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Content snapshot
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Violence
A lot
A murder; police corruption; Scudder in danger from both official and criminal sources
Language
Some
Some strong language
Sexual Content
Some
Some sexual content; a sex worker is among the victims
Substance Use
A lot
Scudder drinks heavily throughout; the novel is set in his pre-sobriety period
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The specific danger of an investigation where the institutions that normally protect investigators are themselves corrupt; Scudder's outsider status as both his weakness and his protection
What this book is about
Jerry Broadfield is a New York cop who has agreed to testify against corrupt colleagues in his department. He comes to Matthew Scudder for help — unofficial protection and someone outside the official machine he no longer trusts. When a prostitute connected to Broadfield is found murdered, Scudder's investigation puts him between a corrupt police department and whoever killed the woman. Lawrence Block's third Scudder novel deals directly with police corruption in a way that makes the investigation genuinely dangerous — the people Scudder might normally turn to for help are the ones he cannot trust.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
third Matthew Scudder novel; police corruption central to the plot
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