Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


On the Precipice

Hope to Die by Lawrence Block

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Ah yes, the year 2000. Right before The Troubles. Before 9/11, Katrina, Iraq, Recession 1, the Tea Party, melting coastlines,  Trump, and the coronavirus hailing Recession II. Matthew Scudder has emerged from the social decay of 70s and 80s Manhattan to make a decent life for itself in a city that’s enjoying its final moments of pre-9/11 glory. But who knows what trouble lurks in the hearts of men? The Scudder does! This time with (sigh) yet another serial killer. These have always been the […]

The British Countryside Mystery

A Place of Execution by Val McDermid

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For years, I held out on reading Val McDermid until I could find this book. I can’t remember where it was first recommended to me but it was often billed as the best of her illustrious career. It probably sat on my primary Amazon list for close to two years. Trips to bookstores proved fruitless. Until one day, I stumbled on it for sale at my local library’s book sale. Yay for libraries and their book sales! Even after I got it, it’s probably been […]

I Ain’t No Senator’s Son

Ah, Treachery! by Ross Thomas

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I know I say this in every Ross Thomas review but man, could we use this guy right now. Take for instance this one Ah, Treachery! which was the last book he completed while he was alive. Thomas is able to do a running commentary on Iran Contra, the boot-shaking fear the military industrial complex had at the Clinton election, and the foibles of American governance all in one nice, neatly-written crime tale with low rent heroes and patriotic villains. And he’s able to do it all […]

They Sure Do

Everybody Dies by Lawrence Block

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I usually don’t get excited about the specific plots of Lawrence Block’s Scudder novels. Just the opportunity to read a Scudder book is cause for excitement in and of itself. But I was pretty pumped for this one. I’ve always been fascinated with his Mick Ballou character, the last of the great Irish gangsters in Hell’s Kitchen according to Matt’s universe. Since this one centered around Ballou hiring Matt, I desperately wanted to get to it. I read through it’s predecessor novel Even the Wicked in anticipation […]

“I was more afraid of the truth than the lie. The truth would change the circumstances of my life. The lie was static. The lie was peaceful. I was happy with the lie.”

Long Bright River by Liz Moore

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It’s always an interesting time when authors who write literary fiction decide to play in genre sandboxes (note: literary fiction is also a genre, and not one with more merit than any other, just so we’re clear on my position here). The Unseen World, the author’s previous book, is one of my favorite books I’ve read in the last several years. I liked it so much that I put all of the author’s published work on my TBR (which I have of course since ignored). […]

No They Sure Can’t

Burglars Can't Be Choosers by Lawrence Block

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I’ve been on a bit of a Lawrence Block kick recently. I’ve come to love the Matthew Scudder series and I like Block’s style of writing, as well as his frequent New York City setting. In reading an interview of Block, he mentioned how many people either liked his burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr series and didn’t like the Scudder ones because the latter is too dark, or didn’t like the former because it’s too light or because it glorifies a criminal. I figured it was time […]



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