it with him when she left; he went to a therapist, but the therapist turned into a snoop, and he had to dust him. Unwilling to take a chance on a living breathing entity, Keller buys a stuffed animal to talk to.
   
   Jeffrey Deaver also responded to the call with FOREVER. In it he introduces Tal Simms, a mathematician/statistician working for Westbrook County Sheriff's Department. Simms is considered a "computer geek" by the rest of the detective squad, especially homicide detective Greg "Bear" LaTour. Simms and his eventual partner LaTour are confronted with several suspicious suicides. Older rich couples are killing themselves under dubious circumstances. In most respects, the underdog character Simms is every bit as likable as Lincoln Rhymes. I would definitely buy a full length novel featuring Simms.
   
   A new discovery for me was John Farris. Farris's THE RANSOME WOMEN concerns a beautiful art appraiser named Echo Halloran who agrees to pose for the great artist John Leland Ransome. She's not only flattered, but as a budding artist herself, she wants to learn from him. Her boyfriend, police detective Peter O'Neil, is suspicious, and with good reason. I enjoyed this novella so much I ran right out and bought FURY, THE TERROR Farris's masterwork.
   
   I have to admit that Ed McBain's own contribution, MERELY HATE, was my principal motivation for purchasing the anthology. I needed my 87th Precinct fix, and it's great as usual. It is post 9/11 in Isola, and the detectives are called to investigate the murder of a Muslim cab driver. Through these cab driver murders, McBain capsulizes the reason for the problems in the Mid East.
   
   Other writers who contributed novellas were Donald Westlake, Anne Perry, Joyce Carol Oates, Walter Mosley, Sharyn McCrumb, and Stephen King. All of them were excellent.



5. Transgressions provides readers with the opportunity to sample ten different offerings from ten different authors. There is a gritty 87th Precinct novella from Ed Mcbain and a lyrical offering on a child abduction from Joyce Carol Oates. Steven King is well represented with a short but strangely moving tale of a 911 survivor haunted by his souveniers from his unlucky co-workers.
   
   I enjoyed Transgressions for both its quality and variety. While no story in particular was a stand out, each provided a sample of the particular author's style. Like a buffet, a taste is really all you need to determine where (and whether) you will return for second and third helpings.

2 comments about Hit Parade CD (John Keller Mysteries).

1. Contract killer John Keller has been at it for a long time, methodically rubbing out his victims while attempting to fill in the holes in his vintage stamp collection. Keller is thinking about retirement but he has been spending so much money on postage stamps that he needs to work even harder. He stalks a baseball player all around the country, waiting for him to attain some statistical milestones before fulfilling the contract. He enjoys the ballgames and picks up some Turkish postage stamps along the way. He checks in with Dot to update her on the progress of his work, she is his contact with various death brokers and Block keeps his dark subject very light and breezy. The real joy of this audiobook is that Larry Block is the reader. The book is great, his reading is dead on and a sweet thing to hear. The combination of zingy writing read by a real master makes this audiobook a real treat!



2. The main character, Keller, is interesting and Block certainly is creative in the situations he creates and resolves. It keeps your interest. With respect to the material, the only criticism I really have is that his dialogues between Dot & Keller seem to carry too much explanation; in other words they are constantly explaining to each other what they meant to say, which is often obvious. Further, you'd think 2 people who had worked together so long and had a face-to-face relationship would have found a smoother communication style.
   
   With respect to the audio, I found the quality of his voice a little grating and the irritation not fade over multiple discs. Further, and this is related only to the audio, Block's narration did not offer much distinction between his dialogue as Keller and his dialogue as Dot thus causing some confusion as to who was speaking at times. I have listened to about 25 audio books and usually, the narrators chance pitch or inflection a little to distinguish characters. Block is not very good at this.