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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Very heavy
A serial killer targeting women specifically because of their connection to Scudder; significant violence; threats throughout
Language
Some
Some strong language
Sexual Content
Some
Some sexual content; some victims are sex workers
Substance Use
Some
Scudder is sober in this novel (attending AA); the contrast with earlier books is significant
Emotional Intensity
Very heavy
The psychology of a predator who makes his threat explicit and forces his target to watch; Scudder's sobriety and what it means to face this kind of danger without the old crutch
What this book is about
James Leo Motley was imprisoned partly because of Matthew Scudder. Now he's out, and he has a list: women who were connected to Scudder. He is working through the list in order. Scudder cannot stop him through official channels because he has no standing. Lawrence Block's eighth Scudder novel is the series' most directly thriller-driven — a countdown structure with Scudder racing to stop a killer who announces his intentions clearly — and the portrait of Motley as a psychopath with a specific grudge is one of Block's most chilling characterizations.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
eighth Matthew Scudder novel; Scudder is newly sober; the series' most thriller-driven entry
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